3D rendering with display which will be mounted to a concrete pier in a memorial garden.
Sketch of sculpture that will be suspended within and from the cedar display. Likely going to be white oak.
 Clients reveal their stories and situations to me as part of the process of crafting truly unique memorials for them. With this listening comes levity and an appreciation for my own life and those around me. The absolute randomness of some these tragedies can knock the breath out of me.
This client’s situation is no exception.
Youngish couple find love and an ideal pairing with onether. They begin planning the rest of their lives together.
He graduates with degree in anthropology and is planning on going into archeology. Along the way he cultivates an interest and skill for flintknapping. She’s a dynamic personal trainer in training. Together they start building a life and future, complete with an affinity for trees and the infinity symbol (lemniscate).
On his way home, a tree damaged months earlier by hurricane Sandy lets itself loose during a storm and falls on his car while waiting at a light.
The end.
They had nine months together that had to feel like being propelled into an amazing sunset together and it all just vanished.
All this needs are bottlecaps and pigeons to be complete. Thirty or so sketches later, the more refined combination from above was arrived at.
If I think too much, the immenseness of the loss and gravity of the situation would be paralyzing. Fortunately, there are usually details that provide footholds for imagery, shapes, and concepts that allow me to overcome any hesitation. In this case, combining the lemniscate and arrowhead was obvious, but the method of marrying the two was not as evidenced by the following funny sketch. Getting what doesn’t work out of the way and on paper is often a critical part of the design process.