The cellist is made from cypress wood that is over 200 years old. A friend of mine was restoring a four-plex in Riverside, Florida that was built in 1902. He had to remove some of the cypress beams that held up the roof. Judging by the tight grain, the wood was over 100 years old when initially used.  

 

The beauty of the wood rings made this wood pleasing to the eyes and great for sculpting. 

When deciding what to compose, I considered many factors. For example, what would bring out the beauty of the grain? What would be a pleasing composition and arrangement? What was a restoring and hopeful subject matter? 
 

I have always loved the deep tones and notes that come from the cello.  A cellist arranged at an angle was easy on the eyes and pleasing to the sight. It has a natural flow and feng shui. 

The cellist represented the freedom to take his music anywhere and play it for himself and anyone who would appreciate his composition. He played for the love of music and his Creator.  It was his prayer. 

Helping develop this was therapeutic to me. When I had a lot of pressure on my mind, I totally escaped my current anxieties by studying the piece of wood, deciding on the subject, and composing it.  

My anxiety was replaced by my intense focus on removing pieces of wood that were not part of the finished statue. 

My worry was replaced by joy when I reached that point where the cellist was roughed out and over and over again when details were added. I enjoyed much peace and happiness when I clearly saw the potential finished sculpture. 

I always found extreme joy when the piece revealed itself to me with visuals I didn't preconceive. I didn't plan for him to have a beard, but when I was detailing the head, the natural wood identified his beard.  

I loved working on this piece. It turned my worry into hope. It turned my negative thoughts into positive steps of creating at each working session. The beauty was already there and through my sensitivity to the feelings I was having jointly creating this piece with the creator of the wood, I felt empowered, unlike anything I have felt before. 
 

Thank you for appreciating this and sharing the natural beauty of the cellist and his music.