I was having a devil of a time coming up with an idea for a Christmas present for my SO. It had to be inspired, nothing less or mundane would do. It was getting closer to Christmas and I had nothing!

Then, on a walk, I was contemplating how much we experience in the passing of our lives.. So much witnessed… and much history together with someone, if you are lucky to have known them for a long time. I think I had my inspiration!

I had been contemplating a version of this three dimensional figure i had seen online, and kept that in the back of my mind for a while.
When I remembered the dilapidated house that was strewn with weathered cedar shakes from the roof, I immediately considered all of the things that those shingles witnessed over the years, perched upon the roof.

I imagined, through blistering summers and bone-chilling winters on the front range, the cedar shake weathering the elements. feeling the fury of thunderstorms, the gentle kiss of snowflakes, and the warmth of the sun’s embrace. Holding steadfast, a silent observer of nature’s grand theater.

I imagined the house, once vibrant, watching as generations passed by, each leaving their mark upon the plains. The landscape changed—From their vantage point on this hill in the little mining town of Leyden, they were able to watch Denver grow out of the plains. Towns grew, technology advanced, and the once-vast plains bore the footprints of progress. Yet, now, really only the cedar shakes remain, a relic of a bygone era, with stories buried within their weathered crevices. bearing the scars of time, surrendering to the weight of years. Yet, they alone remained, a stoic testament to resilience amid decay.

The cedar shakes became a repository of memories. They held the whispers of forgotten conversations, the dreams woven into their fibers, and the secrets whispered in the wind.

Now, overlooking the expansive plains stretching into the distance, the cedar shakes stood silent yet dignified—a humble witness to a century’s worth of history, each one, its own tale etched in every weathered line.

In this, to me, the figure symbolizes the ethereal emergence of the years of events and experiences witnessed, rising from raw, earthly elements that Actually witnessed those events.

Provenance:
The materials for this project came from the roof shakes of a (very) dilapidated house on an old homestead in the former mining town of Leyden CO. These cedar shakes were ancient.. 400 years worth of rings, just on the small pieces I had collected! The steel for the figure is from scrap. The leaf coating is bronze.
Here is a link from a short video i made when I found the cedar shakes used in the background.