Fear

A little more than seven years ago I was working in the yard raking leaves and burning brush. It was a beautiful November day as I recall and I walked back to the house to get a drink. As I came into the kitchen I heard the beep from the phone indicating a missed call. I played the message. It was Jon's room mate telling me that Jon had been in an accident. He'd been badly hurt and was in a coma. They had taken him to the hospital and it wasn't sure if he'd survive. I needed to call Prescott Hospital or the Prescott police. I was stunned and for several minutes I simply sat on the floor wondering what to do. The next time I was in the studio, some weeks later, I picked up the clay and in a few minutes was looking at the Mask of Fear. This was the first of the series of masks I've done about Jon's trip through the underworld of traumatic brain injury. It's a little less than full sized, white stoneware with mason stain and iron oxide, fired in an electric kiln.