Gallery 3

"This unusual piece was created during Hallowe'en of 2002. It incorporates the symbols and themes of the Celtic harvest festival Samhain (sa-wen), a celebration marking the Celtic New Year, when the walls between the worlds would melt away and the spirits of the dead return to their homes. Bonfires were traditionally lit across the British and Irish countrysides to warm returning souls, and food and drink were set out on the doorstep to nourish the souls of the departed. The beautiful harvest maiden is like a goddess of autumn, crowned with the fruits and leaves of the season. The Jack O' Lantern connects with the American Hallowe'en tradition, begun when immigrants from the Isles and Europe brought their holiday traditions to the New World. And the grinning skulls touch on the darker, more frightening side of the festival; stark reminders that Death may be just around the corner."