Awakening represents hope and new beginnings. It was created for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s October 2016 Fundraiser.

The Dancer, with her limbs outstretched, gracefully rises above the tangled roots of her past. Like the dancer, our roots and our struggles are our own, but we are not bound by them. We too, can gloriously rise away from those gloomy gnarled roots. The Dancer stands poised above her struggles, and she revels in what she has become. She dances to celebrate the victory that is loving herself. She dances to celebrate life. We too can dance.

The Living Oak Dancer Series

New Orleans is home to numerous Live Oaks. Their heavy twisted limbs are part of the unique visual landscape of the city’s streets, parks, and neighborhoods. These ancient oaks are beautifully shaped by time. Their gnarled limbs gracefully drape to the ground while others artfully flare out towards the sky. Like dancers, they bring strength, a poised elegance, and a charm to the world.

The Living Oak Dancer series attempts to capture the spirit of the city’s Oaks. Each piece is inspired by a Live Oak in New Orleans.