Like the lotus blossom that emerges unsoiled from muddy waters in the morning light, this blossom represents the beauty and strength of being that can come from things which are painful, causing us to reexamine our perceptions and remain open to insight that heals. This sculpture originated from collected locust thorns on our land, used for another exhibit, “Another Way of Keeping a Diary”, and transformed here into new being. The photograph was printed onto fabric, colored with pencil, layered repeatedly with wax medium, meticulously hand-carved, but into shape, sculpted into form, stitched together, and hand-colored again with powdered pigment. The inside of the sculpture is magenta, which radiates out the purity that resides in us all.