SANCTUARY by artist Emily Ipolani

Mixed media sculpture on wood base, 7" h x 7" w x 4" d base

The pieces of wood used to make it are from our beloved little patch of wild desert nearby. Woo called it "mountain climbing" and used to seek treasures there every day including these and many other pieces of wood and sticks he'd find. Past tense because over the holidays we went out to discover heavy construction equipment. Our trails had been leveled to pour a road and the natural creek bed we used to happily explore filled in to make way for yet another industrial park.

It was a shock to me seeing it that way with no warning and feels heavy like grief. The coyotes have been howling more than usual and the wildlife driven out for more development. My child's wonderland and quiet sanctuary is being turned to concrete.

It's where we went to find nature, see the birds, tortoise, jack rabbits, look at strange "meteorites" (as erik called them, so Woo believed it to be truth). Some days he said it was the sea, others the moon and mostly his favorite mountains. To him it was magic, to me it was peace, to all the creatures living there it was their home.

It seemed only apropos to create this with pieces of it as it and all the wildlife we had the honor to visit there were our sanctuary.