Guardian Vessel

"My “Dream Urns” are vessels intended for the ashes of a loved one, whether a precious pet or person, once they have passed on. Some people tell me they use the vessels to store hopes and dreams, written down on notes that are stored inside.

When beginning the creation of this dream urn, I wanted to start with the owl as the most prominent symbolic element in the design, partly because owls have been showing up frequently in my life over the last decade. As a result, I have been drawn to them as subject choices of my more recent sculptures over the last several years.

Owls have had symbolic meaning in most cultures throughout time, starting with Ancient Greece. The goddess, Athena, was portrayed with one on her shoulder, giving her wise and intuitive understandings and guidance. In the book “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolpho Anaya, the Owl represents the soul of Ultima (the main character’s protector and curandera ) ……this being another interpretation of the significance of the Owl in cultural symbolism. In researching the spiritual view of the Owl’s significance in history, I found the Owl often linked to the transition of passing from the physical world into the spiritual. They are believed to watch over the soul during the transformation, and become a protective guide.

Therefore, I chose to have the owl in a “mantling” gesture, where the bird protectively shelters, with an encircling wingspread"