Pine needles treated with glycerin, dye and beeswax, coiled with waxed linen, attached to jasper and agate rock slices. The 3 rock slices set into the top half were cut from the same Brazilian agate. Free form coils have interior wire support.
Award: “Architectural”
Paul Deroos
Barbara Osborne
Seattle WA
My work is founded on a deep respect for the natural materials I use. A pine tree can be more than a hundred feet tall or a hundred years old; stones and fossils are thousands or millions of years old. I work to discover their stories — how they were formed, how they got their color and shape, how they interacted with the climate, the terrain and other living things — and then combine those stories with the shapes and colors I see around me. I find inspiration in all kinds of shapes: skylines, tree shapes, tunnels, bark patterns, kaleidescopes, slag heaps, bridges and buildings. Then I explore what shapes can be brought to life using pine needles, rocks, antlers, shells and trees.