Traditions, The Gathering Place (#46)

Molly Ainsley
I have been painting and sculpting and transforming for many years and it still enchants me and grabs my imagination. Last year for Art’s Walk l transformed a full-sized recycling bin into an installation about protecting our beautiful waterways. This year I am submitting a piece called Holding Up the Sky which will be on display at Traditions Fair Trade. I took an old, primitive table that I have had my eye on for years. I saw a mighty gorilla hidden in the base of the table with his immense arms holding up the sky. With a little paint, I brought the gorilla, the sky and the Universe to life. In this piece, my love and reverence for animals is my inspiration. This gorilla lifts the clouds toward the universe. We are all just animals and the health of our World is in all of our hands. I do this work primarily for my own satisfaction. But I hope others can smile and enjoy the work as well.