The View From My Window

FAIRY WINGS

I’m currently involved in a fund-raising project by the local Rotary Club called: “Butterflies and Friends”. It will benefit the Colorado Springs Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration. For their turn they talk of “Metamorphosis”. Indeed “Metamorphosis” it is! - where I am concerned. I decided to not just decorate the 8’ tall wings they supplied us artist but to incorporate my love of Terracotta! I call it “Fairy Wings” and here are some pictures of the fairy in process. Not surprisingly, metamorphosing rigid given butterfly wings into a Fairy poses many challenges. Still so far – so good. Here are some photos of the origianl design and the terra-cotta fairy body in progress. It’s now drying and it should be ready for firing towards the end of June. In the meantime I’ll start on the wings

“THREE SISTERS”
Terra Cotta Sculpture by Marica Hefti

“THREE SISTERS” a 30 foot long and 8 foot tall freestanding outdoor terra cotta bas-relief combined with a 6 foot tall free standing sculpture and a 9 foot tall steel tree.
“Three Sisters” tells the story of Penrose-St. Francis hospitals from the first three Franciscan Sisters and the Sisters of Charity to the three still active ones of today. From humble beginnings helping miners and victims of train accidents and tuberculosis to the full service medical center of today. The story also takes us from a small German chapel to the magnificent facility now standing in this place.
Sometimes quite descriptive, often symbolic it endeavors to unfold a story of service to the community in a three-dimensional picture book made of terra cotta and steel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE TREE OF SAINT FRANCIS
The light shining through Saint Francis symbolizes the power and the love of our creator. Along the bottom of the tree trunk the light shines through the cut letters of the Saint’s admonition to the birds: GO PRAISE AND LOVE YOUR CREATOR.
The tree limbs manifest the strength of faith.
The dancing copper disks/leaves tell of true joy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PANEL ONE: THE SISTERS OF THE ORDER OF SAINT FRANCIS
In 1893 Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel founded Saint Francis Hospital together with Dr. B. P. Anderson, a physician and surgeon for the Midland Railroad Company.
Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel’s terra cotta sculpture holding a cross in her left hand (as seen on the most popular photograph of her) stands by the panel. Along the hem of her gown is her motto: HE LEADS – I FOLLOW.

Telling the story
The compositional elements or sub-panels:

• “The Crucifix of San Damiano”. The original painting in Assisi is the most beloved crucifix of the followers of Saint Francis. Also called “The Franciscan Cross” it’s the Christ on this cross who uttered the fateful words: “FRANCIS, REBUILD MY HOUSE”.

• St. Francis wearing the stigmata is at the upper right hand corner.

• An old Steam Engine represents the reason and the means of Mother Maria Theresia and the three first sisters’ coming to Colorado Springs.

• Saint Francis Hospital 1893. Three sisters of Saint Francis standing in front of their new hospital.

• A Guardian Angel holding a German chapel pays homage to Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel’s German heritage. It also invokes protection for the art work

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PANEL TWO: THE SISTERS OF CHARITY
In 1893 Mrs. Glockner, widow of Dr. Glockner, founder of the Glockner Sanatorium in Colorado Springs, asked the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Ohio, to assume ownership of the Sanatorium.
Julie Penrose widow of Spencer Penrose, who earned his fortune in copper mining and real estate development, officially dedicated the Penrose Cancer Center Pavilion in 1941.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services was officially created in July 1990 as a result of the 1987 agreement between the Sisters of St. Francis of Colorado Springs and the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Ohio

Telling the story
The compositional elements or sub-panels:

• A Sister of Charity in 1950’s habit is the centerpiece of panel two.

• Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (upper left-hand corner). Founder of the Parochial School System in the USA she once said: I SHALL BE THE MOTHER OF MANY DAUGTERS.

• Penrose Hospital dedicated in 1959.

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help or “Maria-Hilf” (upper right-hand corner). After a painting by Lucas Cranach, the Elder (original copy in the artist’s collection). This is the artist’s personal devotion acknowledging Saint Elizabeth’s own deep dedication to the Mother of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PANEL THREE: THE SISTERS OF TODAY
The third panel is dedicated to the health practitioners and staff of the new Saint Francis Medical Center.

Telling the story
The compositional elements or sub-panels:

• A Sister in modern garb is holding an injured man. The resemblance to the many “Pieta” sculptures throughout the world is intentional since Christ is in all of us but most of all in the suffering and in those in need.

• Pikes Peak and the new Saint Francis Medical Center building dominate the top panels.

• A rescue helicopter is coming in for a landing.

• A Sister in contemporary nurse’s uniform is holding a newborn baby.

• Portraits of the three Sisters still active in 2008: Sister Lou Krippel, OSF, Sister Immaculata Park, OSF and Sister Rose Virginia Brown, SC.

Three Sisters, a Work in Progress 1

DESCRIPTION OF SLIDESHOW
Klick here to view the show:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Marica.Hefti/THREESISTERSAWorkInProgress

Each “panel” measures 6’x 8’ and is composed of about 12 – 16 sub-panels. I sculpt each sub-panel on a slab of about 24”x 24” laid on a 2” thick 24”x 24”piece of styrofoam insulation covered with newsprint. (The idea is that as the clay shrinks the paper will shrink with it, preventing cracks in the clay.) The still wet finished pieces I cut into “manageable” smaller pieces for easier handling and firing.
Each “sub-panel” is subsequently laid out to dry on 6’x 8’ slightly slanted tables and assembled like a puzzle. The photos do show “a work in progress”.

Panel 1: Some of the sub-pieces on the panel are fired and some are still green. The fired ones are darker in color. They lay on the table itself while the green ones are still on the styrofoam squares. The cuts are now very visible because the clay is shrinking.

Once all the pieces are fired the sub-panels will be cemented together with thin-set of the same color and glued on frames of expanded steel. Those will in turn be bolted and/or welded to upright steel frames. The now solid sub-panels will be “free floating” inside their 6’ x 8’ steel frames. There will be “negative” spaces within the panels as well.

Panel 2: Only the most important narrative images have been sculpted and are laid out to dry. More will follow soon

THREE SISTERS
Bas Relief for Saint Francis Medical Center
by Marica Hefti, Sculptor
-----------------
Steel Sculpture by Nicolas Ordahl


Description
A 25'X 8' outdoor terra cotta bas relief by Marica Hefti, combined with a 6 feet tall free standing sculpture and a 9 foot tall tree made of steel whose branches reach across the whole length of the bas relief
Materials: terra cotta (medium-high fired outdoor quality clay), mild steel and LED lights (Light Emitting Diodes)

Concept
…TERRA COTTA RELIEF and FREE STANDING SCULPTURE. Three 8’x 6’ terra cotta panels composed of many individual irregularly shaped panel pieces and one 6 foot tall terra cotta sculpture of Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel.
…STEEL TREE. One 8 – 9 feet tall steel tree with 8’ respectively 14’ long “branches” reaching across and along the tops of the panels. The tree trunk as well as part of the branches is
…LIT FROM WITHIN. The light will shine through the lines of a plasma cut-through depicting Saint Francis with birds.
…MOBILES. Occasional groupings of round copper disks attached to the branches kinetically in the manner of “Mobiles” will dance and shimmer in the wind - reminiscent of aspen leaves.

Vision
The terra cotta bas-relief panels are meant to tell the story of the Sisters responsible for the existence of the Penrose-St. Francis Health Care Centers from founding to the present time.

The tree is symbolic for the spiritual heritage that these Sisters Religious share.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE TREE OF SAINT FRANCIS

The light shining through Saint Francis symbolizes the power and the love of our creator. Along the bottom of the tree trunk the light shines through the cut letters of the Saint’s admonition to the birds: GO PRAISE AND LOVE YOUR CREATOR.
The tree limbs manifest the strength of faith.
The dancing copper disks/leaves tell of true joy




"THE THREE SISTERS"

THE SISTERS OF SAINT FRANCIS (First Panel):
A 6’ high terra cotta sculpture of Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel holding a cross in her left hand (as seen on the most popular photograph of her) stands in front of the panel. Along the hem of her gown is her motto: HE LEADS – I FOLLOW. Behind her on the panel is an almost 7’ tall bas-relief of the cross of San Damiano. The Christ crucified is sculpted in relief. The figures of the Saints and Angels surrounding him are etched into the clay in the manner of “graffito”.

Telling the story
The individual panel pieces:

• The Crucifix of San Damiano is the most beloved crucifix of the followers of Saint Francis.

• An old Steam Engine in front of Pikes Peak represents the four Sister’s journey to Colorado as well as their helping and healing victims of train accidents.

• One panel is reserved for the rendering of the first St. Francis Hospital built in 1889. Three Franciscan Sisters standing in front.

• St. Francis wearing the stigmata fills the panel at the upper right hand corner. The words uttered by the Christ of San Damiano are engraved on the panel’s left: “FRANCIS, REBUILD MY HOUSE”

• A guardian angel holding a German chapel graces the upper left. It symbolizes the heritage of Mother Maria Theresia.

THE SISTERS OF CHARITY (Second Panel):
A 6’ tall full relief of a Sister of Charity (1950’s) holding a babe in her arms and handing a book to a child signify the Sister’s care for foundlings and Saint Elizabeth Seton as founder of the Parochial School System in America.

Telling the story

• Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in profile as patroness to all the Sisters following in her footsteps. The words engraved along the bottom of the panel: I SHALL BE THE MOTHER OF MANY DAUGTERS.

• The Penrose Hospital building dedicated in 1959

• A bas relief rendition of the Virgin with Child after a painting in my personal collection. It is an original copy of one of the best loved paintings by Lucas Cranach “the Elder” of “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”. I have included it as my personal devotion and in the knowledge that Saint Elizabeth was also deeply devoted to the Mother of God.

• A graffito of a Sister of Charity reading to children

• Another graffito depicting a group of children of different ages and races.

THE SISTERS OF TODAY (Third Panel):
A bareheaded Sister in modern garb – blouse and skirt with cross adorning her blouse – is on one knee holding an injured man. The resemblance to the many “Pieta” sculptures throughout the world is intentional since Christ is in all of us but most of all in the suffering and in those in need.
One knee, leg and head are protruding from the panel. Her right arm as well as the head, shoulder and the arm of the wounded man are also protruding. The rest of him disappears into the panel.


Telling the story
The individual panel pieces:

• Pikes Peak and the new Saint Francis Health Center building dominate the top panels.

• A rescue helicopter is coming in for a landing

• A Sister in contemporary nurses uniform is holding a newborn

• At the center a sister in modern garb is cradling a wounded man

• The three remaining Sisters: Sr. Rose Virginia, Sr. Mac and Sister Lou Krippel