SEARCHING FOR VENUS IN SABA (2009): From time immemorial, Venus has symbolized beauty and love. Born from the sea, Venus is behind our desire to create and, at times, also behind our angst. A divemaster reaches down in an attempt to touch Venus as she emerges from a sea fan. She is guarded by a sand shark and a rare flying gurnard. A little girl pauses at Carnival, uncertain as to the type of Venus she will be asked to become.
THE DIVINE FEMININE (2009): Hiking Mount Scenery, Saba’s volcano and the tallest peak in the Netherlands, is a worthwhile effort. Its lush tropical vegetation, song birds, ocean views and old rock walls along the steep hiking trails form a shrine to Goddess Earth.
YOU WANT TO RACE ME? (2010): A play on the story of the tortoise and the hare, this composition beckons us to pause and dive into the beauty of the Saban landscape. Passion fruit and okra flowers, lazy hammocks, a sea horse persistently hanging on to coral and a serious looking sea turtle on a mission burst into view. I stand dwarfed by the creation before me.
DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LOVE? (2010): What I knew instinctively as a child has is now firmly embedded in my belief system. I believe that our ability to love and care for the creatures we share this earth with is of paramount importance to our wellbeing and survival. I trust that, as a civilization, we will be able to honor this truth in time
RECKLESS PASSION (2010): When passion goes wrong, it feels like a rock avalanche. The squirrel fish nervously dart about. The spotted eel watches in amazement. The angel fish tries to steer clear of the passion flower in an act of self-preservation. The garden frog ornament seems to think out loud: “I can’t believe she’s doing this again.”
AIRBORNE (2010): The background to this work was taken on approach to Saba’s famous airport – the shortest commercial airstrip in the world. Three divers hang on to a safety stop line. They will later privately integrate the beauty of their dives on the scenic drive home on “The Road.”