Mosaic Garden Art: The Sally Jane Flamingo!

My latest mosaic flamingo sculpture arrived at her 
new home yesterday. I was on pins and needles while I waited 
for her new owner to write and confirm she had arrived. 

Here is side 1:

She is now living with Esther K in Maryville, Tennessee. 

This particular flamingo is a special one. 
Esther contacted me to create this piece as a memorial for her friend/cousin named Sally Jane. It turns out that Sally Jane, who died a year ago of cancer, had been a collector of flamingo art. But Esther also shared the history of her friendship with Sally Jane, beginning in childhood. Sally Jane sounded to me like a happy, unconventional woman who brought joy to Esther's life for decades. 
I have a friend like that too.

Esther also shared with me her experience of her friend's passing.
I won't breach her privacy so I will only give a 
brief outline of the story here:

 Esther was planning to be there with Sally Jane when she died but she would have to travel several hours when that time came. 

Near the end, Esther had a dream in which
Sally Jane was in a white room, surrounded by peaceful and protective beings. The beings welcomed Esther but eventually began to lead Sally Jane away. Those beings wouldn't let Esther go with them. Esther woke up at 3:45 that morning. 
A few hours later Sally Jane's husband called to say she had 
passed away at 3:40am. 

This is side 2:

 

When I read this story, I assured Esther I would allow Sally Jane to 

influence my process, if she would like to! 

I don't pretend to be psychic but 
I simply stayed "open" while I did this mosaic.

I rarely make "pictures" in my mosaics - preferring instead to create 

intuitively and "impressionistically." 

At the end of the first day, I looked at my work and 
realized that I could see what seemed to be an angel
shape where the wing would be. 
I did not in any way create that on purpose! 

 Here is the "angel" wing close-up:

 

I got the feeling that Sally Jane had been there with me!!

But, more amazingly, was the information Esther gave me when she
received this sculpture yesterday. 

I had allowed the colors and shapes to flow, without planning.  

And I saw that I was using colors that werent 

"normal" for a flamingo - like teals and greens. 

But I figure this is art and therefore there are no strict rules.

Well Esther told me that teal was Sally Jane's color and that 
green is her - Esther's - color! 

That, to both of us, confirmed Sally Jane's presence in 

my studio while I created this flamingo! 

  The Sally Jane Flamingo

July, 2012

4 feet tall x 2 feet wide x 3 inches deep

Styrofoam, cement, glass