Commissioned for the Childrens’ Garden at the Museum of Ventura County by Howard Boroughs.
With tribute to the Northwest Coast Indian culture myth which tells of mankind originally coming forth from a giant clam, from which only children could emerge.
The bronze sculpture represents the emergence of mankind, in the form of children, from the mother of all life. The turtle represents wisdom, longevity and peaceful adaptation to Life’s evolution.
I have fashioned each child to represent the noble qualities of human character:
Imagination, creativity, and transcendence – the girl in blue
Focus, hard work and perseverance – the girl in yellow
Knowledge, wisdom and positive forward-moving energy – the boy
Other intended symbolism is represented by:
The tree/leaf on the turtle’s back = the Tree of Life
The turtle = a universal symbol of good luck, long life, and wisdom
The colors = relate to the qualities of color symbolism and subject