When Art Touches the Heart

Often artists have no idea where an idea comes from, or how their work may touch others.

A few years ago, an unusual image emerged in my mind.  I saw a golden feather.  It appeared to be floating in still water, or maybe in space. I was intrigued and embraced the challenge of expressing this vision in the medium of glass. What emerged was unlike anything I had made before, as if it had meaning, yet to be understood.

I displayed my Feather Bowl at a studio tour.  A woman walked in, stopped in front of the bowl, and within seconds said, “I want that bowl”.  She was recently bereaved, and the bowl represented a deep personal connection to the partner she had lost.

I was compelled to make another feather bowl.  The first day it was shown publicly a woman stood mesmerized , gazing at it.  She had a special place in her home, a “shrine” of sorts, to Buffy Ste. Marie, and that bowl is now part of it.

I gifted the third piece, a plate, to a dear friend who had given me great support.  Not really knowing why I had chosen it, I assured her she was welcome to trade it for something else. My friend firmly declined.  For her, the bowl was a connection to her deceased father.  She put it in a place of honour.  

Art has the potential to reach deeply into our hearts, and sometimes, succeeds.  It is a precious gift for all involved when this happens.

Susan Higgins, Studio M

September 18 – 19, 10 am – 5pm

apsleystudiotour.com