Flame

Description: “Flame” is carved from deep red pipestone (catlinite), a fine-grained argillite (metamorphosed mudstone) quarried in Utah. The stone comes from a geologic formation estimated to be 1.6–1.8 billion years old, carrying with it an immense sense of time and continuity. Pipestone takes its name from its traditional use by Native American / First Peoples tribes—especially many Plains Nations—who have long prized its workability and warmth of color for creating ceremonial smoking pipes and other sacred objects.

Honoring that heritage, I let the original rough block suggest the form of an eternal flame. The sculpture rises in a continuous, looping curve that twists upward into a tapering point, like a flame caught in a moment of quiet motion. The central opening creates a ring of negative space, inviting light to pass through and casting shifting shadows that change with the viewer’s position. Soft, flowing surfaces invite the touch, while subtle natural veining in the stone adds to the sense of movement within the piece.

Set on a simple limestone base, Flame can be displayed indoors as a contemplative focal point or outdoors in a garden, where changing natural light will animate the curves and emphasize the feeling of a living, enduring fire.

Material: Pipestone (Catlinite)
Dimensions:  9” L x 9” W x 24” T   Mass:  50.5 lbs.
Completed: November 2025