"We don't have tsunamis."

The mention of tsunamis is in reference to the recent 2 year anniversary of the tsunami in Japan (March 11). I, too, live near a large body of water. But our place is very safe. I've been reflecting on our relative safety and security, while so many suffer even after the news coverage ends.  Remembering events which have taken place on the other side of the globe reminds us of the significance of place and the particularities of our place.  The global scope of our contemporary situation and the easily accessed information enable people to share in a greater awareness the broader human situation.

The suffering in places like Grand Haven is below the surface. There exists a veneer of purity which, in part, is reality. But our gratefulness and compassion must grow as we consider other places.  And so "We don't have tsunamis" is meant to do 2 things:

1) Help us to remember that just because the media no longer pays attention, it does not mean the after effects have ceased in places like Japan, the gulf coast, and the eastern seaboard.

And...

2) Pay attention to both the beauty and brutality of our relative peace and security.

Why some of us have the privilege of living in safety is a mystery...and it is grace. It is a gift none of us necessarily deserves.

These pieces are three-dimensional seascapes (or "lake"-scapes as the case may be here).  The glorious fresh-water "seas" here in Michigan is something folks never tire of watching and playing in.  For me, these "paintings" have emerged from an on-going fascination with the shifting of water and earth on these shores.