Client: Private Residence

Overview

An old Franciscan Priest and I had lunch one time and he complained about the 'skinny waif' depictions of the Saint. He told me of a robust and vibrant young man who had trained as a soldier and knight, and how he would like to see St. Francis depicted. Young, strong and vigorous, St. Francis seized up his life's work. This was the maquette I created before pointing it up to 1 1/2 life size for a patron. Bronze maquette is 14x6x10 in.

Goals

To call attention to the ongoing legacy of this very great man and saint and his universal power over the religious and non-religious communities. The 1/4 size bronze of this is intended to make it more available to people.

Process

I made a point of speaking with Catholic and Franciscan priests to get the historical St. Francis straight and read up on him to come up with my impression of what this man was like when he chose his true 'profession' of making his life an example of sacrifice, and service to the most needy and rich alike and to personal introspection.

Additional Information

The making of this sculpture has been a rather eye-opening event for me. The enthusiasm people have for this piece has shown me the depth of people's adoration of this remarkable man across all social, religious and economic strata. I am very grateful to all of the people who helped me with their input and their impressions of St. Francis.