This sculpture early on had a distinctive voice and I soon came to know
it was connected to the legend of the Selkie's. Of all symbols for the
free soul, one of the most beautiful is the seal. There is a legend told
across the world sometimes called Seal Maiden, Selkie, Roane, Pamrauk,
or Soulskin. In Celtic and Inuit mythology, tales are told of seals who
shed their skins and for short times live as humans. There are both
female and male Selkie.
The most common legend
tells of a hunter that finds a seal maiden dancing on a moonlit beach.
He steals the shed skin, making her unable to change back into seal
form, and forces her to become his wife. Her isolated soul withers away
until she discovers her sealskin, and is then renewed when she returns
to the ocean.
The analogues contained
in each story explain difficult truths about life. Life opens into an
existence that is sometimes painful and unfair. Returning to the souls
innate spirit is one of the prime sources for healing and fulfillment.
The sculpture
“Soulskin” represents the Selkie's sealskin, and symbolizes the free
soul's embracing spirit. The exterior speckled grays and greens depict
the seal, a symbol for our incredibly beautiful but sometimes heartless
world. The interior flowing blues reflect the ocean, a symbol for
renewal, healing, and enlightenment.
