This was the first vase I carved in the series, beginning an exploration of how a hollow stone form could hold and transmit light. Its compact, rounded body keeps the design simple, allowing the pale Italian alabaster and its natural markings to carry the expression.
The narrow amaranth rim introduces a warm reddish contrast around the opening. Beneath it, the stone changes from a softly reflective surface to a translucent body as the lighting shifts.
Carving the walls thin enough to admit light required a new sensitivity to the material. I had to consider not only the outside shape, but the thickness remaining beneath every surface. This piece established a direction I would continue to explore through increasingly varied bowls and vessels.