The Offering

ARTIST
Nicole Davis

SENIOR OR ELDER
Mabel Laviolette

ARTFORM
Sculpture

ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Mabel and I really connected about finding solace in nature during the pandemic. This piece shows the journey of grief and how we connect to our departed loved ones through signs in nature. The base of the sculpture is exposed wood showing the tree’s rings of age and time; making no effort to hide the beauty that age and experience can bring. The hands are extending from an inverted clay turtle shell. Mabel has her own spiritual views that acknowledge tradition, but also include her own personal twist. Mabel is the grounded bird at the base of the sculpture. The hands open up to a blue bowl symbolic of Lake Athabasca. The hands are helping release the spirits that need to finish their transition, and her late husband sits prominently as the red bird on top of moss. The moss is symbolic of the earth where Mabel has made many tobacco offerings to show her gratitude. Beside the bowl sits a bird’s nest with an egg symbolizing her children whom she holds so dear. As an artist, I hope that I am able to show the beauty, inspiration, and wisdom of Mabel and her life experience through this sculpture.