When I was three years old my mother and I traveled to the island of Tinos in the Cyclades. My mother had just lost a child and was making a pilgrimage to the sacred cathedral on the island dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She sought solace for her broken heart and a blessing for the soul of her lost child. I was in awe of the massive cathedral complex. Its bright white marble facade shining in the Aegean sun. The dark interior brimming with bejeweled icons, golden chandeliers and a richly carved marble altar. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and prayers. For a child it was at once beguiling and frightening.

Decades later my mother and I made a second pilgrimage to the island of The Virgin. Seeing the cathedral as an adult I was struck with the overwhelming feeling that the spirit of the simple woman the site is dedicated to would be more comfortable with a small simple chapel

in the company of nature.

The figure in this image represents my mother as the embodiment of The Virgin Mary. She is surrounded by the souls of the children she never had but wished for. In her hand she cradles a bird representing her lost child. The doves to the right are the two daughters she nurtured into strong, compassionate and independent women like herself.