As bark provides protective covering for the tree that is alive within, our outer self holds the many layers of our inner soul.  And like the tree that grows stronger with each consecutive ring, our core is fortified with each experience in this life.  This sculpture originated from a macro photograph of bark floating down a stream, and the color was deepened through colored pencil and powdered pigment.  I am struck by the beauty and diversity found in bark, and always drawn to what lives beneath-- hence, the name of my blog, Beneath the Bark, as there is always a story that lives within us all.