A sculpture commissioned by Dr. Bonnie Straka of Albermarle Dermatology.
Created by Tomas J. Fernandez.
Dr. Straka and I met by divine appointment many years ago at Fresh Market in Charlottesville, Virginia. I gave her my business card and without realizing God’s plan, waited 8 years for an email from her to resurrect a conversation we once had – producing a piece of Art.
We decided on a theme for the Art, honoring the Holy Spirit to bless and inspire her staff and clients. The first area of artistic focus would be the “Signature” entrance to her medical spa. The Holy Spirit would be represented, visually, as 7 doves. Additionally, now, a group of three have also been created for the dermatology entrance. The total now being 10 doves.
The material I used is aluminum that I hand forged and textured with feather like design lines for each bird and each feather of each dove. My signature composition utilizes, “negative” space. These empty parts of the construction help portray my subjects. Besides the doves I’ve done horses, bob cats, racoons, fish, even a life-size buffalo.
Things to notice about “Called to Soar”…. The doves have been painted with automotive enamels and a clear coat as well. The color I choose is gold. This is more dramatically seen on the underside of each sculpture. This golden hue is symbolic of what happens when we invite the Holy Spirit to reside within us. He carries the Light of the World with him, that of Jesus the Christ. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, he imparts himself through the Spirit to take up residence and impart his nature to us. We radiate, like the moon reflecting the sun. It is no longer us by ourselves, we are a team with God himself. The more we align ourselves with his Word the brighter we become.
It is God’s dream for us to fly, thus the title, “Called to Soar”. His love, beauty, and compassion are transferred to us, they enhance us, inspiring our thoughts, our physical presence, our words, our actions, our eternal destiny. We begin to fly toward “True North”. There is no age requirement, no financial fee, the invitation with a million perks for uniting with your Creator is waiting for you. Find a small group women’s or men’s Bible study near where you live and be transformed!
God’s Love and Blessings – Tomas J. Fernandez
