The grieving has moved to the gazebo with wine and good friend and great conversations. Thank you again to everyone who is still looking after me.
Did you hear about the fire in the shoe factory? 10,000 soles were lost. The police said some heels started it.
And the story continues....
***************
We were back in square one facing all the same issues - violation/theft, mystery, unanswered questions, publicity.
It was during these two years that The Manitoba Court of Appeal reversed the decision calling for a new trial. This sent it to the Supreme court of Canada…
Without any warning or desire on our part, our names again were being drawn into a mystery, surrounded by unanswered questions, and back in the public eyes.
I found that interesting…. It wasn’t as if this was unfinished business… These were all separate events that were facing us again.
Let me describe it to you. First of all we emerged from the first trial, we were sold on the idea of holding art shows. They served as deadlines – but more than that as places of huge learning and connection. It was almost a church event for us and more satisfying than going to Hawaii – so we started fashioning our own art shows.
By this time Wilma, who has always been an artist at heart if not by skill, decided that she too wanted to be part of this. She too had turned to art when as a natural verbal processor – words had failed her and all that was left was painting. She loves white – found comfort in it and started to sculpt and paint white paintings. In fact, the three of us artists, consolidated to establish the our own Theotrinsic Art Group for convenience rather than promotional reasons.
We looked around and found the perfect place for our art shows, the Frame Art Warehouse in the Exchange District suited our needs the best – and we had two showing there.
I worked on and showed a new piece… “Doubt” a study of suspension.
Odia added another installation piece. “Hem of his garment”
And then - as I was touring a guest through the art show –it was early evening - I noticed that the sculpture, Dancing David, was missing.
There at the window where he should have been dancing by the street window stood an empty white plinth.
I couldn’t believe it. I blinked my eyes a few times and wondered if I was seeing right. Then checked around and no one could believe it.
Even when we as artists weren’t around to serve as guides, the staff at the warehouse were always there.
The only explanation was that someone off the street, had stuffed it into their back pack and walked off with it. But who? Who would do something like that?
Art is personal and people honor personal stuff like this. For somebody to just seemingly walking out with a piece of artwork is really unusual and surprising.
Perhaps someone didn’t know how precious – maybe it was a prank? I notified the media to report it missing.
They responded immediately as baffled as we were.
One of the reports wrote…
“A sculpture created by Cliff Derksen to help him cope as he sat through a trial for his 13-year-old daughter’s alleged killer has been stolen.
“’Dancing David’ was on display at Frame Art Warehouse in the Exchange District on April 7 before the sculpture went missing. Derksen told the Sun on Monday that the piece was created as a way for him to express the emotions he and his family experienced while going through the 2011 trial.
“Derksen said David specifically was a biblical figure that kept him positive and motivated throughout his daughter’s disappearance….
“’(King David) was artistic, and I really admired his character, and had him as a model in my life. One thing about him is that he expressed every emotion known to man,’ said Derksen. ‘In our case, we didn’t know what happened to our daughter (for so long), so I created David in his euphoric state ... It was very therapeutic.’
“Derksen said he’s made three different sculptures of David over the years, but that this was the only one that had gone missing. Ironically, it’s the one where David is displayed at his most joyous.
“’A funny thing happened, someone actually said, ‘Oh, they were trying to steal your joy!’ Derksen said with a laugh.
“Although Derksen thinks whoever took the statue did not know the emotional value of the piece, he still looks forward to getting David back.
“’It’s disturbing initially for sure, because it’s a part of you,’ said Derksen. ‘I hope they enjoy him, because he’s all about joy. I hope they respect him in that sense.’
He was never recovered.
I was surprised how I grieved over him – and am grateful for every picture I still have of him.
That’s when I realized why I had a hard time selling my pieces – they were like children to me.
My wife insisted that I “just make another,” which I did but it didn’t have the same euphoric feeling to it as the original.
Somethings are lost… forever.
The only way through – is one path – and it’s called forgiveness….
Even though I knew the path – it was still hard.
Did you hear about the fire in the shoe factory? 10,000 soles were lost. The police said some heels started it.
And the story continues....
***************
We were back in square one facing all the same issues - violation/theft, mystery, unanswered questions, publicity.
It was during these two years that The Manitoba Court of Appeal reversed the decision calling for a new trial. This sent it to the Supreme court of Canada…
Without any warning or desire on our part, our names again were being drawn into a mystery, surrounded by unanswered questions, and back in the public eyes.
I found that interesting…. It wasn’t as if this was unfinished business… These were all separate events that were facing us again.
Let me describe it to you. First of all we emerged from the first trial, we were sold on the idea of holding art shows. They served as deadlines – but more than that as places of huge learning and connection. It was almost a church event for us and more satisfying than going to Hawaii – so we started fashioning our own art shows.
By this time Wilma, who has always been an artist at heart if not by skill, decided that she too wanted to be part of this. She too had turned to art when as a natural verbal processor – words had failed her and all that was left was painting. She loves white – found comfort in it and started to sculpt and paint white paintings. In fact, the three of us artists, consolidated to establish the our own Theotrinsic Art Group for convenience rather than promotional reasons.
We looked around and found the perfect place for our art shows, the Frame Art Warehouse in the Exchange District suited our needs the best – and we had two showing there.
I worked on and showed a new piece… “Doubt” a study of suspension.
Odia added another installation piece. “Hem of his garment”
And then - as I was touring a guest through the art show –it was early evening - I noticed that the sculpture, Dancing David, was missing.
There at the window where he should have been dancing by the street window stood an empty white plinth.
I couldn’t believe it. I blinked my eyes a few times and wondered if I was seeing right. Then checked around and no one could believe it.
Even when we as artists weren’t around to serve as guides, the staff at the warehouse were always there.
The only explanation was that someone off the street, had stuffed it into their back pack and walked off with it. But who? Who would do something like that?
Art is personal and people honor personal stuff like this. For somebody to just seemingly walking out with a piece of artwork is really unusual and surprising.
Perhaps someone didn’t know how precious – maybe it was a prank? I notified the media to report it missing.
They responded immediately as baffled as we were.
One of the reports wrote…
“A sculpture created by Cliff Derksen to help him cope as he sat through a trial for his 13-year-old daughter’s alleged killer has been stolen.
“’Dancing David’ was on display at Frame Art Warehouse in the Exchange District on April 7 before the sculpture went missing. Derksen told the Sun on Monday that the piece was created as a way for him to express the emotions he and his family experienced while going through the 2011 trial.
“Derksen said David specifically was a biblical figure that kept him positive and motivated throughout his daughter’s disappearance….
“’(King David) was artistic, and I really admired his character, and had him as a model in my life. One thing about him is that he expressed every emotion known to man,’ said Derksen. ‘In our case, we didn’t know what happened to our daughter (for so long), so I created David in his euphoric state ... It was very therapeutic.’
“Derksen said he’s made three different sculptures of David over the years, but that this was the only one that had gone missing. Ironically, it’s the one where David is displayed at his most joyous.
“’A funny thing happened, someone actually said, ‘Oh, they were trying to steal your joy!’ Derksen said with a laugh.
“Although Derksen thinks whoever took the statue did not know the emotional value of the piece, he still looks forward to getting David back.
“’It’s disturbing initially for sure, because it’s a part of you,’ said Derksen. ‘I hope they enjoy him, because he’s all about joy. I hope they respect him in that sense.’
He was never recovered.
I was surprised how I grieved over him – and am grateful for every picture I still have of him.
That’s when I realized why I had a hard time selling my pieces – they were like children to me.
My wife insisted that I “just make another,” which I did but it didn’t have the same euphoric feeling to it as the original.
Somethings are lost… forever.
The only way through – is one path – and it’s called forgiveness….
Even though I knew the path – it was still hard.
Community is not possible without the willingness
to forgive one another “seventy-seven times.”
Forgiveness is the cement of community life.
Forgiveness holds us together through good and bad times,
and it allows us to grow in mutual love.
– Henri Nouwen
to forgive one another “seventy-seven times.”
Forgiveness is the cement of community life.
Forgiveness holds us together through good and bad times,
and it allows us to grow in mutual love.
– Henri Nouwen
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