This series began with a commission to create a sculpture for the semicircular niche at the Archives and History Center in Columbia, SC. Learning about the history of mill and mill villages in Columbia, I wanted to honor that history in the piece. The crown of the sculpture represents the mill village.

Hidden within it, is a container housing study drawings, research, and documents that trace the sculpture’s development and the ideas behind its creation. The glass chamber at the base contains duplicated archival documents provided by the center. Throughout this series, the formula of a message at the top and another preserved within the glass remains an essential element of the work.

References to William Derryman McCune II appear in nearly all of my sculptures. I am deeply grateful for this, as he remained my best friend and unwavering partner until his death. We were inseparably married for more than fifty years, sharing a life filled with love, encouragement, creativity, and purpose.

The Linda and Bill Hour Glasses, in particular, celebrate both our differences and our unity. They contrast our individual natures, interests, physical builds, and approaches to problem-solving. Our opposite personalities not only attracted one another but also complemented each other, each strengthening the other’s weaknesses. As these forms emerged in my studio, they revealed even more than I had anticipated about the fusion of a fine artist and an electronic engineer.

The symbolism embodied in these works could fill many pages. For me, it feels profoundly right to see them exhibited together.