I drew my inspiration for A Sunday Morning from the Saturdays I spent during COVID quarantine, when I would go out, buy a simple bouquet of flowers, and arrange them to enjoy the following morning. During a time when so much of the world felt uncertain and constantly changing, these small rituals became a source of comfort and consistency. The flowers brought color and a sense of life into my surroundings, offering something simple to look forward to amid so much unpredictability.

To explore the idea of permanence within something inherently temporary, I chose materials that contrast with the natural life cycle of flowers. I began by bending individual pieces of mild steel to create the stems and leaves, varying the curves to give each piece its own shape and character. I welded smaller pieces of steel onto select stems to form leaves, alternating their placement above and below the curves to create variety throughout the arrangement.

For the blooms, I repurposed wood scraps left over from another project, using an electric sander to shape each piece into an abstract flower. After drilling holes into the finished wooden forms, I attached them to the steel stems using wood glue.

While the flowers set, I worked on the vase, carving a hand-selected piece of raw alabaster sourced from a quarry. Using a masonry saw, I shaped the stone into an asymmetrical form to contrast with the organic shapes of the stems. To bring the sculpture together, I drilled holes into the alabaster with a high-speed stone drill and secured the stems in place with wood glue, arranging them into a finished bouquet.

By recreating something fleeting with materials intended to last, I wanted to preserve the feeling and memory of those quiet mornings.