Category Archives: Commission

God Among Us

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A Commission of Emanuel’s Lutheran Church, Seguin, TX

Photo by: https://www.bilsullivanphotography.com

In the beginning:

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When asked me to write an artist statement for the sculpture, I said yes without blinking an eye.  My understanding was, I would go through the genesis of the sculpture in explaining the experience of my journey while carving the flesh of the wood.  

The reality we foresee this day is difficult to explain because the work is based on a strong feeling of faith.  From the conception to the finished artwork, I tried to capture a moment in its eternity.  The  artist in me created something that she does not fully comprehend.  The sculpture is the fruit of the changing seasons of my roots from soils of many cultures.  It is also a strong belief in the divine rather than a proof in itself.  I am just an instrument in His hands.  This being said, I consider it is more important for the artwork to speak for itself without intervention or explanation. 

Ideally, a two-way avenue of communication flows between the Creator and the viewer allowing his mind to wander in prayer.  The visible is something different for everyone.  While my explanation can be useful to the viewer for exploration and consideration, it can also limit or constrict the possible responses.   

Progress:

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Completion:

God Among Us

Photo courtesy of Matt Chase Photography

Unveiling at Emanuel’s Lutheran Church, Seguin, TX.:

Unveiling Ceremony 1

 

The Flying Leaves at Texas Lutheran University

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The Unveiling Ceremony

“The Flying Leaves”

Texas Lutheran University

Student Alumni Center
November 14, 2014

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Dr. Stuart Dorsey President, TLU

Dr. Stuart Dorsey
President, TLU

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Mr. Rick Roberts, Vice-President for Development and Alumni Relations

 

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Comments by Marika:

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the debut of The Flying Leaves.

Creativity flowers in the doing, in the experiencing of life, and in having community.  Over 30,000 years ago, artists connected their communities by creating art on the walls of caves.  Since, the methods of artists have changed while the impulse to connect has not.  “The Flying Leaves,” are a perfect example.

In commissioning this Bas-relief wood sculpture, the TLU Development Office called upon the creativity of our community to make a statement out of a piece of American walnut.

As a great force of nature capable of spreading beauty and understanding, this piece of wood pictures the clear channel of spiritual communion between the university and the students.  Thank you TLU for giving us the opportunity to connect with you through a state of creative grace and a sense of the sublime.

I would like to pay tribute to a friend Dr. Evelyn Streng who left us today.  She was a constant inspiration in the making of the leaves.  She did not handle mallet and chisels but truly she had a hand in fashioning the message of the sculpture.  In September she told me that even if she is not present for the unveiling ceremony she will be there with us.

Having you here today is a truly humbling experience.  So allow me to end now by thanking each and every one of you for celebrating the arts and for being part of this community.

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The Flying Leaves American Walnut H 24" W 108" D 2"

The Flying Leaves
American Walnut
H 24″ W 108″ D 2″

Flying Leaves C

Detail

Detail

 

 

 

 

 

Plaque for  “Flying Leaves”

The TLU Development Office project begins with straight-forward design specifications of a tree and leaves for the artwork.  From there, the idea flows into the realm of visual artistry.  The rendezvous of ideas and art leads to a tree with a strong trunk deeply rooted to a rich landscape.  Carrying the essence of the concept into a Bas-relief wood sculpture, a locally harvested American Walnut, gives birth to “The Flying Leaves”.

The symbolism behind the tree and the leaves is the interconnectivity between the university and its graduates.

  • The tree with its many limbs, represents Texas Lutheran University;
  • The flying leaves are the graduating students who after a period of learning boldly leave the university with the mission of “Live to Inspire”; and
  • The landscape is the journey ahead into the greater community.

The wisdom of the narrative resides in the harmonious cycle of this interconnectivity.  The seeds of knowledge germinate, the leaves spread the news and the world becomes a better place.

The artists

Marika (Marie-Carmel Bordes) a Seguin artist, originally from the Caribbean Island of Haiti, is the official sculptor of “The Flying Leaves”.  With a wonderful moment of celebration in mind, she leads the concept of the Bas-relief sculpture with the assistance of Howard E. Crunk, a TLU graduate in the arts, class of 2007.   Together with mallet and chisels, they testify to the indelible legacy of the alma mater and the alumni.

Dennis Martin and Marika Bordes

Creating Sculptures with Marika: The Video

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The Sculpting Process

Sculpting wood is a time-consuming and labor-intensive effort requiring imagination and discipline. This brief video gives the viewer a window to the sculptor’s arduous journey from a piece of raw wood to a finished work of art.  Join the sculptor as she creates the following sculptures:

Plenitude

The sculpture is a commission to celebrates the birth of a first grandchild.

The Little Prince

Marika made this sculpture as the center piece for her solo exhibition at Bihl Haus Arts.

 The Flying Leaves

The Flying Leaves, a work-in-progress, is a commission for Texas Lutheran University.

 

The Guadalupe Regional Medical Center: The Artist Wall

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The Guadalupe Regional Medical Center: The Artist Wall

Sculptures by Marika and photographs by Dennis Martin are on display at the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Artist Wall through December 2013. This is your opportunity to see sculptures that are on public view for the first and possibly the last time; they are on loan from private collections.  Also, The Contortionist is on view for the first time.  In addition to the Artist Wall,  the medical center has two of Marika’s sculptures in their permanent collection.  Maternitree is at the entrance to the Birthing Center and the Cross of St. Bridget is in the chapel.  We hope you enjoy the exhibit.

The GRMC Artist Wall

The GRMC Artist Wall

The Arts And Community: The Bird Sculpture Sanctuary of the Seguin Walnut Springs Park

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This article by Marika appears in The Third Dimension: Newsletter for the Texas Society of Sculptors 1st Quarter Issue of 2013

Seguin: A Bird Sanctuary City

Seguin: A Bird Sanctuary City

The Arts and Community: The Bird Sculpture Sanctuary of the Seguin Walnut Springs Park

The seeds for The Bird Sculpture Sanctuary of Walnut Springs Park were  sown  years ago.  In the1920s, Robert Hugman, who would design the San Antonio River Walk, approached the city with plans for the park and it was completed in1941.  Then the park fell into disrepair.  In 2006, the citizens approved a bond issue and the park was officially reopened in 2011.   The recently rejuvenated park in the heart of the city won two prestigious awards: The Texas Recreation and Parks Society Lone Star Legacy Park designation and the Texas Downtown Association President’s Award for Best Public Improvement.

View of Park

View of Park

The other part of the story begins in the not so distant past with a Seguin Garden Club project tasked with making Seguin a bird sanctuary city.  Although, the city received the designation, little was done with the idea.  There are two signs announcing the bird sanctuary city as you enter the city from the east.  One is on US Highway 90 and the other on US Highway Alternate 90.  After moving to Seguin in 2005 and seeing these signs, sculptor Marika Bordes kept this knowledge in the back of her mind.

When Marika and a fellow member of the Seguin Oakwood Art League (SOAL)  discussed the need of more visibility for SOAL they realized an excellent way was to enter the annual Holiday Stroll Parade.  The concept of a bird sanctuary city gave flight to her imagination and she suggested creating bird costumes.  SOAL went on to win awards in this and other parades using the “birds” concept.  The birds stayed with Marika.  After many walks through Walnut Springs Park, a bird sculpture sanctuary took form.  Conferring with her students, volunteers and community members, the decision was made to approach the city.

Preparing for the First SOAL Parade: Grackle and Owl

Preparing for the First SOAL Parade: Grackle and Owl

The team soon realized that besides creating sculptures and receiving approvals,  the project would require raising funds.  By the time, Marika and her team presented the project to the city council, the Department of Parks and Recreation recommended approval of the project and the Seguin Chamber of Commerce awarded a Help Seguin Shine grant.  The City Council, not only unanimously approved the project but to the surprise of some, provided funding.  The work began to sculpt eight  birds and raise the additional funds.

Marika and three students, Barry Duncan, Howard Crunk, and Jimmy Schmidt, set out to design and make the sculptures in wood, metal or a combination of the two materials.  They selected birds native to the area: the  hawk, roadrunner, heron, owl, and scissor-tailed flycatcher.  This was a team effort and was most especially seen in the making of the primary sculpture for the park, the hawk.  The body of the hawk is made of bois d’arc* and the wings of metal.  The team had to develop an internal mechanism to prevent the movement of the wings from damaging the wood during high winds and to secure it to the entrance column to the park so that literally, it would not fly away in a storm.  Many hours were spent just in the designing and engineering of this sculpture.

Measuring the Hawk

Measuring the Hawk

Fundraising events and in-kind contributions were key.  Volunteers came to the rescue to raise additional funds during a key fundraiser, “Art for the Park” held during Seguin’s annual ArtsFest.  The fundraiser offered donation levels, such as, a poster signed by the sculptors, placement on the donor plaque, and “adoption” of a bird or a family of birds.  Most of the food, beverages, and entertainment were donated.  There were also proceeds from the silent and live auctions of art.  A local steel fabricator donated materials and technical knowledge and the city installed the sculptures.

Installation of the Hawk

Installation of the Hawk

The artists and associates set out on a mission to create a masterpiece for a public space in Seguin.  Their vision was a cultural landmark and an economic engine for the city, businesses, and the community.  They wanted to give the community the first major work of public art done by local artists.  They envisioned a bird sculpture sanctuary that would enhance visitor appreciation of the park and its flora and fauna.  Their art would add a dimension of beauty that would be another incentive for people to visit and enjoy Walnut Springs Park and Seguin.  They also saw that by  strengthening Seguin as a bird sanctuary city, those interested in birds and public art more people would visit the the park.  Also, the birds would be an attraction for children and add to their education and appreciation for wildlife.

Community Support

Community Support

The sculpture sanctuary came into being because of the vision people had for the city nearly a century ago, the dedication and support of a community, and the tenacity and dreams of the artists.  As marika said “We had to believe in the results.  Faith is to believe in what one does not see.  Yet the artist sees what she believes is there.  The dedication of the Seguin Walnut Springs Park Bird Sculpture Sanctuary was on September 18, 2012.

  • Other names for bois d’arc include osage orange and horse apple.

The Hawk

The HawkThe Arts and Comm

The Owl

The Owl

The Cross for The Road to Emmaus

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From the beginning, the creation of the sculpture revolved around the question “Who is to hold the cross?”  We tend to see the death of Jesus through Michelangelo’s Pieta, the portrayal of  Mary, the mother, holding the lifeless body of her Son.  But in the reality of this journey, we are closer to the weaknesses of Mary Magdalene than to the holiness of the Mother of Jesus.


St. Brigid’s Cross- Chapel of the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center

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The Guadalupe Regional Medical Center chose St. Brigid’s Cross for the chapel feeling that any chaplain would do well to model their ministry after the life of St. Brigid.  Much like St. Brigid, the chaplain often finds that the most sacred “chapel” is at the bedside of the sick and dying.  In those holy moments it is always the chaplain’s desire to bring love, peace and comfort through prayer and faith.  In the manner of St. Brigid, Chaplains often share God’s love by reaching out to the poor, to those in need and to those whose hearts are hurting.

 

Cross of St. Brigid

Commissioned by: Rev. Jeremy Roy

Designed and Created by artist: Marika Bordes

Assisted by: Col. Joe Saenz, USAF, Ret. and Howard Crunk

 

Cross of St. Brigid- detail

 

Plenitude Finds a Home In Belgium

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Seguin artist selected for Belgian workNEW LIFE: Marika Bordes commissioned for wood sculpture honoring birth

By Katie Collins

The Gazette-Enterprise

Published December 25, 2009

SEGUIN — One local artist is helping grandparents across the globe celebrate the birth of their new granddaughter.

A birth is certainly something to be celebrated, and Ben Griepink and Trietsje Bangma of Belgium are doing it in style with the help of Seguin sculptor Marika Bordes. Bordes said it all started with a visit in September.

“Ben and Trientsje came in September to visit a friend, and stopped by the gallery,” Bordes said. “They really liked the work and asked me if I would make them a sculpture to commemorate the birth of their first grandchild. I submitted them two drawings, and they chose this one called Plenitude.

After deciding on a design, Marika began the long process of carving the wood. She started with the stump of a mesquite tree, she said.

“I use a chainsaw at first to get a reasonable block of wood that I can work with,” Bordes said. “Then I do everything by hand using a chisel and mallet. I wanted to use the heart of the wood because of its complex grain structure, strength, and durability. Mesquite is a challenge to work with because the grain of the wood is not uniform, but its beautiful.”

Over the course of six weeks, Bordes carved away at the wood, and sent weekly e-mails to the couple to show them the progress. Finally, Plenitude came into shape.

The work is a sculpture of a child in a mother’s lap, hugging her with outreached arms. The sculpture rests on a piece of metal work shaped like a crescent moon.

“I did the crescent moon because the little girl’s name is Luna,” Bordes said. “It will be painted silver, which will compliment the mesquite wood statue and the marble base very beautifully.”

The sculpture was sent to Europe on Dec. 17. Bordes said she hoped to get it to the happy new grandparents by Christmas.

What began as a piece of what most people consider firewood, became a family’s expression of joy for the gift of a new life, Bordes said.

Bordes work has celebrated new births before, such as the sculpture called Maternitree, which is in the new maternity ward at the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center.

Maternitree: Sculpture for the New Maternity Wing

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“Maternitree”

by

Marika Bordes

 

Detail of Woman 3

Detail of Sculpture

Wood Sculpture

Medium: Bois d’Arc

 

Location:

The Patient Tower

The Guadalupe Regional Medical Center

Seguin, TX

July 2009

 

Detail: Central Woman

Ode to Maternitree

And you woman,

With your fragile appearance

You are not the least of creatures….

You are to the human race,

As the tree is to the earth.

In reincarnating lives,

You perpetuate the sacred,

Balancing creation and tying together

The generations to come.

Authentically, you are

The Genealogical tree

Of the human family, and

The Interlocutor of the Eternal.

Marika Bordes

 


 

Detail of Baby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About “Bois d’Arc”

This amazing wood is hard, durable, elastic and resistant to termites and other insects.  French explorers described the tree, Maclura pomifera, as “bois d’arc” (bow wood) and the settlers called it “bodark.”  Other common names are: Osage orange and horse apple.

Over the centuries, humans have found many uses for this tree:

  • The Osage Indians made powerful bows.
  • The settlers used the wood for fence posts, dye, and house foundations.  In fact, there was a time in Texas, one could not get a loan on a house if the foundation was not made of “bois d’arc”.
  • Osage-orange made life on the prairies possible because Its dense growth provided  living fences and windbreaks.

The wood for Maternitree comes from the ranch land of Dr. John Schwartz of Seguin, Texas.

 

Maternitree and the sculptor

Maternitree and the sculptor

 

To contact Marika

Website: www.marikasculpture.com

Blog:

https://marikaarts.wordpress.com

E-mail: marikasculpture@yahoo.com

 

Photographer: Bil Sullivan

Website: www.bilsullivanphotography.com