The original idea for The Kingdom of the Spirits came from the March 2014 Smithsonian magazine cover story and illustrations about the search for Michael Rockefeller in New Guinea. However, as I researched it I came to realize that not just in New Guinea but in many cultures the decoration of human skulls is part of the spiritual and religious experience. As a result, I chose not to reflect any particular culture but rather to emphasize what I felt was common to them all: the dichotomy between the bright glittering light of the spirit world and the somber, muted colors of the physical world. The Kingdom of the Spirits is a mixed media/mosaic sculpture composed using a paper-mache skull, MDF, found wood, rocks, pebbles, rhinestones and glass beads. 10.5”H x 8”W x 10”D