Molly Greist / Stone Sculptor / Bainbridge Island, Wash.
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Carving mostly granitic fieldstones carried by glacier, Bainbridge Island stone sculptor Molly Greist feels that stone has life, spirit and a will of its own.
"A sculptor can always use hammer and chisel, but if she can sing the right songs, the songs that speak the true names, the songs that go to the very heart of the matter with which she works, she can inspire that matter to participate intelligently in its own development and re-creation." - (Ken Carey, Starseed, The Third Millennium)
Molly Greist began carving stone in 1989, after the loss of her 10-month-old son, Peter, in an automobile accident. Her son’s name, Peter, means rock, and this connection proved to be of powerful significance in her journey through grief and loss.
Inspired by the stone work and devout faith of Northwest stone sculptor James W. Washington Jr., Molly was drawn to carving stone for strength and healing. She began to trust her process, feeling that there was a force greater than herself working with her. She allowed herself to step into the darkness of pain and grief and saw a way out through her heart, a hammer and chisel and new-found faith.
"I hope sharing my process will help others to not be afraid of grieving. One has a choice. Grief is frightening and it is also vital, renewing and incredibly enlightening.
"By carving stone I am honoring the life of our son Peter and acknowledging his death as well. At his birth we thought of him as a gift, at his death we realized he was the bearer of a gift. I think of my calling to carve stone as a gift from Peter. I feel most deeply gratified when I can step back from a stone I have carved and experience a sense of wonder ... where did this stone come from? At the same time, feeling a reassuring connection to life, the Earth and the profoundly enduring bond of unconditional love between mother and child."
Molly Greist is the subject of a documentary film titled "Grief Is More Than Crying," in which she shares her art as it relates to her personal grief and healing process. The film is by Lois Shelton, Foxglove Film Productions, and is the winner of the 1996 Gold Apple Award, National Education Media Network. Molly maintains an affiliation with the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Scotland, U.K., Scandinavian Artisans in Denmark and Sweden, and Marenakos Stonearium and Rock Center in Seattle, Wash.
For information regarding new work, commissions and exhibitions, please contact:
Molly Greist/stone sculptor
E-mail: hugarock@mollygreist.com
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