"The Three Ages of Women"
Mendocino, California
onsite carving
July-September 2007

John carved a Texas limestone block weighing ten tons and measuring more than eight feet tall, by four feet wide and four feet deep. He worked on the sculpture nearly every day through September 29 on the grounds of the Art Center in Mendocino, Ca.

On Watching John Carve

"When John Fisher began to carve the finer detail of his mother maiden figure, he talked excitedly about the nature of his relationship to the beautiful woman he was calling out of the stone. Listening, it was clear that for John, it was a moment of intimacy and charm, as if he were meeting a new love, beginning a relationship every bit as real and alive as those he cultivates with his human companions. Everyone who happened by that day seemed to feel the excitement: life was coming into focus. An enduring character, who would outlive us all, was emerging from the stone as if she'd been there for thousands of years, waiting patiently to be coaxed into being.

The moment felt mythic. We were seeing the capacity of a human being to create rather than destroy, to bring forth beauty. John Fisher was embodying that remarkable, ancient dimension of human nature that is truly noble. John has spoken often of how humbling it is to be able to create in the way he does. I believe those of us who had the privilege of watching him in action that morning, understood that John isn't being falsely modest when he speaks this way. He is speaking truth, acknowledging his own awe, his respect for the dimension of creativity that connects us to something bigger than ourselves, to every artist who has gone before, and to Spirit and the Divine. There is always mystery in the conception and expression of life, and life can take many forms, including those that emerge and endure as art, becoming part of the collective experience of our species.    

 —molly dwyer, September 7, 2007

see more at the Mendocino website

"Together We Can"
Yucca Valley, California
onsite carving
October-November 2007

Above is picture showing the finished sculpture that John finished in early November of 2007 in Yucca Valley, California, in the high desert west of Los Angeles.

John had grown up in Claremont, Ca. and had spent countless hours amidst the towering rocks of nearby Joshua Tree. His friend had a house in Yucca Valley that for several years became a gallery for his monumental works brought to the US from Italy. When the house was sold, unfortunately, John had to find a new home for these large works. He met Eric Mueller, an artist and businessman in Yucca Valley, and Eric has been the gallery for several years for these works.

When John approached Eric about doing an onsite carving during the annual art festival, Eric was immediately excited about it, and was instrumental in creating this project.