Last winter, I was anticipating a quiet summer in my studio. However, on March 21 an invitation to participate in the Ringkøbing International Woodsculpture Symposium in Denmark arrived in my inbox, followed on April 14 by an invitation to the Keelung Artist in Residency project at the National Museum of Marine Science & Technology. That shifted my springtime into high gear, preparing for a summer of international travel, cultural exchange and art-making. Oh, and did I mention that my husband, Andy Moerlein, was also selected to participate in both projects? Our excitement was off the charts.

After I arrived at the Billund Airport in Denmark, the cultural minister of Ringkøbing whisked me through the fields and flatlands of the Danish countryside to the coastal town on a fjord where I would be spending the next 10 days. Waiting on the town green next to the fjord were 12 giant oak logs, each one tagged with the name of one of the participating sculptors. Over the next few days, more sculptors arrived from Estonia, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Israel, Argentina, Hungary and Bulgaria. A few of us prodded and poked at our logs on Sunday, but on Monday the real work began with gas and electric chain saws, grinders and belt sanders as well as chisels, mallets and gas torches.

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