The story of Fortuna is as colorful and animated as the living koi fish she was patinaed to resemble. When I sculpted the original in clay, I had an entirely different vision and concept for the finished piece than what it has turned out to be. I’m so pleased to have let this one evolve into what she has become. Fortuna has metamorphosized from a sculpture that was intended as cynical commentary on the superficial pursuits of man into a beacon of good fortune and a recognition of the astonishing beauty of nature on our planet. Originally, this surrealistic representation of the fish as a metaphor for greed and selfish motivations was titled “Suckerfish Ball”. I’d had a vision of a fish standing on its head and writhing like a flickering candle flame. That was the vision out of which the ball and fish form evolved. The addition of dollar signs and stars and the stripe around the ball were intended to represent money, fame and play respectively, but these additions were all envisioned through the distorted lens of my cynical outlook at the time. I’m truly grateful that my outlook has changed dramatically since then!
“Fortuna” and “Suckerfish Ball”
“Suckerfish Ball” is the only other sculpture on the planet that is nearly identical to “Fortuna”. They’re pulled from the same mold, so that’s to be expected. The major difference between them is that the fish figure on the first casting was poured in white bronze which gives it the shiny silver look. “Suckerfish Ball” was purchased years ago and now resides in the collection of Phillip and Lynn Rogers. In my opinion “Fortuna” is the stronger piece of artwork. Not only is it warmer in color and concept, but it is also invested with positive energy and designed to bring good fortune to any home where it is being displayed. Now, those may sound like the words of a snake-oil salesman, and I could see why some folks might scoff at the notion of a good luck charm, but I can’t see where the harm is with a little bit of positive superstition being peddled between friends!
Physical Properties ofFortuna
Fortuna – Bronze casting mounted on cream colored marble base (pentagonal). The patina on this bronze is one of its most striking features. The opaque and creamy tones of the koi fish contrast nicely with the details of bronze dollar signs and the band around the ball. This was a sophisticated patina to perform given the fact that a patina finish can’t be built up like a paint job. The color that adheres to the metal is still only a few microns thick. It’s similar to a smoked glass process where what you get to stick is what you get to keep.
Dimensions: 27.5″ H x 10″ W x 8″ D ~ Weight: 32 lbs.
Approximate time involved: 180 hours from concept to completion.
Price: $9,500.00 USD – Includes metal pedestal shown in photos.
An Investment in the Future of Our Planet and Our People
The sale of “Fortuna” will forward the cause of the “Grand Providentia Projections” as it will allow my wonderful Dani and I to establish our physical home together on God’s green Earth. We’ve been growing our love (online) for almost two years now and we long to be married and live together somewhere in the USA. Together we are unstoppable, just as the GP Projections will be unstoppable with the collective positive intentions of our friends and supporters worldwide.
Almost one year ago (10/25/2025), I displayed “Fortuna” along with “Providentia”, “Return to Hope” and “Monkey Runs Amok” at an art festival sponsored by the The Landings Art Association and the Village Library at the Skidaway (Island) Village Green. Daniela shared in the ambience of the event with me, via Messenger facetime, during quiet times on that beautiful Saturday afternoon.
When it comes to the pursuit of our personal goals, dreams and aspirations, I believe that each one of us must determine, realistically, how much energy we’re willing to expend moving in a particular direction. Once we’ve decided that a certain direction has become non-sustainable in terms of energy expended vs. energy returned, and when it appears that the only realistic action to take is to move in a new direction, I think the obvious solution is to adjust the trajectory of our intentions. Over the past twelve months, since my graduation from SCAD, I’ve been investing the bulk of my creative energy courting NBCUniversal with straightforward intentions of either finding equitable employment within their worldwide entertainment empire or, morepreferably, entering into an agreement to collaborate with them on the production of the Grand Providentia Projections. In the face of my best efforts, all communications between us have moved in a single direction – out of me and toward them. To be fair, the Universal Orlando Resort has sent me a number of rejection emails in response to job applications, but they were all anonymous – no reply – form letters, affording me no personal communicative agency. Having spent a lifetime in the visual arts, I’ve grown accustomed to waiting for responses to applications and inquiries often without even knowing if my messages were delivered to the intended recipients. I’ve applied to art competitions, collegiate programs of study, calls for public art proposals, and creative employment opportunities; I’ve also participated in good faith negotiations with boards of directors, government art commissioners and individual art patrons. Ordinarily, and by nature, it doesn’t take very much feedback (return energy) to sustain my interest or enthusiasm in any endeavor that I’m creatively passionate about. And I can add to that with full confidence, that I’m not easily discouraged or deterred once I’ve set my sights on a desired outcome. I’d also estimate that I’ve received equal proportions of rejections vs. acceptances over the years. What, precisely then, elevates this highly ambitious goal of mine above the level of all the previous opportunities that I’ve applied to? And why do I feel the need to ask for, and indeed insist upon, acknowledgement from the enormous creative entity that I’ve been attempting to win over? If you’re willing to read on, I’m willing to answer these questions and a few others as introduction to the project pitch that follows this post.
There are a number of reasons why this situation is unique when compared to all the previous situations I listed above. Currently, I am on the cusp of a major transitional breakthrough in my artistic career, and the breakthrough is manifesting by way of intentional design. For as far back as I can remember, well before entering kindergarten, I recall having a burning desire to imagine and create worlds as yet unseen; as yet unimagined. Although I’ve allowed the circumstances and situations of daily life to distract me on many occasions over the course of this lifetime, I’ve consistently returned to the path of meaningful creativity, seeking the fulfillment of higher purpose and the rewards of personal growth. The qualifying difference between the Grand Providentia Projections and every other creative aspiration that I’ve applied my intentions toward, arises from the awareness of a continuous pathway of conceptual evolution which traces all the way back to the earliest artistic yearnings of my childhood. As a child, I was as naive as any other child, but I can attest without doubt that my mind was prematurely occupied with matters of injustice, inequality and the willful destruction of lifeforms, human and otherwise. I set realistically unattainable standards for myself and others, but I can honestly say that I usually set them with good intentions. Some say the road to hell is paved by good intentions, but I’ve always dismissed their arbitrary counsel as an obvious ploy to discourage well-meaning people from aspiring to do good things. The Grand Providentia Initiative is rooted in a philosophy that encourages humanity to collectively ‘do good things’ for the planet and the people. Unified by the desire to secure a prosperous future for all life on Earth and propelled by the zeitgeist of our shared indomitable spirit, we humans will rise above the chaos and divisiveness of fear-based collective consciousness. The ideal time to initiate this humanitarian project is now.
One fine day, my ego and I went our separate ways. We decided we could only ever agree to disagree, so after years of a love hate relationship, my ego screamed and wailed its final disapproval of the way I was living and I exiled the abhorrent creature from my presence indefinitely. That was the moment my life was transformed from a predominantly self-centered existence, full of angst and uncertainty, to one of self-confidence and genuine concern for the welfare of others. Many of you may be wondering how I manage to set goals, nurture aspirations, or follow dreams without egotistical assistance. Some of you might even be overwhelmed by angst and uncertainty at the mere suggestion of banishing the ego. In my personal experience, ego was the enemy within, always stomping out the fires of creative passion and distracting me from even the most reasonable hopes and dreams well before I could sow the seeds. As soon as I shut down all communications with ego, positive intentions, dreams and aspirations took the lead role, and ever since that moment, I’ve been dreaming inclusively. I want us all to live in peace and prosperity, but being a realist, I understand that not all people are seeking peace and prosperity, for the ones who are, I propose that we unite under the all-inclusive collective aura of positive consciousness.
Anyone who knows me, knows that the actions I take, including the writing of posts on this blog, are usually decisively taken with specific intentions in mind. I wrote this post to request a courtesy call (or email) from NBCUniversal. I’m not asking for definitive answers or an open avenue of bi-directional correspondence, just acknowledgement of intentions and an estimate of the potential for creative opportunities with Universal. I’ve chosen to wait patiently for this long and I’m sure that I can hold on a little longer, especially if I have some positive feedback to keep me afloat, but I will need to move forward soon because for me there is no turning back. The way I figure it, I have another two to three decades of meaningful creativity to get busy with, and long-term stasis or unconscious backsliding are not viable options. It’s time for me to seize the opportunities of tomorrow.
The “We” that I’m referring to in the title is centered on Daniela and me, but it also widens to include every human being on this planet who is practicing kindness and compassion in the very midst of dogged inhumanity, intolerance and the cruelties of war and oppression. During this lifetime, I’ve come in contact with both masterful creators and dastardly destroyers and I can personally profess without doubt that the vast majority of human beings are seeking peace and prosperity while the weak and fearful minority are doing their best to destroy any progress achieved by our noble efforts. Whether you believe an all-powerful God created the world we inhabit, or you think it’s all a matter of science and mathematics – whether you’re intuitive or pragmatic – you should be able to perceive the difference between life affirming and life-threatening human behavior. Our planet, our environment and our people have arrived at a critical moment in human history when each of us must ask ourselves, is it more fulfilling to satiate my own selfish desires at the expense of every other lifeform, or should I instead join the communal effort to heal our environment and bring peace to the world. Dani and I have been pooling our spiritual energies and focusing all our intentions on generating and promoting peace in our local communities since we met in late 2024.
As of yet, Dani and I have been unable to come together and embrace each other physically, but we have come to recognize a spiritual and intellectual connection between us that runs deeper than any connection either of us have ever experienced in this lifetime. With our feet planted firmly on the ground nearly halfway around the world from each other, we’re making plans to live as husband and wife wherever the universe should open a door of opportunity for us. We’re each sending out high frequency intentions ahead of us to prepare a happy and peaceful home wherever in the world our shared spirit lands us.
I’m certain that some readers here will wonder whether Dani and I have lost our minds. I mean, can you imagine the audacity of two people in love, dreaming about finding a peaceful haven when there’s currently an overwhelming uptick in hostility causing death and destruction around the globe? This is when I turn to the voice of reason, seeking justification for our outrageous hopefulness and gathering evidence to build the case in favor of our shared dream of happiness. And the voice of reason replies – Have there not been countless true love stories throughout the history of mankind that begin with two people rising up against extraordinary challenges, and in the end, their love reigns supreme?
Like so many other creatives, I have regularly been attacked and ridiculed for daring to be different. We’re dehumanized and ostracized for daring to step out in the light and share our heartfelt concerns regarding the conditions and qualities of life itself. I learned long ago that defensiveness, or offensiveness for that matter, will not curb the tidal flow of hostility we receive from those who will, frankly, never be satisfied until they bring everyone else down to (or below) their level of misery. In the here and now, I use my high frequency vibrations to repel and overwhelm the low vibrations of their collective toxicity.
Each of us having faced our fair share of adversity and heartbreak and having consistently risen from these experiences with ever increasing serenity, me and Dani are spiritually equipped and mutually excited to establish our home somewhere under God’s brilliant sun. We’re prepared to relocate anyplace in the world where the highway of opportunity leads us. Our appreciation for the simple pleasures of life has made us easy to accommodate while also allowing us to relax and enjoy high profile social events and celebrations. We’re emotionally stable and intellectually progressive. We’re seeking safe harbor, and the first step in finding it is to secure equitable employment utilizing the many acquired skills, all the accumulated knowledge, and every gifted talent that I possess. I’m ready to immerse myself in meaningful and lucrative creativity. With Daniela at my side, I believe that the miraculous is inevitable and there are no earthly obstacles that can stand in our way. And the entire Universe is celebrating our coming home!
