In Vernasque, France, summer of 2000, I worked with a group of artists doing my clay sculpture in a villa couryard. The time was extra special because my newly adopted daughter, Helena, came along, after only two months of being in the US. She was 10 months old and was my greatest inspiration.

This depicts a Chinese lantern within the womb of a woman. Written on the lantern in Chinese characters ia the word Guo-E-Shang, which I was told translates to Precious Jade, Helena's given Chinese name.