Actual Size 2003 [detailed resume]	Joan C Verla As a sculptor, I strive to embody the emotional feelings that result as a consequence of ordinary living. My work focuses attention on the beauty, the humility, and the discontentment which result from participating in the mundane activities of daily life. In making sculpture, I am very process oriented. My pieces are worked with a heavy hand: significantly marked by gouging, chopping and/or burning. Some pieces are composed almost entirely of wood; others are of cast metal, patterned from wood. The use of repetitive markings is meant to signify the physical existence of had experiences; they are meant to convey feelings of compliance, dedication, obsession and regret. Although my sculpture doesn't offer any specific narrative, each piece suggests that there is, indeed, a personal history behind it. It is my hope that, in making sculpture, I can temporarily shift focus, from the lure of the sensational, to an awareness of, and an appreciation for, the nobility of common efforts.