This ceramic piece was 100% hand crafted. I did not use any molds or pre-existing pieces. The board itself is also ceramic and is a slab which is approximately 1/2 a cm thick. One of the things I enjoyed about this piece is that while I typically create detailed work, the scale of this project was much smaller and I had to be much more precise.

Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about the spiritual battle which we face every day. The passage uses a suit of armor to demonstrate the different ways God has equipped us to pursue this fight. In the same way, my piece, 'A struggle in Creation' is made to depict the struggle we, as humans, face. The more we try to improve ourselves in the eyes of the world, (demonstrated by the civilization side of the chess board), the farther away we turn from Gods plan for our lives. The world God designed for us is one which is full of beauty and life, (demonstrated by the nature side of the chess board). We as people are represented in the game of chess. Every person has the beauty of our creator within them and every person has the love of the worlds temptations. As we play out our lives, we discover who we are. Its a fragile balance between love and the facade the world portrays as good. Just as the pieces in a game of chess are moved by the players, we as people are influenced by people and things around us. This is why it is important to surround ourselves with people who will encourage us in our faith as well as to study the word of the Lord. Life is a battle. It is a fine line between salvation and destruction; our only safety is God. He has told us the right moves to make for our lives, all we have to do is listen to Him.

Mrs. Michelle Johnson - Helped with firing and provided the materials and equipment. She was a very large supporter of this piece.