Several years ago, I started a series of dolls around the theme of one of the oldest love stories ever written. It is the myth of the love between Psyche and Cupid. I have done two pieces in past years. This year, I have done the third. This piece is called "The First Kiss." Like the other two pieces I have done, the man/boy has angel wings ... and represents Cupid ... a spiritual god. The woman/girl has butterfly wings ... and represents Psyche ... a worldly being. Together they represent godliness and humanness, spirit and flesh. Together, the two of them make a whole.

By sculpting them as children, it gave me a chance to think about how important values and beliefs are set in young minds. It gave me a chance to ponder how important it is to come from a loving home.

What we learn ... and mostly what we see as children ... colors our belief system for the rest of our lives. Children who are raised in love, and who have most of their needs met, grow up feeling safe. These children generally find it easier to also raise their families in the same manner. They do not have huge emotional scars that they need to overcome.

Life is always a test. Even children who were raised in loving homes will have troubles along the road of life, but they definitely have an advantage to deal with them over children who were not raised in positive circumstances.

Our ability to love our future spouse is either helped or hindered by our experiences as children. In the love story of Cupid and Psyche, we learn about the depth of sacrifice each will endure for the love and life of the other. I enjoy imagining what family life was like for each of them when they were children. I wonder what Mount Olympus might have really been like with all those gods as parents?

This sculpture is about innocence. In some ways, it is like Adam and Eve in the Garden. The children are naked and totally innocent. Though Cupid is giving Psyche a kiss on her cheek with love ... there is nothing sexual in the gesture. It is that innocence that I wanted to represent. I felt our world could use a little innocence right now. And so, after thinking about it for many years, I decided to use William Bouguereau's painting, "The First Kiss," as my inspiration for one of my pieces this year.