For N.C. artist, it's a labor of love, spirituality

KITTY HAWK, N.C. 

What began as an offer by Outer Banks artist Glenn Eure to create wood sculptures depicting the cruxification of Christ for his church turned out to be an emotionally wrenching marathon that tested his mettle and deepened his spirituality.

The result of eight years of planning and four years of labor, Eure's wood-relief Stations of the Cross are scheduled to be dedicated today at Holy Redeemer by the Sea Catholic Parish.

"As you know, any work of art includes pain," said the Rev. William Walsh as he gazed at the 15 stations lining the church's walls. "Indeed, a lot of suffering went into the work here. But Glenn, he kept going. It was a work of love."

Walsh estimated Eure spent 150 hours on each of the stations.

Eure, 78, who owns the Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head, barely was finished with the Monument to a Century of Flight in Kitty Hawk - dedicated in 2003 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight - when Walsh showed him examples of stations the parish was considering purchasing.

"They were really, really bad," Eure recalled. "They had no feeling to them. I said 'Bill, I can carve these. It won't cost you a dime, and it'll look a lot better than this.' "

The first sculpture he did was Christ's resurrection. Although that is not one of the traditional stations, Eure, who is a parish member, said he wanted to do the most difficult piece first. During the design process, he said, he decided that he would have the cross in each station face toward the resurrection.

But the work proved to be especially trying, he said, mostly because of the cruelty of the subject matter. It got so difficult that for months, Eure said, he was artistically blocked.

"Nailing Christ to the cross really got to me," Eure said, his eyes tearing. "And I'm not a pious man.... It was tremendously grueling. For 3-1/2 solid years, I couldn't do anything else."

Carved from tulip wood and some southern yellow poplar, the images are offset against a white background and illuminated from below by soft lights, casting a shadow on the wall. Recently, the church walls were repainted a different shade of white to provide more contrast. The last station was completed and placed on the wall right before Christmas.

Numerous members of the parish, including Walsh, and people in the community - waiters, fellow artists, contractors - that Eure happened to encounter at the right time served as models for the characters in the stations. In Christian tradition, the stations follow Jesus from when he is sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, his suffering on the cross, and his death. During Fridays in Lent, Roman Catholics participate in prayer services at the stations.

"I didn't make portraits of them," Eure said of the models. "The main thing I wanted was the essence of them."

Eure is dedicating the work to his brother Charles W. Aresta, whom he credits for bringing him back to the church.

"I was glad about one thing," Eure said, grinning. "My biggest fear was croaking before I finished this."

Walsh said Eure's art adds warmth and beauty to the church's bare walls.

"I've never seen any stations like this," Walsh said. "They're very inviting. He's put so many fine touches to them.

"They just speak to you."

Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com