"Apart or together, always close to me". Height 8"H. Susan Lordi chooses experiences that are relevant and timely in her own life to portray universal emotions. This foremost piece for 2009 is particularly inspired by the relationship between herself and her daughter. Close to me is a mother/daughter figurine carved with intertwined vines and birds in flight. The carving is a metaphor of the connection, yet freedom, which exists in the best of relationships.