Ascension of the Beggar

Ascension of the Beggar is a depiction of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in the book of Luke. It has been one of the most complex and challenging terra cotta pieces I have created. It is also a sculpture that I thoroughly loved creating and I was very excited when it was finished.
Also shown in the above slide show is the sketch I did before starting the full piece. I was looking to do a biblical theme, but not sure what. When I started pushing the clay around I saw a man carrying another man. Then I thought, that must be the angel carrying the beggar to heaven! It is interesting how close the final 47 inch piece (which took 4+ months to complete) is to the 7 inch sketch that took me all of 5 minutes to sculpt.