Returning Home in Wisconsin
This week I installed my latest bronze sculpture, “Returning Home,” which depicts a military family homecoming scene, in the beautiful city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This piece is the sixth permanent installation I’ve contributed to this meaningful Veterans Tribute trail, which continues to grow as a powerful testament to military service and sacrifice throughout the community.
“Returning Home” captures the emotional reunitement of a military family following a long deployment. The composition portrays the raw, unfiltered joy of that first moment of reconnection—a wife so overcome with emotion that she literally jumps out of her shoes, her face illuminated with pure happiness as her husband lifts her into his arms in what many families recognize as the classic “jump hug.” Beside them, their young daughter wraps her small arms around her father, finally able to embrace the parent she’s missed for so many months.
In the details
I carefully sculpted every detail in the bronze work—from the creases in the servicemember’s uniform to the expressions of joy—to convey an authentic scene. Visitors who spend time with the sculpture can almost feel the warmth radiating from this frozen moment of pure love and relief, as if the bronze itself carries the emotional weight of thousands of similar reunions that happen across our country when service members finally return home.
I created the initial casting of “Returning Home” in 2017, meticulously working with several different models to achieve authentic representation—I even posed as the soldier myself to capture genuine emotion and proper stance. The original clay sculpture demanded nearly three months of intensive, detailed work, with countless hours spent perfecting every nuance of the facial expressions to the subtle positioning of hands.
Since its completion, this piece has resonated deeply with viewers and collectors alike, evolving into one of my most sought-after and meaningful works in my artistic portfolio. Over time, “Returning Home” has transcended being merely a sculpture and has come to embody the profound emotional experience of military families reuniting after separation. The piece captures that sacred moment when loved ones embrace after a lengthy deployment—conveying both the relief and joy that accompanies such homecomings, while honoring the sacrifices made by service members and those who wait for their return.
