"In His Hand"

"In His Hand" is one of the many tree sculptures carved after Hurricane Ike destroyed thousands of trees on the island.

Home owner, Celia Strain, was inspired by Bible verse Isaiah 41:13, “I will hold you always in the palm of my hand”. The area where the palm of the hand had a small palm growing.  The five branches rising from the trunk was obviously a hand.  Artist, Earl Jones, referred to his own hand while carving, but he said his true inspiration was Celia’s hand, as she spend her life using her hands creating art and music.  Celia says the whole neighborhood smelled of camphor as Earl carved. Although the bulk of the tree sculptures are located within the East End Historic District, if you are an avid sightseer you can find a couple that are elsewhere on the island. This sculpture is an example of one that is located off the beaten path of the traditional tour.

Artist

Local sculptor Earl Jones is famous for creating the numerous tree sculptures in Galveston out of many of the trees drowned by standing salt water following Hurricane Ike. Jones is also known for his striking sculpture of the boxer Jack Johnson and his works at the College Park Cemetery in Houston which has been designated as a Texas State Historical Cemetery.