"Outcroppings have always had a strong power for me," Kingsbury said. "There's a mountain behind our house, mostly wooded, but with a gray-white rock outcropping a ways down from the peak. The rock arrangement of three and the bushes behind them were meant to refer to this."

The theme also had a more personal and metaphorical meaning for Kingsbury. "Being a foreigner here in Japan, one definitely gets that 'sticking out' feeling on occasion."

When she returns to California in the near future, she expects to study welding and she may use metal in future pieces. However, she is committed to using organic materials as much as possible. "I hope to continue exploring ways to make things out of natural materials," she affirms.

And what might her next project be?

"I haven't made a bed yet," she says. "I'd like to make a bed."

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