“In July of 2008, after a courageous six year battle with breast cancer, my younger sister died, one week shy of her 50 th birthday and the day before her 25 th wedding anniversary,” says Tieman. “Since then I have had the same re-occurring dream. I am on a scaffold built around a piece of white marble 15' tall, and I am carving a figure titled “Courage” – she has a bald head wrapped in cloth, piercing eyes, a firm jaw, taunt body and feet apart yet firmly planted. The people battling cancer have an inner strength and courage as they not only face an uncertain future, but also have to take their treatments knowing it will make them feel worse, week after week they look forward to this pain in hopes to eventually find it gone. There is a look of courage in their eyes I cannot describe with words, it's not entirely defiant (Cancer will not win), but more with grace with a quiet determination. That is the courage I need to capture. 

In the dream I can only sense the figure; all I can really see is the head. I am carving with a chisel and hammer, no power tools, and I can see my scarred swollen hands and feel the pain in them as I continuously strike the chisel. Yet, there are many unanswered questions; why is the stone exactly 15' tall, why can't I see the entire figure, I am carving the stone by looking at a maquette of the piece but why do I know it is exactly 36” tall since I can only see the head?

I have begun the 36” tall maquette, born from wire and pipe and clay. Starting with the bald head, piercing eyes and a heart in the courageous chest, and yet the face is not that of my sister. And someday I hope I will get a commission to begin the final piece, carved out of a 15' block of pure white marble, “Courage”, standing in tribute to those who have, who are, and who will battle Cancer.”