Student brightens center

Perkins School of Theology student Gerald Askew spent 320 longhours creating what he has called “Texas Harvest.”Askew proudly unveiled this 35-pound floral arrangement Monday inthe Hughes-Trigg South foyer. His excitement and love for hiscreation was obvious to those who passed by.

“You’re an artist,” one woman said to Askewafter admiring the work for several minutes. “It’sfabulous.”

Askew’s piece is just one of the many things he’sdoing to get to the International and Interfaith UniversityChaplains Conference in Australia this summer.

Askew, who is also the maintenance service manager for thestudent center, beamed as he described his creative art work.

“This creation is made from natural growing things inTexas, such as peppers from Toledo to the Metroplex,” Askewsaid. “It represents what a person can do with littleresources.”

Askew’s inspiration for the arrangement, his first majorartistic creation, came while he was ill in the hospital.

“It was like a vision. … I couldn’t let itgo.” he said. “When people understand how much wentinto it, I think they get an appreciation of it.”

To create the base, Askew painted a flower pot with glue andrepeatedly rolled it in potpourri every six hours. His tedioustasks also included painting the peppers and other components withfingernail polish, twisting wire and gluing streamers around thestems to keep them upright. He “embalmed” everythingwith polyurethane, which he demonstrated on a rose in hisoffice.

“It gets gooey,” he said, attempting to wipe theglue from his hands.

The title “Texas Harvest” alludes to the variety ofmaterials he used and their metaphorical implications.

From peppers to roses and tulips in a rainbow of colors, Askewsaid the work brought cultures together.

“It was a labor of love. God has given you everything inabundance in nature,” he said. “You’ve got to useit!”

Askew said he worked on the piece from March 4 until 2 a.m. onSunday.

“When I got it finished, I couldn’t believe I didit. It was like a birth,” he said.

“Texas Harvest” will be on display for two weeks. Itwill then be auctioned to help finance the trip.