Bellatrix
(31” L x 32.5” H x 12” W)
Many emotions moved me in creating this sculpture, whose name's meaning dominated its configuration. It was created at the time of the 911 building attacks of smooth high glossy red, blue, and clear glass elements with white fiber optic spheres. The true red, eight-pointed curvilinear stretched wing structure is only one three of this extra-large shape that I have utilized thus far (also in both Arcturus and Rigel). The clear siphon form below simultaneously draws up energy (and the eyes) while further imbuing subtle warrior animus or, anima, since it is a sculpture named after a star with a female martial connotation to its name as noted below.
The StarSentient® sculpture, Bellatrix, is named after the blue-white giant star of this name, that marks the western shoulder of Orion, The Hunter (Giant), and ranks amongst the constellation’s most prominent light bodies. It lies approximately 250 light-years from Earth. It has a radius of about 5-6 times that of the Sun, yet it shines with extraordinary power—radiating roughly 6,000–7,000 times the Sun’s luminosity. This is due to its very high surface temperature of about 22,000 K (Kelvin). Bellatrix is classified as a B-type giant, meaning it has already evolved off the main sequence and is rapidly burning through its nuclear fuel. Its name comes from Latin, meaning “female warrior,” a title bestowed on it during the Renaissance. Scientifically, Bellatrix is important as an example of a relatively massive, younger star in an advanced evolutionary stage, offering astronomers insight into stellar aging, mass loss, and the transition period leading toward the supernova phase.
