(Click photos at right for larger view.)

Ralph Wilson, “Mr. Shrine,” was intrigued by roadside shrines as he traveled about the country in his motorhome, Wally World, selling his art. He found himself driven to make models of roadside shrines from wood, and later was asked to help others create their own shrines. He teaches because he firmly believes that “you’ve got to give it away to keep it.” He makes shrines because they can “call up a very special kind of magic when they come from the heart.”

A shrine can weave the thread of communication between the hearts of the maker and of the beholder. There are no rules in shrine making. Shrine creations can be as straight or as silly as the maker wants it to be, because in the words of Mr. Shrine, “God has a sense of humor, too.”

Go ahead…move the shrine around with ya!