dancing in the texas full moonlight
Charco Ranch welcoming committee
April ended with me clinging to a rock spire. May began with a weekend at Charco Ranch where the sculptures arrived safely just as a big Beeville Fire Department fundraiser weekend party at Charco Ranch kicked off. I pulled on a bright red volunteer T-shirt and jumped in to help out. Thirty two teams gathered with their BIG black barreled cookers to compete in a BBQ cook-off. Yum! The only thing better than the “no one is a stranger” genuine warmth of the Texas people, is the addition of delicious BBQ and libations to their innate hospitality. Despite the 97 degree temps, each team hovered over hot cookers and offered heaps of succulent flesh, beans and liquor to anyone. I couldn’t quit grinning (or sweating). I drank my first (and 2nd) “Salted Dog,” spun to live music on a wooden dance floor in the middle of the covered riding arena, dished up and served fried fish and half chickens.
The BBQ fellas from Lufkin Texas charmed me the first evening. Jeffery traded his camouflage and hunter orange “GAM” (Grown- Ass Men) team hat for my flame embellished Devil Women Saloon cap. Dances were promised but forgone when the party moved into the saloon. People are so totally taken with the custom Devil Woman Saloon Reliquary sculptures. I must say it is fun to see and hear reactions as the sculptures hold court in their special spot in the world. The next night brought more live music, plenty of dancing, and two auctions. Once again the evening topped off with the intimate fun companionship and craziness in the Devil Woman Saloon where Brenda holds court being the fun-loving gracious and generous hostess.
A bigger-than-life full moon landed languid and lit on the final night. We took one of the Kabota’s for a middle of the night spin on the 7000 acre ranch. Spider webs lit and popped like fireworks as we bust through them, the front windshield open, hair flying. Parked beneath a twisted knurly mesquite tree, serenaded by whippoorwills and visited by a wee little armadillo – new friendships were formed. Stories were swapped and punctuated by an electrical storm which danced across the horizon until dawn.
from peek party to peak
Me on top of "Big Time" - a 5 pitch fun fest
Warm fuzzy goodness surrounds me like a comfy cardigan on this super BIG snowflake spring day. The “Sneak Peek” party last week was sweet – good peeps and sincere support. We zip-lined under the impressive Montana mountain sky – shared fun and libations. I feel over-the-top blessed with this place and my pals. The yummy feeling lingers and I find myself excited for future studio celebrations. “Dancing in Orion” is on its way to Texas along with 6 bronze dog banks. Phew!
Our last climb of the weekend - Morning Glory Spire
I woke early Friday morning, sang and danced through the post party clean up, packed my sleeping bag, climbing gear, Moscow Mule fix’ns and warm clothes. Zaydee jumped aboard and we scooted out of town in a snowstorm. The weather forecast was iffy but my girlfriend Leslie and I were both itching for adventure – even if it meant simply hanging out in hot springs and finding a hotel room if the weather proved too adverse. Alas we were charmed!!! City of Rocks in Idaho is a mystical magical playground. We climbed, camped and soaked through the sunny weekend - what a blast!!! 
I must say it felt really good to have rock under my hands and a whole weekend off to play. We shared climbs with friends from Wyoming and Colorado. Leslie and I sat on top of Morning Glory Spire Sunday afternoon- a special spot in the world made more special when shared with a dear friend under a vivid blue sky with breathtaking views.
Zaydee and I slept in the back of my truck next to the soothing sound of the Madison River on our way home Sunday night. We drove beneath a stretched out lazy sunrise Monday morning and arrived at the studio in time to bundle up and load the new sculpture. The studio is begging me to make new messes – I can’t wait! But for now I’ve the desk part of life and pre-trip packing to do. Tomorrow I will be in Texas.
sneak peek
Come and see “Dancing in Orion”
before the 2000 pound sculpture gets bundled up and put on a truck to Texas
In the beginning...
I never publish photos of a finished commission before my client gets to see the sculpture in person but my studio will be Open Thursday April 26 from 5-8
So that friends can come have a peek!
Music, refreshments and (of course) the zip line….see you soon?
dancing in orion
Early morning sun filled the studio with soft spring light. I sat for a moment to look at the sculpture just completed. Bright light softness filled my insides, my heart overflowed and my eyes sprang tears. Relief? Satisfaction?
Happiness.
LOVE
Simply commissioned to create a “Reliquary” sculpture from the 2000 pound mesquite log, I promised my client a horse motif but was given total freedom to create. Sculptures become pages torn from my journal; sprung from my head and heart, composed like a poem layered with meaning and woven with life.
I put the final touches on “Dancing in Orion” six months after the first cut in wood. The three bright stars of Orion’s belt float in the niche. Each hand carved turquoise blue stained star is inscribed with a name; Jake, Ali and Sami. Bright lights, beautiful souls and bold blossoming beings – those three special people blaze my sky and punctuate my world – always and in all ways.
I climbed onto their zip line landing platform in a tree behind the studio with a cup of tea and a piece of blueberry peach pie. Gifted with grace and a moment of peace, I soaked in the sun; marveled at the memories. Excitement fluttered like a vibrant butterfly, skin tingled with the promise of adventure – inside and outside the studio.
golden green day
Springtime in the Rockies pumps up Momma Nature’s “switchy mood.” She puts on and discards outfits in a fast frenzy like a gal getting ready for a date; fun and frilly (snow), grunge (mud), hail (heels), blue sky (blue jeans), rain (sleek and slithery) or even the flannel-pajamas-grey-day kind of rain. Rarely does Momma Nature settle on something for a full 24 hours. She keeps us guessing. The only thing somewhat consistent is her frenzy. The wind has been pretty relentless and definitely a hindrance in my plans to join my buddy Chris for a flight in his helicopter. Chris said the wind allowed him only one flight in the last 6 weeks (just to see if he still knew how). So when Momma Nature decided to take a sunny morning nap from the frenzy, Chris whipped me right up into the calm blue sky in the magic bubble of a helicopter. SUPER!!!
Welcome to my neighborhood
Birds-eye view is ALL it is cracked up to be – oodles better than a plane. We could hover just high enough to turn the folks and trucks below into a miniature toy world surrounded by mountains. AH - the mountains!!! We circled around Gallatin Valley then zipped across the pass into Paradise Valley so that I could gander at my place. Lordy my studio is BIG!! The zip line added to the toy-land look of my place. Chris handled his copter well – smooth – but not smooth enough for my touchy inner ears. I can get sick on a swing set. Thus while the golden pre-spring world below barely hinted at the lush green it will become; I got greener and greener and greener.
Do I look as green as I felt?
Luckily I did not have to pull the pre-packed puke bag out of my pocket. I did however have to sit on the ground within a minute of landing and close my eyes to the movement of the rotors. Next time I will pre-medicate even though Dramamine makes me spacey. I want to dodge around the peaks and scoot among narrow canyons. Chris is a gem. The copter is a joy.
twist of fate
Sprained ankle (after much of the swelling went down)
“Here you are climbing all over God’s creation and you fall down your own stairs,” my friend Kat wrote to me this morning.
Yup.
Certainly there are a gazillion ways climbing, hiking, biking, dancing and creating big sculptures using ladders and stuff that I could bugger myself up but I simply rolled my ankle while walking down the stairs after cramming in six office hours late Sunday night. I couldn’t yelp, swear or scream – knocked me breathless with pain. Frustrating. Just a fraction of a second and BLAM!!! Birds are twittering around my head and a tight-lipped sheepish and pissed-off grin is carved into my face.
POOP!
Speaking of poop – Jake, Ali and I enjoyed a poop spotting spree Saturday afternoon while hiking “my” mountain. We spotted elk, moose, rabbit, marmot, bear and deer poop but Jake doesn’t think we should count the deer poop ‘cuz it is too common – the debate is unsettled on whether bunny poop counts. We spent most of our time creating in my studio. Jake set his alarm for 6:20 a.m. as I tucked them in with cuddles into the cozy beds at the studio nap room for the night. He wanted to get an extra early start in the studio Sunday morning. Precious!
Ali creating
Life is full of unexpected twists. I have worked for months on this 2000 pound log, envisioned the carved horse a deep rich black color but realized when I applied a clear coat of conditioner on the wood before staining the horse; black would be a mistake. I thought I knew two things before I began applying color to the sculpture – the color of the horse and the color of the niche but I was wrong.
Thankfully I was paying attention and accidently discovered the right color before mixing up a dark stain. I can’t imagine what bit of goodness the accident on the stairs brought me but perhaps I am meant to spend the weekend in the studio instead of the rock climbing trip I planned. Twists, turns and an interesting variety of poop contribute to the life I lead.
Jake carving on a puppy
ready for color
See the saw? Just fine tuning the "together place"
My innards are chirping like a nest of baby birds – full of hunger, life and high pitched excitement. A whole new chapter outside and inside the studio; I wake before the sun each day full of gleeful anticipation and a new found energy.
Yesterday I completed the “carve part” of my latest sculpture while listening to “Catching Fire” (the book by Susan Collins). Sawdust danced in sunbeams as I swept the studio.
Twittering with joy, I get to begin mixing and layering translucent stains. I know what color the horse will be and I have an inkling how the niche will look but the rest is a mystery.
I LOVE mystery and all it holds – the unknown, the fear of failure, the potential for discovery.
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” –Albert Einstein
dancing in cracks with stone
klutzy moves at first
Two thousand pounds of dense dark wood – the Mesquite log smells strong as the red earth of Texas. The log stood split open before me in the beginning; a would-be blank page full of possibility if it weren’t for the large deep cracks which flawed the surface. My soul overflowed with thoughts, emotions and images but I had to edit and place them within the confines of the torn log canvas – a bit like playing Scrabble with just a few obscure consonants to work with and only one vowel available on the board.
But I like to push my confines and stretch boundaries as much as possible (both inside and outside the studio). I find beauty and character in scars, admire the depth of dark cracks. Yet if I were to strategically fill a crack here and there…not to hide but to adorn? I don’t believe in wood putty but my client loves turquoise. Here was an opportunity to try something new. Actually this is the 2nd Mesquite sculpture project I introduced turquoise to but for some reason we didn’t seem to be instantly compatible this time around. Sometimes I am blessed with the thrill of partnering on the dance floor in total ease – a seamless connection. Other times…well…there can be a few klutzy moments figuring out the new partner’s lead and trying (in my case really hard) NOT to lead myself. What me? Controlling?!! Ha!
Deep breath.
Pay attention to the nuances and pray for grace.
Grin.
I stepped on toes and stumbled. I ruined a perfectly good tungsten carbide grinding wheel. But I am beginning to figure the turquoise out- getting into a grove (no pun intended). In fact; I can envision future dances with stone and wood.
I’m excited.
the journey
The wood is full of possibility. We fall in love. I flirt. We dance. I sweat. We become something outside of ourselves. The log is no longer a log. But just when we are both on the brink of blooming…petals fall, roots shrivel, fear feeds.
Murk.
Muck.
Failure.
The sculpture is LOG again with firewood its only redemption. My broken heart becomes an open heart. There…in the opening is…a glimpse.
Grace; a sunbeam in the sawdust. The knowing.
We embrace. A sculpture is born.
I am reborn (again and again).
beautifying a buggy
100 year old beauty!
The buggy is over 100 years old, painstakingly restored by a friend of mine. I simply have to take after it with a brush and more red paint to personalize the jalopy for a saloon in Texas. After a very mild winter, Momma Nature decided to step in for a few hours and insta-dump super slick snow the ONE afternoon about a week ago when the wagon was scheduled for delivery. The trailer jack-knifed on my steep mountain road and really rattled the poor folks cautiously hauling the precious pricey antique to my sweet studio. Cliff came to the rescue with chains and the kind of “hearty smarts” that come from decades as a logger. He has plenty of experience with various back woods equipment fiascoes. Eventually we rolled the wagon off the trailer into my studio. After we brushed the snow off ourselves I poured shots of whiskey to calm Harlon and Joell’s nerves (yes I keep a bottle of Jack at the studio). I can certainly use the commission and must say am enjoying my sun-filled studio space to “doodle it up!”
subscribe to my blog!
recent posts
archives
- May 2012 (2)
- April 2012 (4)
- March 2012 (5)
- February 2012 (4)
- January 2012 (5)
- December 2011 (1)
- October 2011 (2)
- September 2011 (5)
- August 2011 (5)
- July 2011 (6)
- June 2011 (4)
- May 2011 (4)
- April 2011 (2)
- March 2011 (2)
- February 2011 (10)
- January 2011 (11)
- December 2010 (4)
- November 2010 (4)
- October 2010 (4)
- September 2010 (9)
- August 2010 (9)
- July 2010 (6)
- June 2010 (4)
- May 2010 (8)
- April 2010 (12)
- March 2010 (5)
- February 2010 (6)
- January 2010 (11)
- December 2009 (6)
- November 2009 (3)
- October 2009 (10)
- September 2009 (14)
- August 2009 (10)
- July 2009 (12)
- June 2009 (11)
- May 2009 (10)
- April 2009 (30)