Pure joy went into creating this cheerful bundle. I can’t wait to see the palm-size sculpture in bronze.
More photos are on the website (you can reserve yours by purchasing on the web – or call me).
skiing with ben (in the eaglemount program)
I want to share a photo of my favorite ski buddy this year. Ben is an 11-year-old Developmentally Disabled little "pro" skier who instantly let me know that skiing was his favorite thing in his "whole life." The first day of the eight-week volunteer program, I helped Ben find a silver helmet that seemed so wonderfully "superhero" compared to his thick wire-rimmed glasses and tiny little face.
Ben easily and naturally slipped his gloved hand into mine within a minute of meeting - a surprise (I'm grinning right now just thinking of the warm fuzzies). He held my hand often when loading and unloading the chair but assured me he REALLY knew what he was doing when it came to skiing. Ben's main preoccupation was SPEED and making sure everyone saw him go fast. He would yell up at the peeps on the chairlift. He would yell to the sky and trees and he'd yell just for the hell of it from pure happiness while constantly asking me, "How fast was I?! How fast was I?" I assured him that his speed matched his silver bullet helmet. He said my skis were the "BEST skis EVER!!! - which tickled me since they are an old used pair without all the beautiful fine fun graphics of trendy skis but then he told another fella we sat with on the quad lift that HIS skis were the BEST skis EVER!!! So it went with many things being the BEST EVER in his life. One lift ride, Ben rattled off 3-4 things he was thankful for so I kept him going, both of us thinking of things we were thankful for all the way to the top of the lift. We repeatedly found our “favorite things” each day we skied together. He said he wasn't very strong yet but that he did have "little muscles and they were going to grow into BIG muscles." I asked him what he planned to eat to make his muscles grow and he said without hesitating, "BROCCOLI." We always danced to the liftee's music while waiting for the chair and sometimes sang while riding the chair.
I assured Ben that when superheroes in silver helmets ski really fast they are like silver bullets and you can't see them which put a stuck-on-forever grin onto his face and eased the consternation he felt that no one seemed to see how fast he could snow-plow down the slope. I had a blast sharing some magical moments this winter with that sparkle soul Ben.
For more information (or to support) the Eaglemount Program visit their website.
welcome to my (itchy) world
Sawdust is part of my life. Some days are dustier than others depending on the tool, the project and the sawdust fairies. Last weekend I posted this quote on Facebook: “Dancing in the sawdust - between concentrated rounds with dueling routers I find myself shaking loose with goofy moves and a grin beneath my dusk mask.” The photo was taken a few days later (and that isn’t router sawdust)
the birth of a bird
morning "commute" to the studio
ideas are brewing as the sawdust piles up
artists collaborating for charity
The artist Parks Reece and I joined efforts in a live painting event for the Livingston Rotary Club last month. We each had a large canvas and worked together for three hours painting in a live performance during the Valentine's evening banquet. We spun each other around every now and then and painted on each others' canvases - so each piece was predominantly by one artist but with some flair and inspiration from the other. Each painting was signed by both of us and auctioned off that evening raising more than $4,000 for their charitable work in my little town of Livingston.
back in the studio...!
six weeks of illness
My first round of illness began early in February. Unfortunately I kept relapsing. First the crud turned to a severe sinus infection, which I was taking antibiotics for while participating at the Quick 
Draw during the big annual auction weekend at the Billings Art Museum. The following week I felt better for two days during which I returned to my regular schedule of working out for the first time in three weeks (full of gratitude to be on my feet again). Alas the crud spun itself full force, again. The illness became more acute after I just couldn't resist skiing my last volunteer day with sweet little Ben (a developmentally disable bright light soul) in the Eaglemount program. Ben was so happy to see me since I had missed our previous two weeks together. My time with him was pure joy topped with warm fuzzes - but I have never been more wet while skiing than that day. I spent the afternoon sopping wet in the dentist chair replacing a broken crown and running a few much needed errands for my mom since being cooped up sick had made it hard to stay on top of her care. I dosed myself with everything in my knowledge to boost my immune system but my chronic insomnia does sometimes make it hard to heal. Last week I rallied to take my nieces ice climbing while they were visiting for spring break even though my body didn’t want to leave bed. I can say I don’t regret that special day shared on the ice with those two bright beams of beauty and enthusiasm. The weather was stunning, the opportunity rare and the memories a treasure but the acute bronchitis was a bummer. Another round of antibiotics and a very strict regimen prescribed by a Naturopath has me on the mend. Cautious. My nature is to MOVE. My idea of taking it easy isn’t exactly “the norm” but after six weeks of poor health I am humbled and actually frightened of over-doing it. I am itching to get back into the studio while slowly trying to catch up a bit with the desk part of life. Stressed by the lack of moola but encouraged by new vision and the insight that comes when life puts us in uncomfortable places, I am tip-toeing my way back…
nieces on ice...!
quick draw artist at the yellowstone art museum auction
Over 800 artists submitted to the Yellowstone Art Museum auction this year. I haven’t participated in eleven years so I must say it felt like a bit of an honor to be both included with 56 other artists in the live auction. I was also asked to participate with a few artists in the Quick Draw event. But just what could I create in 60 minutes? Yes – I can draw. Yes – I can paint. But I wanted to relate my quick draw piece to the reliquary sculpture in the live auction. Just last month I explored some of the energy and ideas behind the big sculptures in a small piece for the “Trophy Art” fundraiser for the National Museum of Wildlife Art. I decided to continue my exploration by hand carving a frame for the quick draw and then completing the piece by painting during the 60 minutes allowed at the event. I had the intention to experiment with paint and materials in February before the March 1 auction but that intent was gobbled up by a few weeks dealing with the crud where I was too sick to be in the studio. I ended up pulling a twelve-hour day in the studio to create the frame (while under the influence of antibiotics and cold medicine). Momma Nature was in a blizzard mood with temps double digits below zero when I packed my truck with art supplies.
Zaydee and I took off in the storm with poor and sometimes totally zero visibility to drive on roads declared “emergency use only” but we got to Billings. One semi knocked over a telephone pole when it rolled off the road, another blocked both lanes for a few hours when it jack-knifed on the interstate. Just as I turned off the exit into downtown Billings, a truck the same size as mine knocked over a giant street lamp. Luckily dear friends had opened their cozy art-filled home (while they were out of town) so Zaydee had a warm place to hang and we had a comfortable place to stay.
I gussied up for the big event, pulled on an apron and proceeded to totally “wing it” at the Quick Draw. I painted, drilled, glued and created under-the-gun during the 60 minute event with a combination of totally new materials in front of an enthusiastic and friendly audience. Good energy and plenty of interruptions as folks stopped to chat - it was certainly challenging. The memory of the event from the safe side of having it completed makes me believe it was fun. I would have liked to chatted with peeps more and it might have been nice to have a familiar formula or plenty of practice or something but all-in-all if you know me, you know I like challenges and the opportunity to try new things but I must say, "Phew!"
Despite being on antibiotics and trying desperately to regain my pre-crud super healthy self, I did let Troy Evans buy me a drink with whiskey after completing the art piece and before I had to walk on stage holding the art like Vanna White while the auctioneer did his thing.
The good news is – the auction had its best attendance in over eleven years despite the frigid temps. The quick draw piece not only raised money for the museum but it spurred a whole new realm of creative possibilities which I cheerfully thought about while driving home from Billings the following day. The roads were icy from the storm but visibility was super compared to the blizzard. Ditches were dotted with carnage of vehicles and semis but the sky was blue, the sun was shining and my creative gears were turning. Oh - and the Billings Gazette featured a photo of me in the article about the auction. Sweet.
reliquary sculptures installed at Billings Clinic as healing art
Two weeks ago during a lovely (and lucky) window in the weather, we installed the recent reliquary sculpture series in the beautiful grand lobby of the Billings Clinic. I am deeply pleased to have the sculptures in public as healing art. The Billings Clinic has more than 750,000 patient encounters each year – and the response so far is overwhelmingly positive. I will share more photos and thoughts about this growing dream for my work soon…
sparks on valentine's day
I have been battling this season’s round of the crud. Couched for most of the last 10 days, I have only left the mountain once (to see the doctor). I am itching for outdoor adventure but the last few days I have been squeezing in as much studio time as my body will allow. Actually despite my headache and the fact that both eyeballs feel like they are trying to squeeze themselves down into the backside of my nostrils, I ended up spending twelve hours in the studio today (but that is only because I have a deadline). Phew.
But we have some catching up to do from projects/activities that happened just before the crud germs decided to party in my body. Let's start with how I spent Valentine's Day. I am too tuckered to write so I will share a photo. Much more happened Valentine's evening but I will share those photos in the next post after getting a much needed good night's sleep!
"night mind" - a quest for charity launches a new series
My studio is adorned (inside and outside) with skulls. My fascination with skulls met a kindred spirit when I first became aware of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings of skulls while in high school. Mmmmm…….yes…..! Over the years I have played with ideas around creating with skulls and bones…but only in my mind. While playing in Jackson Hole last month, I enjoyed the typical “way-too-short-but-what-a-charge” connection I share with fellow sculptor Ben Roth. He is lit. Bright and beaming, muse and amusing, Ben fully engages in life inside and outside the studio with a passion that rivals my own. We never have enough time to exchange ideas, talk shop, talk life and tell tales but I always walk away with something to chew on (and a grin).
Ben told me about his idea to have a Trophy Art fundraiser for the National Museum of Wildlife Art - grand good fun (I have a fondness for trophy art). So I decided to pull off a rather last minute entry as a good excuse to play with skulls and support a museum I cherish. I only had a few days to complete and ship the sculpture to meet the deadline but the time limit turned out to be a blessing as it forced me to work small. During the past two years I have tried several times to create on a small scale something from what I am exploring in my “Reliquary” series – but so far nothing has kept my attention. My desire to create art potent with spirit along with my current obsession with the feeling of reverence just hasn’t found a way to be squished down – but there I was in my studio with a deadline and ideas and...well...
The sculpture is 9” x 5” (yes – that is inches…!)
Carved from a scrap piece of black walnut left over from the Bison Bench, tiny feathers line the niche and gold-leafed barbs adorn the 100-year-old barbwire.
Can you guess which wild bird the skull is from?
The sculpture is on exhibit (and for sale) at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY until March 15. Meanwhile, I am excited to continue this series and play with skulls...
jackson hole - snow, sunshine and art
new project, new scale and still plenty of wood chips and sawdust
I have experimented off and on with materials and ideas to explore some of the reliquary concepts of the large sculptures on a smaller scale. So far nothing has compelled me enough to complete. But I was recently inspired to create something for the "Trophy Art" fundraiser at the National Museum of Wildlife Art." The right combination of timing, materials, motion, emotion, curiosity and all I learned from my previous (unsuccessful) attempts has me intrigued, engaged and excited...
I haven't forgotten you...
Psst… hello….!
I feel like I need to whisper my way back into blog-mode after a rather lengthy hiatus from blogging, e-newsletters and social media. Every year I barrel into the holiday season believing somehow that I will continue to get plenty of work done but the reality is that never actually happens. Why fight it? Rather better to embrace the season. But then there is the post-holiday month of January which I also have the habit of believing I will launch right into with a New Year fresh fury but I am learning.
Listening…
The truth is that January beckons me into a regroup and retreat mode more and more each year. Why fight it? I have a yearly ritual on January 1st that I have completed every year since I can’t remember when. The ritual is simple and facilitates revisiting each day of the last year and glancing through the New Year as I go through my daily planner; see the record of my activities, gatherings, work-outs, adventures, weekly weight, projects completed, phone-calls made, blog posts written etc. I keep consistent records. As I go through the old planner I transfer birthdays onto the new planner. The ritual involves a candle, tea and Bailey’s and a few other meaningful activities; it simply honors a transition.
With each passing year, I find myself requiring more than just a few hours to revisit and regroup. I welcome space from my studio and from much of the busy world. I would love to catch you up - so much has happened...! But let me start by whispering another warm welcoming “hello!” Feels good to be back. Since my last blog post I have ditched my studio for weeks at a time yet I have also already completed and shipped one totally new sculpture in a new scale and with new materials. I have begun the next sweet little bronze. I have traveled and I have hunkered down for days in a row without leaving my mountain. I read inspiring books, cleared my closets, aired out my soul, held carefully my heart and sought clarity and healing. Grown. Grounded. Refreshed.
Inspired
Can’t wait to share more…!
bozeman annual ice festival weekend = frozen fun!
Luckily I won a contest to name the group of women climbers we had formed the first year I began to climb rock. The “Rack Pack” seemed a fitting name since climbers carry a “rack” of gear on their harnesses and women carry a “rack” daily (hee!)
The winning entry got me a FREE pass for the Annual Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival. Honestly I was so broke at the time I very likely wouldn’t have been able to attend the festival if I hadn’t won the contest. I had tried climbing ice once before by duct-taping crampons onto a pair of winter boots (sketchy and problematic) – hardly a good solid start to the sport. The Bozeman Ice Festival geared me up with demo ice axes and crampons for the festival clinics. Steve House and Zoe Hart led the Beginners Clinic and from the first swing of the ax I was instantly and insatiably HOOKED on ICE…! The next day Steve suggested I join the clinic led by Conrad Anker – the only girl in a pack of men in what turned out to be the advanced group. Grinning with gumption and pure love of the new sport the fellas accepted and encouraged me.
My girlfriend Amy Bullard started a women’s only clinic at the Bozeman Ice Festival a few years later. The clinic has grown to be the largest on ice clinic for women in the country – and very possibly the world. I volunteer every year to share my love for ice climbing with the ladies. Last Friday at the women’s clinic was a blast. Gear for women has come a long way in a short time. Colors are brighter, gloves and ice climbing boots are actually made for women now (my first pair of boots were the smallest available men’s size at the time - too big but better than nothing).
Yesterday I joined dear friends from Jackson Hole and Whitefish (in town for the festival) for a super fine fun day climbing in Hyalite Canyon. The four of us enjoyed the moderate temperatures and the fat ice at Palisade Falls. Life has kept me from adventuring much on ice the past few seasons but playing during the festival this weekend refreshed my urge and desire to spend more time exploring Momma Nature’s sculptural creations. I MUST find more time to climb!!!
2014 Envato World Photography Awards
Didn't need no welfare states. Everybody pulled his weight. Gee our old Lasalle ran great. Those were the days. We're gonna do it. On your mark get set and go now. Got a dream and we just know now we're gonna make our dream come true. Come and dance on our floor. Take a step that is new. We've a loveable space that needs your face threes company too.
All of them had hair of gold like their mother the youngest one in curls!" It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight. Straightnin' the curves. Flatnin' the hills Someday the mountain might get ‘em but the law never will. Today still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. So this is the tale of our castaways they're here for a long long time. They'll have to make the best of things its an uphill climb.
Goodbye gray sky hello blue. There's nothing can hold me when I hold you. Feels so right it cant be wrong. Rockin' and rollin' all week long. He's gainin' on you so you better look alive. He busy revin' up his Powerful Mach 5. Fish don't fry in the kitchen and beans don't burn on the grill. Took a whole lotta tryin' just to get up that hill. The weather started getting rough - the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew the Minnow would be lost. the Minnow would be lost. The Love Boat soon will be making another run. The Love Boat promises something for everyone. Goodbye gray sky hello blue. There's nothing can hold me when I hold you. Feels so right it cant be wrong. Rockin' and rollin' all week long. Doin' it our way. Nothin's gonna turn us back now. Straight ahead and on the track now. We're gonna make our dreams come true. Then one day he was shootin' at some food and up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. Oil that is. Well we're movin' on up to the east side to a deluxe apartment in the sky?
Irresistible Fashion Colors
Didn't need no welfare states. Everybody pulled his weight. Gee our old Lasalle ran great. Those were the days. We're gonna do it. On your mark get set and go now. Got a dream and we just know now we're gonna make our dream come true. Come and dance on our floor. Take a step that is new. We've a loveable space that needs your face threes company too.
All of them had hair of gold like their mother the youngest one in curls!" It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight. Straightnin' the curves. Flatnin' the hills Someday the mountain might get ‘em but the law never will. Today still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. So this is the tale of our castaways they're here for a long long time. They'll have to make the best of things its an uphill climb.
Goodbye gray sky hello blue. There's nothing can hold me when I hold you. Feels so right it cant be wrong. Rockin' and rollin' all week long. He's gainin' on you so you better look alive. He busy revin' up his Powerful Mach 5. Fish don't fry in the kitchen and beans don't burn on the grill. Took a whole lotta tryin' just to get up that hill. The weather started getting rough - the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew the Minnow would be lost. the Minnow would be lost. The Love Boat soon will be making another run. The Love Boat promises something for everyone. Goodbye gray sky hello blue. There's nothing can hold me when I hold you. Feels so right it cant be wrong. Rockin' and rollin' all week long. Doin' it our way. Nothin's gonna turn us back now. Straight ahead and on the track now. We're gonna make our dreams come true. Then one day he was shootin' at some food and up through the ground came a bubblin' crude. Oil that is. Well we're movin' on up to the east side to a deluxe apartment in the sky?