New Work

I've been doing new work. Unlike anything I've ever done, except maybe gluing popsicle sticks and macaroni together in kindergarden. Its been so much fun. I am truly amazed by this work and I love going out with Pearl (my wild and crazy cattle dog) on our "rambles". I have my little bucket with me so I can pick up rocks and bones that catch my eye. I'm living in a very remote part of NE California in the high desert with the Warner Mountains right outside my windows and Surprise Valley out my front door and the Hays Range 7 miles east on the other side of the valley. The Applegate trail (that led to Oregon where I live part of the year with my sweetheart and our 2 cats and Pearl (much to the cat's chagrin) goes through Surprise Valley so this place is sort of connected with my other home place. I like that.

"Cradle" 

This is the  very first sculpture. Originally, I had something else in mind, but the rib-bones (most likely Mule deer) wouldn't obey so I just started moving them around until I found something pleasing to me. There's no way I could've created this in my mind before hand. 

"Embrace"

Usually I find it hard to name my work. I have lots of "Untitled" paintings. These sculpures seem to come with their names already there. 

"Balance"

I love this one. When I first put this together I drilled a hole in the rock that I found while I was on a walk where I live in NE CA. Then I drilled a hole in the bone and connected them with a piece of rusty baling wire. As I was photographing it, I moved it and the bone fell off the wire. When I tried to put it back together I realized that it had just been a coincidence that it balanced right where I put it the first time I set it up. So I had to re-find the balance point. I love its simplicity and the fact that the bone is balanced on the wire which is at such a crazy angle.

"House"

This is another one where I thought I knew what I wanted, but the bones and rock told me something else. I had to fill a couple of tiny holes I had already drilled when I realized it wasn't going the way I had planned. This reminds me of a Japanese house. Now I know that just because something is "set in stone" doesn't mean it can't be changed.

"Natural Causes"

First I found the rock. I just loved the crescent shape. Later I found the bone, a very broken leg bone (I'm guessing mule deer because that's what we have here, along with mountain lions to eat them) that I "knew" was meant for the rock, The bone was very fragile but I was able to stabilize the it and then attached it to the rock. This is one of my favorites

"Shelter"

Another one that started out differently and ended up here.