This piece was brought to life from an experience I had in college. My friend and I were working on a ranch and a winter storm was rolling in. We headed out to bring the heard in and just as we were coming in, the blizzard hit. There aren’t too many firsts you experience when you are living within a type of lifestyle. This wasn’t my first blizzard, my first ride, my first windburn - but something I realized about these moments that happened often is that they were good for the soul because they tested and refined you, and they were great for the grass because storms bring moisture and growth.
16 inches tall
17 inches long
7 inches wide
Artist’s Notes:
The piece came to me while I was frustrated and in the middle of sculpting a different piece. Growing up in South Dakota we experienced hard, hard winters and storms that took out well over a couple of thousand livestock. There was a particular blizzard that I remember distinctly where a herd of cattle froze solid from their lungs icing up. In that storm, over 20,000 bison were killed. But just as it always does, spring followed those frozen winter months and this piece represents the new life that manifested from the grace of survival. When you experience such harshness in your surroundings there becomes a deeper appreciation for the seasons changing, the ground thawing, and the heart healing.
9 inches tall
11.5x10 inch base
Artist’s Notes:
This was my first piece after being saved. This sculpture has no real story, no real inspiration. I’ve been asked many times why I sculpted this man or this piece in particular and in this time of my life I truly was sculpting to sculpt. I was working on a ranch and took some time after lunch to work with some new clay I had just ordered. I began working on this piece and by the time dinner was on the table, the piece was finished.
13 inches tall
9x7 inch base
Artist’s Notes:
The story behind this sculptor is simple; a promise being fulfilled. The scene depicted in this piece was not a far fetched one growing up surrounded by ranchers. Being gifted a horse or cattle was not only a privilege but also a symbol of trust. The life of another was dependent upon you and there was great responsibility with knowing how to handle and care for that life. Not only can this piece be looked at as promise being fulfilled from a father’s end but from the receiving end as well; a promise to take care and treat with respect the animal they were about to be gifted.
16 inches tall
36 inches long
9 inches wide
Artist’s Notes:
The name of this piece was said to me while at an art show. I had ‘Come Let Us Drink’ cast in wax, not yet bronze, and I had brought it to an art show untitled. I saw a man studying the piece and asked him what he thought and he said to me, ‘Come Let Us Drink’. I wept at the words spoken. This world has so many ways to quench our thirst. Momentary fixes that lead us to believe our hopes have been heard and fulfilled, but truly only One knows the desires of our hearts and ask us to meet at the river’s edge, for the trees on the river’s edge never know when there’s a drought.
Come, let us drink.
30 inches tall
37 inches long
18 inches wide
*This piece contains a water feature. A centrifugal pump transfers the water through the sculpture, the pump is housed within the pedestal the piece sits upon.
Artist’s Notes:
There is a camaraderie, a recognition of bravery, a salute of athleticism among the rodeo world. Just like any athlete, cowboys have their own language. This piece recognizes the language as well as the skill. There is a certain amount of respect for the animals that are a part of a rodeo. With ever changing guidelines for what is allowed within the arena it can be a hard and competitive world where cowboys are continuously finding their own personal technique and signature. To “keep ’em standing” is a quote of encouragement to stay true to the skills these cowboys have worked so hard to refine.
16 inches tall
35 inches long
13 inches wide
Artist’s Notes:
Many of my pieces reference to another place and time; the true cowboy life that has been slanted or altered in today’s western world. This piece, in particular, pays tribute to the cowboy who set the standard for those who followed. My hope is that this piece respects the history of a good ranch hand. The ones who never boasted or bragged, the ones who wore their lessons on their hands and in their walks. The cowboys who were not only desired, but needed on a ranch to make it the best it could be. There are many lessons to be learned from their unassuming ways and I hope this piece is a reminder of that.
18 inches tall
8x6 inch base
