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Wind River Granite

Written 8-26-2014

Summer passes quickly at 7,000′ above sea level, we’ve had snow on our mountain tops this week and a very rainy August.

In the shop I have been busy splitting my time between jewelry making and working on a public sculpture for the In|site:Ex|site, Pinedale Fine Arts Council’s public arts program. I am drawing inspiration for the granite peaks of the Wind River Range and mixing in my love of gemology to create a beautiful outdoor sculpture. Granite is compromised of quartz, feldspar and mica; each of those minerals has its own shape, habit and color. While the colors of the feldspar can vary from one mountain range to the next, ours is a pinkish color. When you go up into the mountains here with eyes pointed towards picking out the minerals, the granite proves super interesting. You can see lines of black mica flakes, jumbles of quartz, and chunky facets of feldspar.

(veins of black mica within the quartz and feldspar, spotted colors of pink feldspar and white quartz)

Earlier in the month I had the good fortune to get into the mountains for five days. I went backpacking to the base of some of these enormous peaks so that I could look at this granite up close. I brought a couple of small samples back with me.

(above, vein of golden mica flakes within the quartz)

(rugged Wind River Range peaks are solid granite rock)

Now I am in my workshop laminating together large blue foam sheets so that I can carve the shapes for the sculpture. I will use these pieces for molds and innards of some of the shapes. It’s all a new process for me and I’m using new materials so the learning curve is pretty steep. As usual I am finding that good tools and experienced advice from other artists can help alleviate some of those difficulties.

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Peak Baggers, Wind Rivers, Hikers, Ride the Divide and Cowgirls!

Written July 4, 2014

I’ve made some fun souvenirs for all of you outdoors fans. Backpackers, hikers, bicyclists, bikers, peak baggers….These medallions are in sterling silver or bronze and I’ve started with a few choices: Gannett Peak, Fremont Peak, Cirque of the Towers, Wind River Range, Wyoming, and Wyoming Cowgirl. Is there a peak you’ve climbed and want to remember? I can customize one special for you.

One of the main reasons I live here in Pinedale, Wyoming is that there is excellent backpacking and day hiking opportunities in the Wind River Range and well as the surrounding ranges. Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains are special, wild and delicate and I enjoy every moment I get to spend in them. The mountain lakes are ice cold but refreshing after a long day’s hike, the sky is full of stars, the trout are slippery and colorful and the wildlife is wonderful. They inspire my artwork endlessly.

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Here Comes Summer!

Written May 27, 2014

Summer is fast approaching. Life in Pinedale, Wyoming goes from winter to summer in an instant, it was snowing 2 weeks ago and now it’s in the 70’s, the grass is getting green and already needs to be cut. Our corner of the USA is heaven on Earth in the summertime, wilderness and wildlife abound and the sky is huge and blue.

I always look forward to chatting with tourists on road-trips that stop by my shop and backpackers heading into the Wind River Range for an exciting trip. This past weekend we camped out for the first time this season and then floated the Green River for 13 miles in our canoe with friends. The river is covered with birds this time of year since they are all migrating north. What an amazing place.