Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Cowboy Chic -- Letters from a cowboy's desk


Whittlin' has long been recognized as a cowboy traditional art form, so it just seemed natural to add some to my cowboy furniture.  In time, my relief-carvings became the signature which separated my artwork from that inspired by Thomas Molesworth.


The desk and mirror above are two of my early carved creations.  I used a scroll saw to cut small characters out of a bass wood slab.  Then I chip-carved, painted, and applied them to furniture.


On my "Buffalo Medicine" desk (above) I stained the carvings then applied them on an unstained background to create more contrast.  The pierced keyhole chair with a blanketed Indian on the back was inspired by Maynard Dixon, one of my favorite Western artists.


The "Moon Over Montana" desk (above) was my all-time favorites, so I gave it to my wife for her birthday a few years back.  I especially like the beaver-gnawed stretchers that I found in Montana.  The pierced-back keyhole chair with a momma bear and a gigantic trout was my most innovative chair back.


The photo above is a close-up detail of the top front carving on the "Moon Over Montana" desk.


This photo (above) is a close-up of the mirror-image ends on the "Moon Over Montana" desk.


These two little bear cubs climbing a tree adorn another desk I called "Yellowstone."


Finally, here's a close up detail of the Steer Ropers desk at the top of the page.

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