You are invited to the second ever art rodeo held in Heber City, UT.  The Western Art Rodeo Association, W.A.R.A. is being held along with the Cowboy Poetry. Western Art Rodeo Association’s Fall Shoot Out is being held this weekend November 3 – 5, 2011!  I’m sure you are wondering what this means. Let me explain, have you ever watched the Pro Rodeo? They have rounds of competition. If you are among the top 3 contestants you advance to the final round or championship round to determine the winner.

Well, the W.A.R.A. is based on this concept. There are two rounds to determine the winners that will go on to the championship round. We use the top 4 winners from each round. These 4 winners move on to the champion ship round. During the final round (or championship round) the winners of the first two rounds take the scores they earned from the first two rounds. Then they compete with their final piece of art for their final scores. This is then added to the other two scores separately, (example: In round one I show an art piece I created. I win round one with a score of 86. In round two I take 2nd place with a score of 78. I move onto the championship round with both of my pieces. I get to use the scores from both of my first and second rounds but they are judged individually. After judging my final piece in the championship round and receiving a score of 87. This score is then added to both my first place and my second place exhibits separately. This gives me a total of 173 for my first place piece from round one.

Round 1 =  86

Championship =  87

Total                      173

Then the score is added to my second place exhibit giving me a score of 165). Who ever has the highest combined score of the rodeo wins the competition!

Round 2 =  78

Championship =  87

Total                     165

So, there is a chance one person can win first and second place of the Western Art Rodeo Association’s Fall Shoot Out for 2011.

I hope you will consider coming to watch the competition and to see all the art exhibits. Not to mention listening to the Cowboy Poetry. The W.A.R.A.’s first ever event was held last April at the Sundance Resort, Utah. It was a fantastic event. Over a hundred pieces of art was judged. There where people from all over the country there. Artists from the east coast as well as the west coast was in attendance. The art that was on display was breath taking to say the least. The only way to describe the art is to tell you to come and view it yourselves. There are also demonstration’s and classes designed to help you learn what art is about and how to judge a quality piece for yourself. You can see how many of the pieces of art are made or join in a discussion with the artist on how he/she came up with the idea to create their pieces of art. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to see and talk to some the world’s master artists. There will be oil paintings, water color paintings, bronze sculptures, wood carvings, sculptures, egg sculptures, gourd carvings to mention just a few types of art that will be on display. Come talk to the artists, watch the competition. Be a part of a growing art association!

The doors open at 5:00 -m 9:00 pm Thursday night for the general public. Friday morning doors open at 10:00am and go to 9:00 pm for the general public. The first round of competition will start on Friday at 5:00 pm. Second round will be Saturday at 1:00pm with the championship round is on Saturday at 5:30 pm. Doors close at 9:00 pm Saturday. You can purchase advanced tickets at http://westernartrodeoassociation.com/upcoming-events/tickets for the W.A.R.A.’s Fall Shoot Out. Tickets for the Cowboy Poetry can be purchased at: https://www.ezticketlive.com/checkout/event_view/asp?id=28.

I hope you will all come and visit with me. I am signed up for the competition. It would be great to see you all there and have your rout for me!!!! The audience is encouraged to participate in the judging. See everyone there!!! Deb

I would like to thank the Mule Deer Foundation for the article written about me in the September/October 2011 MDF magazine. It has been my pleasure to custom carve the guns for the MDF fund raisers. I look forward to carving the next gun stock for the MDF. They will be raffling off my next custom carved gun stock this coming February 2012. At the Sportsman’s Expo in Salt Lake City, Ut.

From designing the pattern, to creating the designs. To custom carving/sculpting the gun stock and then hand painting the gun stock to enhance the design. It is such a unique experience to watch it come to life. I know I will never get use to seeing my work take on a life of its own. It is something I will never get tired of. Still, to see the happiness in a customers eyes when I place their custom carved gun stock into their hands. It’s priceless!

I have included a copy of the the full article here for everyone to read.

(Please note, when you click on the image above to view the full article. You can make it even bigger if you click on the “X” in the lower right hand corner of the image.) If you would like to read the full article more clearly, please read the September/October 2011 issue of the Mule Deer Foundations’s magazine.

Thanks again to the MDF for this beautiful article. I look forward to custom carving a design for you! Happy Carving! Deb

The Western Art Rodeo Association is holding its first ever art show. It will be held at Sundance Resort, in Provo canyon, Utah. The show is the first ever custom carved W.A.R.A. Spring Challenge Art Show!!! Everyone who is anyone will be there! I too, will be there and participating in the show. My custom carved/sculpted guns will be on display as well as entered into the art contest. The public is welcome to attend. The cost is $8.00 if you buy tickets online and $10.00 at the door. There is also seating for each round of competition which will be a cost of $65 for all three rounds. Seating is limited so get your tickets now! This competition is like a rodeo with several rounds to go through in order to find the winner. The winners of the first two rounds will advance to the championship round held Saturday afternoon.

Here is the web site for to purchase your tickets: http://westernartrodeoassociation.com/ . This is a family event so come and enjoy the day. There will be demonstrations for the public to attend. This gives everyone the chance to learn about art, how art is made, and what to look for when choosing art for your own collection. There will also be a High School competition Friday morning. So please come and support your local artists.

If you have any questions, I would be happy to discuss them with you at the show. I look forward to visiting with you there! Deb

I am writing this blog post to thank everyone who visited with me at my booth during the International Sportsman’s Expo this last weekend, and to all who are interested in my custom carved gun stocks. The Expo was fantastic! As usual! There where thousand of people roaming around seeing all the exhibits and booths. Of course the Mule Deer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was present. I enjoyed visiting with many of the participants at the show as well as seeing all the different booths. It was great hearing what everyone was interested in and what they would like to have on their guns, antlers or on their fireplace mantles.

I would like to take this time to extend an invitation to become a subscribe to my email list. This invitation is for each and every person who visits my web site, came to my booth, or who knows someone who would enjoy my custom carvings. When you subscribe to my email list, you will receive information I post here from time to time. Normally, I will post two to three times a month to my blog. You are under NO obligation to sign up or to stay signed up as a subscribers on my email list. You can end your subscription at anytime. My blog keeps you informed as to the what is new. Not to mention the history of guns, gallery of custom carved guns, and custom carved wood sculptures. There is hand painted gun stocks, basket weave carved onto guns stocks, hand painted art, wood sculpting, guns for the collectors, and guns everyone will want to hand down from generation to generation. As well as other interesting facts I have uncovered throughout the years. I do hope you will consider joining my subscribers email list.

Last gun of the year for me is the custom carved Greener replica coach gun. After carving/sculpting the W. W. Greener replica stage coach gun last December, I really wanted to do a coach gun for myself. Well, here is it! This stage coach is an abandon stage coach. It symbolizes how we are loosing out past. The history of the Wells Fargo Stage Lines are written in our history book an in the movies. It is sad to see  how these beautiful works of machinery are all but gone now. Thank goodness for Wells Fargo and their willingness to preserve the history and maintain their fleet of stage coaches. At least our children will have the opportunity to visit their museum to learn about them. As well as, being able to see the horses hooked up to these beautiful coaches. Thank you Wells Fargo!

As you can see I have hand carved the stage coach onto this coach gun. I have chosen not to add the basket weave to this gun. I have hand painted the gun stock to bring out even more of the detail. I am adding this gun to my collection of Wells Fargo Commemorative collection. Gun collectors and enthuses alike will appreciate the detail of this gun. This gun and many of my other guns will be on display at the Antique Arms show in Las Vegas this coming January. The show will be January 14 – 16, 2010 at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas, NV. I look forward to visiting with you there. Happy Holidays to everyone! Deb

On this very special day, I would like to take the opportunity to tell all the mothers out there. Happy Mother’s Day. You are very special people who deserve a great deal of recognition. The ostrich egg carving I have pictured here is one I have carved for my mother. Carving an egg of any kind is very delicate work. Using to strong of a hand in carving eggs can and usually does result in a broken egg. Then you have to begin all over again. Still the challenge of completing an egg and creating a beautiful work of art is always there. Engraving the designs on eggs is very time consuming and tedious work. If you ever have the opportunity to watch this process, take it! You will not regret it.

Process of carving eggs

The pattern must be placed on the egg or sketched on the egg free hand. Then you trace the pattern into the egg with drill bits. After that you sculpt or engrave the pattern you have choosen into the egg. When you are finished sculpting the egg. You must then cut out the background to show off the design. The last step is to paint (if you choose to paint it) and seal the egg. It can be as much of a challenge to find the proper stand and dome for the egg as it is to carve it.

Well, now you know the process of carving an egg. Of course the smaller the egg the more delicate and harder they are to carve without breaking them.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone! I hope you enjoy your day as much as I am going to. Please feel free to leave your comments below. I enjoy receiving feed back from you. Deb

Thank you!!!

This last year has been a very special time for me. I have made many wonderful friends. For this reason, I would like to express my appreciation to all of you. You have helped me and inspiried me to step out of my comfort zone. First, I would like to thank YOU my clients for your support, kind words of encourgement, and for purchasing my art. It means a great deal to me to know my work is so highly appreciated. Secondly, I would like to thank all the teachers who have helped me understand how to use the Paragrave tool. Dr. Lew Jensen, Tamaree Littlefield, Keith Hone, Craig Hone, Darwin Dower, and Jeff Wolfe just to mention a few. All of you have given me encourgement and insight. Not to mention the knowledge of anatomy sculpting, wood carving, gunstock carving, leaf carving or answering stupid questions. The art I carve on the gunstocks and wood carvings would not be possible without your help. And last, my husband Allen, for your love and support, and for giving me the ultimate opportunity to express my creativity.

It is not easy to step out of your comfort zone and express your inner thoughts and desires. Or to carve the images you have floating around in your mind. Thus creating wonderful wood carving or sculpture. Normally, I would have made something I thought was nice. Then given it away as a gift. All the while hoping the recepient would enjoy it just a little. Today, I know my art is appreciated. By the over whelming response I received on a daily basis from you – my clients, friends, family, and teachers.

Thank you just doesn’t seem enough to express my deep appreciation. Still, that is all I can do for now.

THANK YOU! I am truly grateful! Deb

On a side note, this year is proving to be even more wonderful then the last. I am scheduled to go to a gun show in September. I will be at the South Town Expo Center on Sept. 25 & 26, 2010. Please come by and say hello. I would love meeting you in person!

Deb specializes in custom gun stock carving, engraving and relief wood carving.