I’m pleased to share this article written by Corinne Joy Brown for Horses in Art Magazine featuring my sculpture.

 Horses in Art Magazine Winter Issue

I’m thrilled to introduce you to my newest work, Race of the Wild, a collaboration with Angela Mia De La Vega, an award-winning figurative sculptor from Dallas.

A young man approaches adulthood

Race of the Wild depicts a young boy joyfully running with youthful exuberance accompanied by a large male wolf who matches him step-for-step.

"Race of the Wild"

Foundry View 1

Foundry View 2

We wanted this work to be a metaphor for the independence and strength that begins to surface as a boy matures. Both Angela and I are mothers of sons, so we found that we were completely simpatico on the symbolic aspects of aspects of the piece.

Challenges of a new frontier

Although creating the theme of the piece came easily to us, the technical aspects turned out to be a bigger challenge.

Angela and I created our sculpture using a “virtual studio” of email and electronic photograph communications. Along the way, we had to learn to communicate, persuade, and collaborate without the benefit of face-to-face talks.

Though separated by 800 miles, Angela and I worked out our final decisions on pose, gait of the wolf, integrity of the piece and how it would be integrated together.

The most troublesome aspect was creating two pieces that were proportional when brought together. Although we had agreed at the onset that the finished work would be ½ life size, creating figures in separate locations turned out to be problematic.

I created the wolf, molded the clay, and shipped the wax to Angela in June for integration in the base. To our dismay, we realized the wolf was simply too large next to the boy, creating an unwanted surreal look to the work—and time was running out.

I scrambled to scale the wolf down 20%. We knew it truly would be a ‘race of the wild’ to have it completed in time for the Sculpture in the Park show—the venue where we wanted to unveil the work to the public.

Loveland sculpting community rallies to help us meet our goal

The success of Race of the Wild ultimately hinged not on modern conveniences like the Internet, but instead on good, old-fashioned neighborliness.

Loveland’s Page Wax and Art Castings worked in record time—during the rush of Sculpture in the Park season—to ensure that we would get the duo done. When Angela flew in on August 5, the cast bronze was ready for her to apply her signature patina. After a whirlwind trip the base maker, the bronze was ready for the show.

Foundry View 3

You can read more about this sculpture in the Loveland Reporter Herald article. If you are interested in adding Race of the Wild to your collection, please contact Vail Fine Art Gallery.

Linda and I coordinated the menu together and both fixed several of the traditional Kentucky dishes.  Several of her friends also helped to make the party a big success.  It was one of the only sunny, beautiful days in May we had, so we lucked out.  Most of the guests (about 65) dressed for the occasion and wore big hats.  The hats weren’t limited to the women; in fact, the winning hat was worn by Geoff Morris of Morris Quarter Horses.  He was awarded a horse wine bottle stopper that is new in my line.

I would also like to thank Don and Kathy Weibel for purchasing “Balance Point”.  Al and Vera Bedard for purchasing “Best Friends” and “The Smallest Falcon”.  Sally Sondheim for purchasing a horse wine bottle stopper and a hand painted platter and of course, the hostess, Linda Wise for purchasing “Whoa Baby”, designed after her colt “Pistol”.  We nicknamed the piece “Crystal Pistol!”.  She also purchased a “High Plains Horse” made with elk antlers and stoneware.

The next day, I flew to Lexington, Kentucky to attend a Thoroughbred sculpting workshop with the American Academy of Equine Art. Lisa Perry a renowned equine sculptor from Texas was the instructor.  We spent time at Winstar Farm, home of world class race horses and home of Super Saver, 2010 Derby Winner and home of other winning horses of the Belmont, Dubai Cup and more.

Throughout the week I enjoyed the company of other fine equine artists.  Some of them were there to paint with Cindy Nave of Kentucky.  Shelly Hunter, past AAEA Director, joined us for the first day.  I really enjoyed the camaraderie of working with a great group of artists and we all learned something from each other’s techniques and knowledge of the equine form.  Lisa Perry was so kind to give each of us our choice of equine pendants.  If you are looking for equine jewelry, she is the woman to look up!

Following the seminar, I completed “Fire and Ice”, a Thoroughbred filly in a full gallop.  She will be mounted on an iceberg shaped base cast in crystal.   I was really inspired to create her after spending time in the beautiful surroundings of Winstar and seeing the horses running on the training track.

I like the idea of contrast in this piece.  Though bronze and crystal, are both born of fire, the crystal ultimately looks like ice.  Thoroughbreds are “hot bloods” and the fastest horses on earth, yet so fragile looking on those tiny legs and hooves.  It must be a real thrill as a jockey to be mounted high on the back of such an animal and running at those speeds.  From my own experience galloping my horse, it is a feeling of flight, knowing there are moments in the gallop when all four feet are off the ground and you are suspended in air along with the horse flying across the countryside.  I wanted to capture the feeling of a hot blooded horse at full gallop across the ice, melting it in her wake.

More Summer Fun!

The Loveland Museum invited me to do an equine sculpture demo on June 23 as part of a downtown horse celebration and new horse exhibit at the Museum.

In June and July my husband and I will be showing our horses in ranch horse versatility and then coming right up in August is the 28^th Annual Sculpture in the Park show, August 13 & 14.

Angela de La Vega, a renowned figurative sculptor, and I have been collaborating on a piece together “Race of the Wild”.  It’s been great fun to work with Angela and a bit of a challenge for both of us because I live in Loveland and she lives in Dallas, TX!  We have been coordinating our sculpture over the internet with photos and emails.  The piece is of a young boy (her old son is the model) running wild with a wolf at his side (I sculpted the wolf).  The piece will be unveiled at the Loveland show.  There is deep meaning in this piece for both of us as we each have a son (her boy is 7 and mine is 22); we will be writing more about the metaphor between the wolf and the boy.  Stay tuned for more news about “Race of the Wild!”

The summer is flying, just like my Thoroughbred filly!

I am pleased to announce that Women Artists of the West has accepted three of my sculptures to the 2011 “WAOWing the Lone Star State” national exhibition in Rockport, Texas this spring.

Mystic Raven, Born to Cut and Bull Rush were among 378 entries submitted to a blind jury for the 2011 exhibition.

WAOW exhibition jury process is highly selective

Women Artists of the West holds its members to strict standards, admitting new members into the organization by jury just once each year. All pieces must be juried into the annual national exhibition as well.

I am honored to be a member of this prestigious organization and to have three of my pieces selected to be a part of this revered show.

Women Artists of the West is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the work of about 200 women artists across the country. Founded in 1971, WAOW focused on Western themes in the past, but has expanded to embrace all genres. Thanks to this expansion, these women artists bring diverse and exciting perspectives to the world of art.

My pieces represent three distinct areas of my body of work, demonstrating the diversity of this exhibition and my personal range as an artist.

About Mystic Raven

Mystic Raven is part of my collection of pieces inspired by Celtic, Indian and Norse folklore. The inspiration for this solid lead crystal sculpture was found in a raven I used to own named Rendor. My experiences with Rendor, along with the traditional views of ravens as supremely intelligent birds, allowed a mystical personality to shine through the crystal.

About Born to Cut

Born to Cut fits in well with the traditionally Western-focused goals of the WAOW shows. The sculpture displays a newborn colt and calf playing with one another, serving as a symbol of these animals and their spirits in the West.

About Bull Rush

Bull Rush is a bit of a departure from my more traditional pieces and contributes to my body of metaphoric sculptures. The bull and the bear in this bronze sculpture represent the constant volatility of the stock market in our society.

About WAOWing the Lone Star State

The Rockport Center for the Arts will host the “WAOWing the Lone Star State” exhibition from May 11 until June 4 in Rockport, Texas.

An opening reception honoring the 68 accepted artists and their pieces will be held May 14 from 5-7 p.m.

Collectors: Would you like to learn more?

Are you considering adding Mystic Raven, Born to Cut or Bull Rush to your collection? Please contact my galleries for more information: Tammy Bality Galleries.

As I delve deeper into my career as a sculptor, I am finding myself drawn to new media, new subjects and new adventures.

My Raku and fired clay work is evolving from a “fine craft” to a “fine art,” a journey I hope you will take with me.

I still enjoy working with water-based clays that can be Raku fired or high fired, and intend to continue sculpting in them. I will just be taking my work in those media to a higher level and pushing the limits of working with them.

Clay Lent Itself to Form and Functionality

While my first sculpture was a carousel horse cast in bronze, I quickly realized how time-consuming and expensive working with bronze could be. I loved the result, but it was too costly in time and money at the time, preventing me from building my portfolio of pieces further.

To be a distinguished sculptor, you need to have a sizeable body of work to show and sell. That is where I’ve benefited from working with fired clay. I can work quickly with clay and have been able to make hundreds of pieces in this medium.

Making the Transition to Other Media

My vast experience with clay has been an educational endeavor. I have experimented with new techniques, learned and perfected the anatomy of my subjects, and worked out ideas and skills that might not have been as easily pliable in another medium. These lessons have translated well into working in bronze.

In my new work, I am focusing on taking my art to a new level of quality fit for museums. My emphasis on horses and other sporting animals will remain; they will just be of a finer quality. Many will be cast in bronze or crystal, and lacking the fur and hair accents that categorized them more as a craft in the past.

Finding the Spirit of the Artist in Celtic Artwork & The Spirit of Women

This new phase in my career is representative of my path as an artist. I have always thought my artistic journey was similar to Celtic knotwork, which has no beginning and no end; it curves, circles and entwines.

That is how I work, in terms of the media and my ideas. I am not an artist that went from “Point A” to “Point B” in my learning process. In retrospect, I feel the creative process has been as much about finding myself, as it has been about learning the techniques of sculpting.

I work with what I know and love as a part of my life. I have always had an affinity for animals and I am close to them, which is why I have spent so much time focused on horses and other animals of the West. The connection I feel with animals sparked my creative process to sculpt my series of animal totem sculptures that are part animal and part person, such as The Spirit of Women.

The Spirit of Women and my other Celtic pieces seemed like a natural way of expressing my Druid and Viking ancestry. I feel complete in my work with those sculptures at this point. There is nothing more I want to pursue in that arena right now, so I am closing that chapter and moving forward.

Taking a Journey with the Subjects

Throughout my evolution as an artist, I have had consistent travel partners in my Journey Ponies and High Plains Horses. They have always been hugely popular and have taught me a lot about my art and myself. Journey Ponies and High Plains Horses always sense change early, and are great guides through periods of transition. I intend to continue my journey with them, elevating them to a higher level of quality into the realm of fine art.

As I always have, I am now following where my artwork takes me: narrowing myself down, refining my talents and working on what energizes me. The growth process as an artist has always come naturally for me, and I am excited about the journey I am taking as I learn to express myself differently. I work with what resonates with me, and I hope that it will continue to resonate with you as well.

Interested in a piece for your collection?

The sculptures that have guided me along my journey as an artist would make a great addition to your collections. Please contact my galleries for more information: Tammy Bality Galleries.

It is with great pleasure that I announce the acceptance of two of my sculptures, The Spin at Liberty and Born to Cut, to the Red River Valley International Juried Art Exhibition this spring.

The Red River Valley Museum in Vernon, Texas has been holding this annual juried exhibition since 2007, showcasing a variety of art including sculpture, oil/acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media.

Exhibition sponsors seek to “Celebrate the Western Trail” and I am thrilled that they thought these two bronze pieces were a perfect fit for this prestigious event.

Blazing the Trail: The Spin at Liberty & Born to Cut represent the West

The Red River Valley Museum selects its pieces to coincide with the spirit of the West, including its people, places and animals.

I am honored to be included in this show along with other artists who share this same passion for western art and culture.

About Born to Cut

Born to Cut

Born to Cut is a true representation of the West, showcasing a newborn colt and calf playing with one another. I was inspired by a friend’s foal who couldn’t stop running around the paddock his first day out there.

The interplay between the calf and colt in this sculpture lends itself well to the cattle and horses that have been such strong symbols of the Great Western Trail that this juried exhibition aims to celebrate.

About The Spin at Liberty

The Spin at Liberty

The Spin at Liberty represents one of my most fascinating inspirations I’ve had to date with a subject.

When the model quarter horse stallion performed the reining horse spin at liberty, I couldn’t help but want to sculpt him and his movement. This roundness in his moves gave off a sense of the wildness of the West, while his smile and soft eyes showed off a personality I couldn’t resist.

Prior to its inclusion in this show, The Spin at Liberty has been shown at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in the Reined Sport Horse Foundation suites.

Western culture and art will be celebrated at “Diamonds & Denim” Exhibition Gala

The Red River Valley Museum’s “Diamonds & Denim” opening gala will be held on Saturday, May 7, where The Spin at Liberty and Born to Cut will be on display with the other pieces accepted into the exhibition.

Awards, including that of Best in Show, will be announced at this gala ceremony. These “diamonds” of artwork among the West’s unique culture of “denim” will remain on display at the gallery until June 14.

Art fans: Interested in The Spin at Liberty or Born to Cut for your collection?

Either The Spin at Liberty or Born to Cut would fit into your collection as well as they do in the Red River Valley Museum. Please contact my galleries for more information: Tammy Bality Galleries.

I’m thrilled to announce Market Forces, my first market-inspired bronze bull and bear sculpture, struck a chord with both the financial community and the art world:

Innovest Portfolio Services purchased the first edition of Market Forces to display in its boardroom, and the sculpture earned entry into three juried shows this year.

I’m honored Innovest loved Market Forces so much to display it so prominently, and I’m enthused my fellow artists have also embraced my perspective and creation representing the market.

Critical Acclaim: Market Forces Wows the Judges

Market Forces showed in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe 114th Annual Open Juried Exhibition and the 77^th Annual National Sculpture Society Awards Exhibition and won first place juror’s choice in the 40^th Annual Women Artists of the West National Juried Show.

I’m thrilled to be able to show the artwork competitively and add value for the edition’s owners, like Innovest. The piece is a limited edition 17.

Dynamic Sculpture for an Uncertain Market

We all know the economy has been pretty rocky over the past few years as we plunged into recession. This turmoil inspired me to look at the market from a new angle, creating sculptures depicting the symbols of a rising and falling market: The bull and the bear, respectively.

I wanted these market-inspired pieces to be dynamic, like the market itself. Market Forces features the bull and the bear on tiltable stand, so you can choose whether the market is in the bull or the bear’s favor.

Innovest has the piece tilted in the bull’s favor, as a good luck charm to sustain the market’s upward trend.

Fun sculpture doesn’t just sit on your shelf!

I’ve also designed two spherical bronze sculptures, depicting the bull and the bear locked in battle. I cas ta larger piece, Bull Rush in bronze, . Rolling Market, the smaller bronze sphere, can actually be thrown like die to predict the next market trend. Is the bear on top? The market will dive. Is the bull on top? Expect an increase. I plan testing Rolling Market’s accuracy as a market predictor. It’d make a perfect gift for your favorite investor too!

Sculpture doesn’t have to be static; the market fluctuates, so my market-inspired pieces change too. I think it’s more fun when you have the ability to interact with art than just have it sit on your shelf, and that’s what my market-inspired pieces are all about: Having a light-hearted look at our superstitions about an ever-vacillating market. I’m ecstatic that financiers love it too!

Would you like to acquire Market Forces, Bull Rush or Rolling Market for your collection? Please visit my representative galleries to order yours.

Longmont’s Mayor Bryan Baum selected my sculpture Abundance as a gift to our sister city in commemoration of my hometown’s 20-year partnership with Chino.

Please click on the thumbnails for a larger view.

What does it mean to have a Sister City?

Longmont and Chino were united 20 years ago by Sister Cities International, a nonprofit diplomatic organization aiming to build relationships between cities in the United States and other countries, fulfilling its mission to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.”

Annual visits continue to strengthen that bond, with each city’s leadership traveling to the other on alternating years. Traditionally, the visitors bring their sister city a gift.

I was flattered when Mayor Baum wanted to mark the cities’ 20^th Sister City Anniversary with a piece of my artwork.

I can remember when Longmont and Chino established their partnership as sister cities, shortly after I started sculpting, and have watched the relationship grow, bringing about more cultural diversity and understanding here in Longmont.

Mayor Baum selected Abundance from my portfolio as the gift to celebrate the occasion, and I could not imagine a better symbol for our cities’ relationship.

Wishing Abundance from One Culture to Another

I am inspired by the natural human connection with and admiration for animals that spans cultural, geographic, and temporal boundaries.

Abundance celebrates traditional American Indian beliefs in which the bison represents abundance and the horse represents power. This meaning transcends cultures, because in Feng Shui, horses mean good fortune.

The symbolism of this piece combines the two totems showing the power of a belief transforming into action.

My hope is that abundance will always be with Chino.

A Common Bond between Chino and Longmont

Tammy Bality and Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Santos

Mayor Baum and Mayor Pro Tem Santos personally delivered Abundance to Chino’s Town Hall, where it resides with an explanation of the work in Japanese. I also donated two one-of-a-kind Raku ceramic sculptures that were given to the families who hosted the mayor and the council mayor pro tem who traveled with him during their recent trip to Chino.

After the gift was made to Chino, I was then honored with a Community Positive Impact Award for my donation, which only added to this special experience.

Now both Chino and Longmont display my artwork, which is a special honor for me. Mayor Baum has Market Forces on display in his office here, and Sue Connelly who owns Longmont’s historic Dickens Barn “D-Barn” is an avid collector of my artwork as well, with more than 15 pieces.

Knowing that my work is displayed and enjoyed across 6,000 miles has been a tremendous experience for me.

Are you interested in acquiring Abundance for your collection? Please visit my gallery representatives for more details.

I had the privilege and the pleasure to attend the World Equestrian Games, similar to the Olympics of horse competition, held stateside for the first time ever in Lexington, Kentucky, this year.

I showcased The Spin at Liberty in the National Reining Horse Association and Reining Horse Sport Foundation’s suite during the games and attended the reining competition.

Please click the thumbnails for a larger view

As part of a whirlwind trip of equine artistry, I also had pieces of artwork entered in each of two American Academy of Equine Artists Kentucky shows, one affiliated with the World Equestrian Games and the annual juried fall exhibition.

The trip’s highlight, however, was fulfilling a 20-year pursuit: learning that the American Academy of Equine Art had elected me as an associate member.

A Display of Sportsmanship and Artistry at The World Equestrian Games

It was wonderful to witness the uncanny sportsmanship and international camaraderie at the World Equestrian Games, not to mention the sheer talent and ability of the athletes and their horses.

Every country represented cheered enthusiastically for their representatives and for the competitors: The Belgians would stand up, wave their flag and sing a song every time one of their own competed. The Horse Park was abuzz with congeniality and mutual admiration and congratulations.

During the games, I had the unique opportunity to show a quarter-scale bronze stallion sculpture, The Spin at Liberty, in the National Reining Horse Association and Reining Horse Sport Foundation’s suite.

The Spin at Liberty is the maquette, or small-scale version, of the larger-than-life installation Linda Wise of Horse Wise Farm commissioned me to create of her prize stallion Country Bay Berry. Being at the WEG with Linda, the NRHA, the RHSF, and other horse owners and enthusiasts offered me the chance to talk about my work on a more personal level, as opposed to a gallery or exhibition setting.

The Spin at Liberty is a very limited piece, with just only seven in the edition.

I donated the fifth edition that was shown at the WEG to the NRHA/RHSF live auction to raise funds for RHSF and the Make a Wish Foundation. I love being able to give something back to the organizations that help the animals who inspire me and aiding causes I’m passionate about.

What could be a better end to a trip than reaching a career benchmark?

Entering my artwork in juried exhibitions is another thrill of competition, and the American Academy of Equine Art, an association renowned for its selectivity in membership and the precision and accuracy of its artists, accepted two of my bronze equine sculptures for its juried shows.

Balance Point [LINK TO: Balance Point], an original bronze of a vaulter balancing on a horse’s back, was included in the show for the World Equestrian Games at the Lexington Museum, and Shadow Walker [LINK TO: Shadow Walker], a stylized horse sculpture, was featured in the annual fall juried show in Georgetown.

I have dreamed about joining the AAEA since I began sculpting more than 20 years ago. To be an elected associate member means you’ve been vetted as an equine artist and your peers think highly of your work.

I am proud to be recognized as a part of this small, elite group that prizes not only creativity but also artistic integrity, endorsing only artists who create anatomically correct horses, even in stylized pieces. This is a benchmark in my career, and I hope you will celebrate this achievement with me.

Looking ahead to my return to Kentucky…

As an AAEA elected associate member, I have the opportunity to attend a members-only event at a horse farm in Kentucky next year, where I will sculpt horses alongside my peers and the modern day masters of the medium.

I cannot wait to learn from, share with, and build camaraderie amongst the other members of the AAEA during this truly unique event.

I look forward to building upon my talent and skills that lead the AAEA to elect me as an associate member and contributing back to the organization to further the collective ability of equine artists to represent horses as they are: Perfect, powerful animals that are the sign of prosperity and good fortune.

Thank you to everyone who’s helped me thus far in my artistic journey, I anticipate a long and prosperous road ahead and hope you’ll join me for the ride of a lifetime.

To learn more about The Spin at Liberty, Balance Point, or Shadow Walker, please contact my representative sculpture galleries.