March 24, 2017 Spring greetings from Colorado! According to the calendar, spring is here, but, the snow in tonight�s forecast shows winter isn�t giving ground without a fight. We have been burning up the road this year and last fall, and I do have some very beautiful wood to show for all the miles and hiking. I have started a new Bronzewood Meld series of a grizzly this year, �Facing the Wind�. While in the canyons, I had a wax from the molds, I was able to fit the wax to the pieces of wood that I was examining, this process really helped in the inspiration and design. Consequently, there will be some really unique and beautiful bears coming out. The first in the series, a wall mount sold very quickly, but there will be more. Each trip to the canyons I usually find one or two pieces of wood that really excite me. These �gem quality� pieces of wood have incredible grain and/or a tremendous twists and shapes. One of these gems, a naturally hollow mesquite burl, will be the next �Facing the Wind� Bronzewood Meld.
For quite some time and for a number of reasons I have really wanted a half sized (8�) �Determined� to use in a Bronzewood Meld series. West Texas Juniper grows with some very graceful twists and turns. On rare occasion I will find a piece with enough width to accommodate a life-sized �Determined.� The trouble is the trees are so slow growing it takes well over a thousand years to reach that width. Then, to find one of those dead, but not too dead, with an interesting movement, is a real challenge. I have collected some spectacular smaller branches (a mere 200-400 years of growth) that will flow beautifully with the smaller seven inch wingspan of the half-size �Determined� falcon. I am currently working on my fifth in the series and getting more exited with each one. I will be sending out some photos of the available pieces in subsequent newsletters, or should I say �News Notes�.
These smaller versions of �Determined� are about half the price of the life-sized series and easier to place. They are approximately seven inches in depth. These falcons can be designed to be graceful wall mount sculptures. In light of that, when I look at my wood selection, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I only wish I had time to start on them when I �see them� in the wood. Thank you for your continued interest in my work. You will be seeing newsletters and �News Notes� on a more frequent basis; I hope these updates will continue to pique your interest and, if you see something you like, let me know. Thank you again, J. Christopher White
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