The story recalls the 1206 Norwegian civil war transport to safety of the baby Prince Håkon Håkonsson by the birch bark legging clad Birkebeiners Torstein Skeivla and Skjervald Skrukka.  It is that difficult winter ski traverse that is re-enacted by modern day birkebeiners in the Norwegian and American ski races. 

 The little prince, Håkon Håkonsson, became one of the best of the Norwegian kings Norway. He ended the civil wars and under him, Norway had its days of glory in the Middle Age. With this, the story of the Birkebeiners made history.  Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkebeiner for more information on this great bit of Norwegian and skiing history.

 In 2013, the American Birkebeiner (www.birkie.com) celebrates its fortieth anniversary.  Over time I have sculpted the Birkebeiner image and other similar ski themed images in honor of this inspirational story and the annual winter gathering of the Nordic world in Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin. 

American Birkebeiner - Courage, Endurance and Perseverance

In 2003, in celebration of the 30^th running of the race in the United States, I was commissioned by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation to sculpt American Birkebeiner – Courage, Endurance and Perseverance.  Partnering with friend and fellow artist Terry Tansey from Seeley, WI, the sculpture was installed at the CableCommunity Center on County Highway M in Cable.  As a monument to local ski history it welcomes visitors from around the world to a reknown gathering of cross county skiers.

Birkebeiner Warrior Torch

The Birkebeiner Warrior Torch was another collaboration with Terry Tansey whose rustic timber frame talents adds a rustic wooded element to the creation.  Created in 2009, the four tower installation features Birkebeiners Torstein and Skjervald in their classic ski poses flanking two flaming cauldrons.  Each year the Birkebeiner Warrior Torch is installed at the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce building in Cable during the Nordic ski race week serving as an inspiration to all who participate in this great event.

 In 2010, I was commissioned to create The Birkie Honor Wall which was installed in front of the County 00 rest cabin in Seeley on the Birkebeiner ski trail.  Working with my steel fabricating partners Paddy & Linda Steavenson of Hayward, the multi-sectioned topographic sculpture presents a trail profile of the entire trail traversed by stainless steel skiers and runners.  The Birkebeiner foundation encourages those who wish to honor someone on the Birke Honor Wall to purchase an engraved plaque.

In a smaller format I have recreated the two Birkebeiners skiing in a table top sculpture on rock and steel bases.  These smaller sculptures are valued by Nordic skiers from around the world who take them home as a memento of the American Birkebeiner experience.

Flight of the Birkebeiners

The poignantly themed sculpture is dedicated to the loving memory of Catherine Arnold who during her life was touched by Alzheimer’s disease.  Catherine’s son Jamie and daughter-in-law Deanne, who own and operate DJ’s Dock on Round Lake http://djsdock.com/ commissioned the sculpture to honor their mother and advocate for Alzheimer’s diseases support.

The Diary

The unveiling was in conjunction with the 15th Annual Chili Cook Off at DJ’s in which the Arnolds invite the local community and visitors to financially support the Sawyer County Alzheimer’s Association advocacy efforts.  A full day of activities including silent auction, raffle drawings, cash raffle, chili feed, entertainment and even fund raising minnow races brought awareness to Alzheimer’s disease and raised significant funds for advocacy support.  The sculpture unveiling united those in attendance in a touching remembrance of those effected by Alzheimer’s disease.

The sculpture invites the viewer to reflect on the challenges faced by Catherine Arnold and her family as the disease progressed.  Next spring, when permanently installed on a glacial boulder outside of DJ’s Dock, the sculpture will be a destination for others to pause and reflect on the impacts of the disease.  The striking image will offer a message of hope for a future cure.

Fabricated from three eights and three sixteenth inch Corten steel, the sculpture’s steel components will oxidize over time adding a deep reddish patina to the figure and book.  The stainless steel stars attached to the top most part of the book pages will shine brightly projecting a message of hope.

Sculpture interpretation

The imagery of the sculpture provides a telling tale of life with Alzheimer’s.  The youthful female figure depicts Catherine Arnold who walked on in life from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.  In her hand is a book, her diary in fact that contains a life’s worth of memories, experiences and emotions.  The pages rising from the book depict the memories of Catherine’s husband Paul and her children: Cathy, Paul, Mary, Pete, Phil and Jamie drifting away.

In the center of the figure a heart rock represents the deep set feelings and emotions that stay in tact with the person while other life experiences are lost.

From the top of the book pages four stainless steel stars show the transition to the spiritual world where memories are kept in eternity.  The glimmering stars project an image of hope for the future.

Finally I wanted to share this Alzheimer’s disease poem created by my friend Naomi Cochran titled The Barbershop.

if she doesn’t watch him
he’ll shave with toothpaste
wear his shoes on the wrong feet
fill the bird feeder with coffee

at home in the kitchen
my mother opens her wallet
hands dad fifteen dollars
for the barber

put it in your pocket, she says
pay him when he’s done
don’t lose it
don’t forget

I park my father’s car
in the snowy alley
let him take slow baby steps
behind me

inside the shop
the good-looking barber
smiles, easily coaxes him
into her chair

she flirts as she touches
his white hair
takes advantage of
who he was
who he is

put her in your pocket, dad
don’t lose me
don’t forget

          Accompanying the portraits are biographies written by co-authors James R. Bailey and Thelma Nayquonabe, as well as historical essays, photographs, maps and an Ojibwe language glossary.  The paintings, stories and photographs tell the personal stories and historical journey of the Ojibwe people in Northwestern Wisconsin.

            Following publication, the book received a wonderful review titled ‘Spirit of the Ojibwe’: Essence of an Elder by Chuck Leddy in a special to the Minneapolis Star Tribune on July 14, 2012.  The complete review can be found here: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/162294346.html

 Book Release at Redbery Books in Cable, WI

On June 28, a public reception for Spirit of the Ojibwe was hosted by Redbery Books (http://www.redberybooks.com/) with the gracious hospitality of the Rivers Eatery in the Ideal Market (http://www.theidealmarket.com/Pages/Rivers.aspx) in downtown Cable (http://www.cable4fun.com/).

Friends gather in celebration

           In a gathering under sunny skies the Badger Singers Big Drum from Lac Courte Oreilles (http://www.lco-nsn.gov/) welcomed a large gathering of friends with awe inspiring traditional songs. 

Badger Singers with their Big Drum

          Gary Quarderer a spiritual representative from LCO offered a traditional blessing in both Ojibwe and English. A tobacco ceremony united the culturally diverse attendants in a special honor of the elders book publication.

          Commentary by grant writer and long time friend, Mimi Trudeau detailed her efforts in acquiring the initial and subsequent National Endowment for the Arts and Wisconsin Arts Board grants to fund the portrait paintings in the early 1980’s.  Holy Cow! Press publisher Jim Perlman reflected on the lengthy and most satisfying book publishing  journey.  Jim gave special memorial tribute for editor and friend John Carr who passed away just prior to the book’s publication. Co-authors Jim Bailey and Thelma Nayquonabe relayed their experiences of writing the elders biographies.               

               Finally Sara touched the listeners with her personal stories of meeting James “Pipe” Mustache in Old Hayward many years ago.  The friendships between Pipe and the youth and elders of LCO who visited her painting studio at Tony Wise’s Historyland launched the journey to create the images that became the foundation for the historic book.

Sara talks of her elders painting and book journey

          The gathering was quite special for all those in attendance who celebrated the preservation of the people, stories and traditions of the Anishinaabe, the original people of Lac Courte Oreilles. 

Honored Cable elders review the elders book

  Duluth Art Institute portrait display and book reception

            On Monday July 16, a Spirit of the Ojibwe elders portrait showing and book reception was held at the Duluth Art Institute.  DAI curator Anne Dugan was most gracious in her hospitality as Sara, publisher Jim Perlman and Ojibwe Elder John Anderson presented their perspectives to the dozens in attendance.  The well received reception was centered on a gallery showing of twelve of the original Lac Courte Oreilles Elders paintings that continues until September (http://www.duluthartinstitute.org/current-exhibitions/current-exhibitions ). 

Portraits hanging in the Duluth Art Institute

           Following Anne’s gracious introduction, standing next to a slide show of the entire collection of thirty-two paintings, John “Little Bird”Anderson offered a welcoming song accompanied by his hand drum playing.  Anderson provided a further introduction of the panelists and later a traditional closing song and story.   Of the thirty-two elders portrayed in the Spirit book, Anderson is the sole living elder.

Publisher Jim Perlman, Sara and John “Little Bird” Anderson

          Holy Cow! Press publisher Jim Perlman was the next to offer his comments on fifteen year journey to create Spirit of the Ojibwe. His sincerely emotional statement completely captured the audience who were engaged in the story of the books publication.  Perlman gave special tribute to Editor John Carr who passed away just prior to the works publication.

DIA Curator Anne Dugan and Sara greet visitors

             Sara continued her commentary with the historical background and  genesis of the Hall of Elders paintings that led to the Spirit of the Ojibwe book creation.  The closing song and dance by Little Bird joined the participants and panelist in celebration of the Spirit of the Ojibwe.

Ordering & Publishing Information

For bookstore orders, please contact: Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, 1-800-283-3572

The book is published by Holy Cow! Press – Post Office Box 3170 – Mount Royal Station – Duluth, MN 55803 www.holycowpress.org

To order directly from Dragonfly Studio contact: Sara Balbin – 46400 Blue Moon Road– Drummond, WI 54832 info@sarabalbin.com

Cost is $28.95 plus Wisconsin sales tax where applicable and $4.00 for USPS shipping.

Wisdom Heralding Peace

           There was a bit of serendipity in the invitation I received to present the design concept that was awarded the commission. One of the Benedictine Sisters on the Centennial Sculpture Committee had discovered my art work while visiting the Cable, WI area.  Cable is home to nearly a dozen public sculptures I have created over the years. Her discovery of my art work led to a committee invitation received in November 2010 to present a design concept for the 2012 college centennial celebration.

           Dozens of artists were considered for the commission and the list was narrowed to the final four.  The four finalists were asked to create a scale model for an hour long presentation to the committee. As a finalist, I was honored to be selected to create the Centennial Celebration sculpture for the new Science Center that at the time was still in the process of being constructed. One of the most memorable moments in the process was when I learned via a telephone call that the commission had been awarded to my design.

Sculpture scale model  

           Throughout the process, under my guidance, over sixty five people were linked in an artistic connect the dots to help create the sculpture. I extend my sincere thanks to the many supportive team members who trusted my vision and worked as a team along the artistic journey of creating Wisdom Heralding Peace.

           The sculpture was fabricated with the technical assistance of the talented professionals at Northland Stainless in Tomahawk, WI. They had been technical partners on my very first stainless steel public sculpture commission, Dragon’s Flight at the Cable Natural History Museum, some fifteen years ago. It was wonderful reacquainting myself with their facility and staff as we problem solved throughout the fabrication to create the full size sculpture from the conceptual model I had created.

The talented crew at Northland Stainless

           The image is fabricated from one quarter inch stainless steel and weighs nine hundred fifty pounds. The figurative sculpture stands nine feet six inches with a width that varies from twenty inches in diameter at the base to forty inches in diameter at the widest part of the shoulders. In total when adding eighteen inches for the rock base the sculpture is well over eleven feet tall.

           The Duluth Blue Stone rock base was selected from among the many landscape rocks on The College of St. Scholastica campus. The three thousand pound rock was moved into place before the new Science Center building was completed.  After the rock base was put in place, it was cemented into the building floor before the walls were up and roof put on the building.

           The commemorative plaque that accompanies the sculpture contains these descriptive words: 

 

            I am humbly honored at the trust placed in my artistic vision by my patrons. To see an idea become a conceptual conversation that led to a simple line drawing and a scale model that became sculptural reality in such a wonderful public setting is most rewarding. 

           I give special thanks to the members of the College of St. Scholastica, the Centennial Sculpture Committee, the Benedictine Sisters and supportive donors of the College who worked through the process from beginning to end.  Gracious thanks is also due to the many technical partners, installation support crew, building engineers, maintenance people, friends and family who provided assistance and encouragement along the creative journey. 

           My hope is that Wisdom Heralding Peace will inspire artistic conversation, beneficial learning and peace for hundreds of years to come.

For other permanent displays of Sara’s art work visit the Find Us post that lists many representative galleries.

14^th Annual Namakagon Art & Music Festival
July 7, 2012    – Saturday
Seeley, Wisconsin
Sara will have a retail display and demo booth at the Festival
http://www.cablehaywardarts.org/29.html

CHARAC Studio Crawl
August 10, 11 & 12, 2012   – Friday – Saturday – Sunday
Bayfield & SawyerCounty
Sara will open Dragonfly Studio at 46400 Blue Moon Road in Drummond for the three day art crawl in the region.
http://cablehaywardarts.org/46.html

6th  Annual Blue Moon Art Tour
Blue Moon Road, Drummond, WI
September 1 & 2, 2012     – Saturday and Sunday
Visit the working studios of four artists along Blue Moon Road
http://www.bluemoonarttour.blogspot.com/

11^th Annual Cable Fall Festival
Cable, Wisconsin
September 22, 2011     -    Saturday
Sara will have a retail display and demo booth at the Festival
www.cable4fun.com

Wrestling steel demo at the BMAT

Drive through the beautiful northern forest in Cable/Drummond region and tour the studios of Sara Balbin, Sara Qualey, Diana Randolph and Reg Behrends along Blue Moon Road, a mini artist colony.

Click this link:         SOON TO BE POSTED – WATCH THIS SPACE for the 2012 Blue Moon Art Tour Brochure to be posted when available 

Log on to http://www.bluemoonarttour.blogspot.com/ for further information about the annual event.  On the blogspot you will find direct links to all the artist’s pages, photographs and more information about the BMAT.

Join us for artist demonstrations, door prizes, refreshments and a preview of new art work for sale.

The artistic seed for Flowing Waters was planted in 2010 with a commission by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  In recognition of their ten year old grants for river advocacy program, they requested that I design an awards sculpture for the Decade of River Successes recipients.  The steel sculpture pictured below was presented to eleven river advocacy groups across the state who had been outstanding in benefiting Wisconsin waters. 

Flowing Waters Wisconsin DNR Award

It was the focus on this theme of our interaction with water that was developed in depth in the current show at the LaPointe Center Art Guild & Gallery.

Each of the sculptures in the LaPoint Center show exhibit water as a key element in their design.  Stainless steel combined with mild steel accented with Lake Superior wave washed rocks and tumbled agates provide the visual impact for this water based theme.

 The sustainability of the waters is essential for our survival. Over countless generations past and to come, Flowing Waters are a life giving, healing and essential resource.

 These sculptural designs have allowed me to echo the importance of water and its relationship to humanity. I look forward to creating more images with this important environmental theme. 

 For further information on the show on Madeline Island call the LaPointe Center Art Guild & Galler at 715-747-3321 or email  lpcartgg@cheqnet.net .  For more information visit the Madeline Island Chamber of Commerce web site at www.madelineisland.com .

 The creative project started last summer when friends asked me to design a figurative sculpture for their area lake property that is also known as Foxfire.  As with other commissions, our discussion of the general concept became a preliminary sculpture drawing.  This drawing was further revised into a final sculpture design that was the plan directing the fabrication.

After the design was set, the steel was ordered and delivered to Dragonfly Studio.  Transforming a four foot by ten foot sheet of 3/8 inch Corten steel into a completed sculpture requires numerous steps.  Full size heavy paper templates were created to facilitate the transfer of the design graphic to the steel. A fifty amp plasma cutter was used to cut the components of the sculpture from the steel sheet.

When the steel is cut substantial edge and surface clean up prepares the piece for bending.  Oxygen/acetylene tanks were used to heat the steel to red hot for bending into the finished shape.  More surface cleaning follows the heating and bending. Over time and through many steps, the flat materials take on a dynamic form.

A fox image to accompany the main figure was cut and assembled separately.  Near the end of the process the large figure’s left arm and hand were bent to embrace the fox that had been mounted on a rock.  Concrete foundation excavation and pouring preceded the sculpture installation.  The installation was followed by the finishing touches of landscape accents.

Set on a wooded slope at a lake cabin, Foxfire stands tall blending nicely with the property’s pines and mixed hardwoods. Corten steel was selected for the sculpture due to its manufactured property of oxidizing to a richly colored and evenly distributed reddish brown patina.  In addition stainless steel accents in the sculpture provide a dynamic reflective light aspect.

The creative process involves quite a bit of team work.  From concept to completion, Foxfire involved sixteen individuals.  Following my lead, the creative team facilitated materials procurement, fabrication, transportation and installation.  With a focus on my original design, my team helps move the process to reality.

The central stylized figure exhibits an arm rising upward that transforms itself into many branches of a maple tree.  Perched near the top of the maple sits a stainless steel moon and star.  The other hand of the Foxfire figure curves around the three foot tall steel and stainless steel fox sitting on top of a volcanic rock with an interesting crystalline structure. While visually striking in size and appearance, Foxfire blends naturally with the surrounding forest.

 Together the fox and figure stand as sentries, overseeing the surrounding property, watchful of the natural world around them.  Like the native trees, the steel figure gently flexes with the breeze.  Reflective values of the stainless steel components add yet another dimension to the rusting steel figure.  The viewer will enjoy the visual spectrum presented with the daily variance of light and the annual changes of seasons.

If there is a trifecta of creative pursuits, then this is it. The whole experiencewas a three sided winning combination of a perfect setting for a beautiful sculpture for special friends.  I am thankful for the support and trust of my patrons. This fuels my passion for the arts and allows me to join steel, rock and flame into meaningful and lasting expressions

        This playful steel sculpture features a menagerie of animals engaged in a somewhat precarious balancing act.  Atop the rose stone base sits a floppy eared dog extending his paws.  A hand standing cat balances with skill on the feet of the cooperative pooch.  Adding to the acrobatic scene, a bird stretches its body skyward perching on the back cat paw.  On the rock base, rounding out the troupe and oblivious to the activity above them are two acrobatic mice doing an intricate pirouette.