Wind Art (25 of 40)

My Uncle Larry is a true craftsman. Over the years I have admired his skills in creating beautiful furniture and doors with ornate wood and glass inlays. At some point he moved away from woodworking and transitioned into Kinetic Art, creating stunning sculptures from copper and stone that spin with the movement of the wind. 

Over the years I saw his pieces pop up one by one in the homes of each of my family members. Every time I saw a new sculpture, I would think to myself, “Man, I really want one of those.” My favorites have always been his hanging aspen leaves, watching the hypnotic twirl of the leaves in the wind and how the light bouncing off the hammered surface of the copper mimics the shimmering of the yellow aspen leaves in the fall. The weathered copper eventually takes on a beautiful patina which makes the piece just as remarkable when the air is still. 

Last year, I decided I was ready for a sculpture of my own. While in Colorado for my grandmother’s memorial, I visited Larry’s studio Sawtooth Art. I found I was not alone as another couple was perusing the outdoor gallery as well. We did the dance, side-eying each other and trading polite smiles that belied our anxious and territorial fear of finding ourselves drawn to the same piece and having to duel to the death in order to stake our claim. 

Okay, maybe that was just me. 

Thankfully, there was no need for bloodshed. After some time, I landed on a mesmerizing hanging aspen with a smooth, oval stone for its weighted bottom. The other couple admitted defeat found a different stunning piece of art and were on their way.

Getting my sculpture home took some effort, but an ungodly amount of plastic wrap and a custom box-job later, I brought my very own aspen home. I excitedly unboxed it the moment the kids and I got back. Looking around my patio, one thing became immediately clear. I had no idea how in the world I was going to hang this thing! 

My apartment lease pretty explicitly states not to damage the outside stucco. Surely there is a wooden beam or piece of siding I can tap into, I thought as I scanned every inch of the roof line. Alas, the answer was a resounding 'nope'. I guess I hadn’t really thought this through. So back into the box and down to the garage my beautiful art went. 

It remained there until this past weekend when my dad came to visit and solve my dangling dilemma. We hemmed, hawed and almost admitted defeat when suddenly, a solution was at hand! 

Now, for the sake of propriety, I'm just gonna say our ingenuity involved a bit of rebar, wire and old fashioned luck. But the best added bonus is that every time I look at the leaves spinning in the breeze, I'm going to remember that my dad and I did that together.