“Horse & Coyote, Cedar Driftwood & Rebar, Rappahannock River, Virginia” © Stu Jenks 2021, 33 by 48 by 9 inches.
$800, shipping not included. If you really want to buy it, email me at [email protected] and we'll figure it out. It's not really for sale, but you know what they say when it come to buying art. Give me enough money and it's yours.
I was visiting my friend Brad and Glenn a few months ago in the Northern Neck, and as is customary, I visited the Rappahanock River near their house, specifically a boat ramp with a nice view of the wide water. Since Mom sold the old home place in 2003 in order to survive, only on occasion will the current owner of Ed-Lil let me come down and visit the river on what is now his property. But this boat ramp? It's always there and even though I think it might be on private property, it's not chained or gated. I simply park my Pathfinder and walk down to the water's edge. It's a lovely spot.
Driftwood is not uncommon to find along the river, but most aren't as beautiful as this piece. I picked it up, looked at it from a number of angles, and saw what I wanted to do: drill a very deep hole in it, and mount it in the way that you see here, using a pipe or a rod of some sort.
Easy peasy.
Famous last words.
After two trips to Home Depot, a visit to Harbor Freight, drilling a hole in this piece of wood that was much harder that I thought it would be, and then busting and blooding the heck out of my finger with a sledgehammer, hammering the rebar into the ground, I got the piece up.
I really love the silvery patina on this wood. And yes, it looks like a horse drinking water to some, or a coyote dancing to others, but mostly to me now, I simply see a lovely piece of white bleached wood, that looks like a lovely piece of white bleached wood.
Birds are finding it. Bunnies run by it. Alexa and I look at it from our kitchen window. Makes us happy.
It was worth the busted finger.
Sometimes you have to bleed for your art. I prefer not to, but shit happens.
P.S.: It's been 10 days and my finger is still healing up. Maybe I should have gotten a stitch. Nah.
This last image, I photoshopped out the supporting rebar and some powerlines in the back. Just for fun.
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