El Rancho del Arte

This morning I made an altar.  It reminded me of Prairie when she made an altar for her grandmother in November, for El Dia de los Defuntos, Day of the Dead. And I thought of Ecuador, where we made altars for the Old Year to celebrate the New.This morning I put out two clay vessels of ash, a carved horse head, a wedding invitation and a thank-you card.

Lenten Altar

Mike made the little bowl and I made the person. We made them in church with the Methodists in Joseph. It was fun. It was also somber. Everyone in the church got a piece of clay. We made the pots and then filled them with bits of communal ash. The Canyon Wedding painting and Canyon Wren print were made by Jon, our son-in-law. Our old friend Chuck Gibson carved the horse head one winter on the Snake River and gave it real hair.

Another kind of art, by Jerry Nolte

I didn't think I was making an altar. I was just cleaning up a bit. Taking off the winter tablecloth and putting out a white and yellow runner. And then I saw the pots and horse head on the windowsill and remembered Lent and sacrifice, which made me think of blessings.

Art?  They worked!

In the business of life, sometimes I need an excuse to make art. Luckily, there are plenty of excuses. Where we live. The traditions we follow. Love. Questions. And you, listening to this story.

Dawson made a wooden sheath knife. 

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, Home of Bunchgrass Beef