PHOTOGRAPH

Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)

Ranging from South Western Canada to Western Mexico and all through the Western United States, their territory stretches as far East as Badlands National Park, SD. Although not found throughout this range, Bighorn Sheep are prevalent in small patches of mountainous land throughout this area. While prevalent they are not necessarily easy to find. Whether they are Desert, Sierra Nevada, or Rocky Mountain subspecies, they thrive in rural, rugged, high elevation terrain. These three subspecies can; however, vary in size quite a bit. Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, are the smallest of the three by far, males only getting up to about 200 pounds. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on the other hand get up to nearly 500 pounds. They are also much more common and are the Bighorn Sheep that are seen throughout the United States and Canadian Territory. Desert Bighorns are found in the Southwestern United States and in their Mexican range.

LOCATION

Badlands National Park, SD

This is a national park that I have passed through a number of times on my way out west from Memphis, or on my way back. I have yet to intentionally go to Badlands and stay for a couple of weeks so there is still much to explore, but I do find it to be a wonderfully beautiful and quite unique landscape from many other places. The history of time that if immediately evident when looking at the lines of different eras in the bare buttes all around is quite breathtaking. In shape it is a very unique park as well, long and skinny, the main road takes to straight through the park and allows you to get a decent sense of the entirety of the park relatively easily. I also love a drive through at minimum and look forward to uncovering more secrets of this place.

FRAME

Pecky Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Known as Bald Cypress, this giant of the swamp is native to the southeastern United States. It can adapt to thrive in a wide range of soils, including very briny, salty, and water soaked areas. The pecky nature of the wood is created by a fungus that attacks the tree and eats away at its truck from the inside out. When the tree is cut down the fungus dies and leaves behind the beautiful architecture of its destruction. All of the Bald Cypress I have used in my frames has come from different parts of Louisiana.

THE ELEMENTS

Fire, Water, Earth, and Air

In the display case in the bottom of the frame, four items are preserved glass vials. The items represent the elements: fire (wood charcoal), water (mineral oil), earth (soil), and air (a milkweed seed). I include these items in my work as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all life on earth, and as a reminder that humans must do better.

THE PLAQUE

I engrave a wooden information plaque for each work. The plaque includes what the photograph is of, the location of the photograph, what type of wood the frame is made of and where I got the wood from. The plaques also explain what the vials are in each display case, and even state the meaning of my logo. The plaques are attached magnetically and can be removed to read or to store on the back of each frame if you prefer not to have it displayed on the front.