Clair Kehrberg

Saddle Making in her Soul

With a love of horses and artwork in her soul and ranching a part of her family for generations, Clair Mullins made a decision in high school; she was going to be a saddle maker. Growing up on a family cattle operation near John Day, Oregon, saddles were second nature, in fact, horseback was her preferred mode of transport. The decision was easy.

After witnessing her father question her older brother about his ambitions and plans for the future, Clair knew she would have an answer when it was her turn. A part of the family operation in a place where the closest movie theatre was 70 miles away, her love of horses was nurtured and the very nature of her life allowed her imagination to fly free.

An inborn fondness for ranch life combined with her penchant for art helped lead her to the decision to be a saddle maker. She went through the two year program at Spokane Falls Community College where she studied under the late Verlane Desgrange who was an extraordinary leather carver and saddle maker. Under Verlane she learned to draw intricate flowing patterns. Then she worked with Randy Severe at Severe Brothers Saddlery in Pendleton who taught her to draw directly on the leather. “My work is individual, I never duplicate a pattern,” says Clair. Most importantly, she says, she studied with Dale Harwood where she learned good mechanics. “Mechanics make the saddle, and he is a master.”

Today, she has been creating saddles for 9 years and owned her own shop for the last 6. Everyday, she builds saddles for the working cowboy. They are for hard days on colts and working cows in the vastness of Grant County, Oregon. On Quality Manufacturing trees, she creates her signature saddle with a slick fork tree and bucking rolls. She uses a lot of rough outs because as she says, “You stick to it better.” Her style reflects the influences from generations of ranching in the Great Basin and the Old Buckaroo including the small Cheyenne roll and the mule hide wrapped horn.

Working saddles don’t allow her to use her incredible carving skills or love of fashionable things as much as she would like so she makes gorgeous, deeply carved stylish handbags, messenger bags and furniture that allow her to integrate the flowing lines and the sleek curvy styling that is apparent but not overt in her saddles.

As of late, she has earned the nickname, "Lunatic Fringe" for the use of her brightly colored fringe on everything!! She has also been inducted into the Stetson Craftsman's Alliance and was selected for Women Who Design the West.

See her work here on ContemporaryWesternDesign.com or learn more about Clair at www.clairsaddleshop.com or call her to get your own saddle or “haute” handbag 541-620-1634.

Bob Brown Treemendous Designs

Bob Brown’s Pieces fit into Rustic Décor, Cowboy Décor or any home that has a hint of Western Design or wants one.

Near a small Indiana town where the rivers Eel and Wabash meet, is a man who auctioned off his construction equipment to become a furniture maker.

On land that’s been in his family for more than 20 years, and where arrowheads and other remnants of the Miami Indians are found, Bob Brown harvests and mills his own beautiful hardwood. He’s known around Cass County for his work and is frequently called when nuisance trees are felled so he can recover the lumber. A self-proclaimed scavenger of beautiful wood, Bob finds wood where tree trimmers work and utility companies clear branches to keep lines open.

Bob has a unique take on furniture made from hardwoods. He says, he doesn’t want it to be too perfect, but to reflect its natural beauty. Most furniture made of hardwood is planed, sanded and polished to perfection.

“To me that’s institutionalized, I like to see its natural expression, the beauty of the sapwood and its rough edges.”

Where does his inspiration come from? “ Montana. I love Montana,” he says.

Five boys later, he’s still in Indiana, but hoping the family can find their way out West someday. He and his wife Julie, a fourth grade teacher, both enjoy the outdoors and spend their free time camping, hiking and working on their property.

Bob’s grandfather clocks, dining room tables and beds are seen in homes from the Midwest to New England. Some of his most specialized pieces are found in beautiful resort homes in Colorado. To see more of Bob’s work go to ContemporaryWesternDesign.com.

David Osmundsen

Wyoming Blacksmith

David Osmundsen moved to Buffalo, Wyoming, nearly 17 years ago after a fateful summer trip brought him to the Big Horn Mountains. While doing summer missionary work at the Crow Indian Agency in southern Montana, he passed through the small western town that stuck with him. “I liked it and decided I would like to move to an area like Buffalo either after I retired or sooner. I decided to finish raising my children there.” David moved his family from Wisconsin where he worked as an artist in residence and gunsmith and literally set up shop – his blacksmith shop, Arrowhead Forge.

He has been blacksmithing for three decades, developing his personal style which he defines as “functional iron art.” “I don’t do so much that is just sculpture. My pieces are functional sculpture; garden gates, fireplace tools, railings, furniture, etc. David has perfected his style over the years from a variety of influences. “Any style you develop takes time. Mine is certainly influenced by who I learned from and from looking at other people’s work and figuring out how they did certain things. I’m always learning and combining things I see every day. I’ll see something like the way a tree branch grows that really attracts my eye and I wonder how I can do that in iron.”

David first took an interest in blacksmithing while studying to become a gunsmith in Colorado. He found a local blacksmith who allowed David to work in his shop in exchange for teaching him the trade. “When I was working for him, he would teach me to make a fork or something. He really only expected me to make one, but I was so excited about making them that I would make a dozen and then go out and sell them. I learned far more than he was teaching me.” David worked with that blacksmith for a little more than a year before opening Arrowhead Forge in Maine and doing a little teaching of his own.

“Since I’ve moved to Wyoming and set up shop, I’ve had a lot of people asking to be my apprentice. I’ve sworn up and down that I wouldn’t have an apprentice. So, I’ve started teaching again.” This is his fourth year teaching and he’s had folks coming from California, Alaska, Mississippi and recently received an inquiry from a student in Canada.
“And, as a matter of fact, I do have an apprentice now also. Trying to avoid having an apprentice has actually led me to having one.”

David says he would like to increase the teaching aspect of his business, which he hopes could then provide him more time and financial security to produce gallery pieces where he can “design and build things exactly the way I would like them done.”
“It’s really fun building that way because you’re free. You don’t have to follow a drawing you did for a client months before. You’re freer to let it flow.”
Everything David builds in iron is completely unique and full of variety, “the true definition of custom.” “Something that I build is done specifically for you. I look at what you’ve got in your home, growing in your yard or what your interests are and then I build to suit you. I might utilize similar features from another piece but there will never be another one like the one I build for you.” While there is no ordinary piece, an elaborate garden gate might take David four to five weeks to finish while a simple set of fireplace tools generally only takes three days. “It’s pretty much unlimited what can be done in iron.”

In addition to his home and office furnishing-type pieces, David also enjoys doing historical re-creations of period tools, axes, and more primitive knives.

Image Above: Forged Iron Leaf Napkin Rings. If you have ever tried to swing a hammer and delicately form a semi-molten piece of iron, you can appreciate David's work. He made iron napkin rings for the Senate Wives’ luncheon for Rosalynn Carter, way back when and has just now introduced a new design.


To view more of David's work go to Arrowhead Forge on www.contemporarywesterndesign.com

For more western design that includes, western furniture, rustic furniture, western fashion,western jewelry, western art and western home accessories go to: www.contemporarywesterndesign.com

Meredith Lockhart

Kansas Fashion Designer

As a residential and commercial interior designer before moving to northeast Kansas, Meredith Lockhart is no stranger to the design world.

Inspired by the land that surrounds her and the western lifestyle, she is creating belts, handbags and, if you really beg, custom clothing.

Lockhart’s designs have been seen on stages, screens and runways from New York to LA and everywhere in between over the last 15 years. Rodeo Queens have donned her custom creations and country music stars have worn her clothing on stage and off. She has created collections for the Western Design Conference and started her own on-line store called Thistle’s West.

Meredith loves to create with leather because she says, “It feels and smells so good! And you can do so many things with it!”

Meredith is a master at the challenge of finding unique leathers and juxtaposing them against one another with special touches like lacing, fringe, fur and paintings to make creations ultra unique.

When Meredith is not in her 100-year-old schoolhouse studio creating for Thistle’s West, she is giving her time to inner city, adjudicated and at-risk students, teaching them art, costume design and mask making.

This Kansas cowgirl fashion designer not only has an eye for high fashion, but a heart of gold.

Learn more about Meredith at www.contemporarywesterndesign.com

Cloudbird

Profiling A Western Design Artist from Washington

Movement. Balance. Rhythm. These three words carry great meaning to art lighting creator Cloudbird.

Gracefully reaching into the 15 years she spent dancing, Cloudbird’s pieces are a beautiful reflection of her dedication to movement, combined with roots anchored firmly in Mother Earth.

Off on an Alaskan adventure when she was 17, she, “found buckets of it.” Falling in love with the raw beauty (and a guy) Cloudbird spent the next 11 years wholly dependent on her own skills to survive in the Alaskan Bush.

Those years of survival taught her to be observant and unafraid to create with the materials and tools at hand. What started out as a necessity when she re-entered civilization became an expression of her life experiences.

Learning to braid leather, do beadwork and work rawhide came quickly to this intrepid outdoor enthusiast who continues to do extensive research on each project, learning new techniques, styles, and the histories of each pattern she beads or paints.

Fascinated by many mediums and taking each one beyond its standard applications, Cloudbird’s pieces offer a timeless feel, full of delicate, yet powerful movement.

Learn more about Cloudbird and her work at www.contemporarywesterndesign.com

Style West

Style West is a new show making its debut this September in Cody, Wyoming. The show will feature fine western fashion, furniture and art.

I was asked by the Buffalo Bill Historical Center to develop a show that will be reminiscent of the early Western Design Conference. Style West will have a retail experience for the buyers who come to Cody for Cody High Style and the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.

Style West will open on September 25 at the Cody Auditorium on Beck Avenue in Cody. Beck Avenue is one block from Sheridan Avenue, Cody’s main street, and 3 blocks east of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. A shuttle will run between the BBHC and Style West which will be open from 10 am until 6 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday the week of Rendevous Royale in Cody. Rendevous Royale runs September 24-27. It opens with the Cody High Style Fashion Show on Wednesday, September 24. The fashion show is a “Do Not Miss Event” that is high energy and fun while showing the most extraordinary fashion available in couture western design. The week concludes with the black tie Patron’s Ball at the BBHC.

Style West features artists from across the country. The audience will be able to purchase beautiful custom jewelry, furs, furniture, lighting, leather apparel, custom evening gowns and fine art.

Style West admission is $5 at the door each day.

Special room rates for attendees are available at The Cody, http://www.thecody.com/.

Along with the extraordinary pieces that you will find on the floor of Style West, you will have the opportunity to peruse your favorite design books at Gibbs Smith (www.gibbs-smith.com) who will have a book store adjacent to the exhibition in the Cody Club Room.

Inquiries are always welcome. I look forward to seeing you in Cody for Style West.

A Western Christmas

In the December issue of Western Horseman, Cowboy Culture Editor Jennifer Dennison wrote a fun piece about what I would do for Christmas. It was so fun that I wanted to put it up here for everyone to see. Of course, if you don't have a Western Horseman on hand, I say run out and get it. It's a great issue and you'll get to see the ornaments that I picked and pictures of the belts on the tree and Copenhagen lids as ornaments. Enjoy.

From Western Horseman
THE CHRISTMAS TREE IS THE CENTERPIECE of your holiday home décor. Around it is the place where friends and family gather, and it sets the tone for the rest of your decorations. Make trimming a ranch-style Christmas tree a fun family experience with tips from Western design expert Thea Marx of Wyoming. A Wyoming native, Thea grew up on a ranch, where she
and her family often made gifts and holiday decorations, a tradition she continues today with her 4-year-old daughter, Aspen. For Thea, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without trekking to the forest to cut down a real tree. It’s part of the holiday experience for the entire family, and she loves the smell, color and feel of a real tree, needles and all. This holiday season, she plans to cut a tree for young Aspen to decorate. When it comes to decorating the tree, Thea believes the more family and friends, the merrier. Turn on the Christmas music, serve hot cider and freshly baked cookies, and enjoy the camaraderie. Here are some of Thea’s favorite ideas for trimming a Western-inspired tree.

Consider color and composition. Look for ways to incorporate the colors and elements of the West into your tree. Reds, browns and greens add to your Western theme. Also, consider adding elements of nature in your décor. Share the view. Place your tree near a window for all to see. Thea says she enjoys pulling into her driveway each evening and seeing the lights through the window. Light up the night. Start decorating the tree by stringing clear lights around the tree, tucking the bulbs between all the branches. Illuminating your tree with simple, clear lights helps draw attention to your ornaments. Fill in the gaps. Tuck tumbleweeds, yucca, colored feathers from a craft store, or sagebrush into sparse areas of your tree to create a full appearance. These natural accents also bring pieces of the outdoors inside and add to the festive fragrance. Decorate the entire tree. Hang ornaments all over the tree, even on the back. This encourages people to really look at the tree and enjoy the memories behind each ornament. Position ornaments near lights to make them sparkle, and create hidden vignettes between the branches.
Strut your snuff. To make inexpensive, cowboy-inspired tree decorations that twinkle in the lights, string snuff-can lids to form a garland, or string single lids to form ornaments.

Turn bandanas into bows. For color and pattern, fold bandannas into triangles and tie the ends together. Place the bandannas in sparse areas of the tree. You can also place one on top of the tree.

Cinch it tight. Fasten Western belts together to form a ranch-style garland. Rhinestone belts add extra sparkle to your tree.

Let it snow. Remember cutting snowflakes out of folded paper as a child? Invite your family and friends to make their own snowflake ornaments for your tree. Be creative, making them simple or intricate, plain or shiny, or even decorated with glitter. Punch a hole in the top of the snowflake, thread ribbon, baling twine or other string through the hole and tie to form a loop for hanging the snowflake on the tree.

Top it off. Your tree topper doesn’t have to be fancy to be beautiful. While she was growing up, Thea’s family cut a star from cardboard and covered it with aluminum foil. A cowboy hat, raffia bow, a star made from twigs or a Santa statue also makes a great topper.

Hi-ho silver. String conchos and saddle silver on a thin strip of leather to form garland and ornaments.

Cover your bases. No Western-themed tree would be complete without a Navajo or Pendleton blanket as a tree skirt.

Take-down tip. When you’re ready to remove your tree from
the house, wrap it in a blanket to prevent needles from covering your floor.

Thea Marx served as the executive director of the Western Design Conference in Cody, Wyoming, and transformed that organization into an internationally recognized source of fine Western design. Today, she is an accomplished author and entrepreneur, specializing in all things Western. For more home-decorating tips, order Thea’s book Contemporary Western Design ($19.95) by calling
(307) 587-8008, or visiting contemporarywesterndesign.com.