MOTH raises thousands for programs

Last updated Apr 19, 2011 12:0pm0

Jay Mather count

Engracia Diez was enthralled by Laura Campbell’s “Hare and the Hound,” which sold at auction for $5,000.

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Steve Frandsen's "Metoliu

In perfect harmony with this year's theme, creative currents of air, water and electricity converged Saturday night at Ponderosa Forge & Ironworks for the 10th Annual My Own Two Hands Art Auction and Party, capping a full weekend of colorful festivities in support of the Sisters Americana Project and arts programs in the schools.

The Sugar Beets from Eugene had the dance floor hopping from open to close as well-dressed guests absorbed the creative vibe and enthusiasm.

Art lovers smiled at the whimsical swarm of Common Canvas fish, swimming through a gauze curtain filled with simulated twinkle-light bubbles. Kit Stafford's community project handed out plywood steelhead forms to artists and friends to decorate as they desired, then hung them together with individual silent auction bidding sheets with names like "Camouflage," "Copper River Salmon" and "Big Fish Little Fish."

Back in the depths of the forge floor, silent auction tables brimmed with artisan jewelry, oil and watercolor paintings, custom trout flies, fine woodworking, handblown glassware and collectors-edition photography reflecting all aspects of life in the West.

Packed elbow to elbow, friends and supporters circled coveted items and secretly scribbled numbers on bid sheets, balancing appetizers and hand-painted wine glasses. Some lingered to pay respects to a bald eagle stitched in an heirloom quilt or stood back to admire a lone crow gliding aloft in a painted technicolor sky.

A giant, orange squid fabric banner dotted with a psychedelic galaxy of stars and planets by Rachel Sims attracted an intrigued crowd.

"I think it's wildly creative, and I bet the artist had a great time making it," said Laura Hiller. "It would be fun to look at every day. The quality of all the art is outstanding, and the food is delicious."

Lisa Clausen laughed with girlfriends and artists, inching her way against the flow to the rear auction benches.

"It's the best party in Sisters," she said. "It gives me a chance to dress up and have people not recognize me. I hope they raise a bucketful of money tonight."

Sisters Folk Festival favorite Dennis McGregor drew considerable praise and interest for his hypnotic "Butterfly Moon" painting on display in the live auction section.

"It started with a song I was working on, some lullabies, and thought it would be cool to illustrate the songs for a little bedtime book for children," he said. "Snooping around on the Internet I saw clumps of monarch butterflies in eucalyptus trees and learned of them sometimes catching a ride on the jet stream and loved that image."

Brad Tisdel, executive director of the Sisters Folk Festival, addressed the audience after plates were cleared and bidding cards were readied.

"Every day we've been learning more about music and the creative process, and it's a beautiful thing," he said. "We strive to constantly improve and honor the arts as one of the greatest ways of spending time on this planet. For me, we started this all as a very humble approach to get kids connected to the Sisters Folk Festival and it's become a whole movement."

Auctioneer Dennis Turmon, hoarse voice and all, assisted by Fred Bewley, let 'er rip for the live auction portion of the evening with 30 items up for bid. Kathy Deggendorfer provided color commentary, introducing each piece at it arrived onstage with anecdotes surrounding the art.

Bidding was furious on all the live auction items. Some highlights included: Bill MacDonald's custom ukelele - $4,800; gourmet salmon dinner for 15 with music by Brad Tisdel at Depot Café - $3,300; a chainsaw-carved otter from Skip Armstrong - $4,600; McGregor's "Butterfly Moon" - $2,900; Laura Campbell's "Hare and the Hound" hot air balloon piece - $5,000; and Steve Frandsen's "Metolius Magic" carved elk antler - $6,000 (see article at www.nuggetnews.com).

The "paddle raise" portion on the auction took in $28,800, a new record for My Own Two Hands. Early estimates show some $90,000 was raised during the evening. After a final drumroll by Tisdel, the 2012 theme "Lookin' Up" was unveiled for next year's event, setting off spontaneous applause and sparking ideas from artists.

Artist creates ‘Metolius Magic’

No one could ever accuse artist Steve Frandsen of being a boring guy.

With his tribal ink, turquoise and crystal skull necklace and mysterious grin, most anything he lays his hands on becomes an instant conversation piece. His latest work and this year's donation to the My Own Two Hands fundraiser is "Metolius Magic," a 48-inch, six-point elk antler hand carved with sacred creatures and designs inspired from nature herself.

It's a stunning totem of imagination, expertly crafted and polished by one of Central Oregon's most talented residents, displayed on a manzanita burl finished courtesy of Tumalo wood-carver, Tom Murphy.

Frandsen discovered the rare elk shed up on Green Ridge way back in 1988.

"I was actually out there looking for deer antlers," said Frandsen. "In all the years I've lived here I'd never once found one. There used to be a small herd of elk out there but now it's grown in size over the last 30 years. I've got over 230 hours into it, not counting the thinking hours."

Nine different animals - swimming fish, insects, and even a baby otter face peeking out of the base - are captured in relief within the antler. Always the trickster, Frandsen even hid a small pebble plucked from the Metolius waters into a tiny recess along the top ridge to complete the cycle. Amused visitors to Navigator News where it was displayed this past week had fun trying to find them all. The closer you look the more you see.

"Some are easy to find, others are harder," pointed out owner Jim Cummins. "Everybody who's come in here really loves it. Only one person looked at it and thought it was kinda scary."

"Scary is good sometimes," joked Frandsen. "I wanted to depict the life and death of the river, the whole food chain and its constant transformation... from nymph to fly, and fish egg to adult to skeleton. I carved it all freehand with a flexible shaft tool. I see the shapes in my mind as it's coming out of the piece. I go with what the antler is offering as it's created and let it evolve. The crawdad poking its head from a hole started out as a little dipper bird but by the time I realized it wasn't fitting, it transformed into something else. That's life."

The artist recalls looking out at the Metolius currents, giving thanks for his prize, and a creative vision manifested itself in the moment.

Natural pigments in shades of rust, black and forest green were hand-mixed and applied by Frandsen.

"I used red ochre crushed into a dry powder then mixed it with oil before it was brushed on," he explained. "The green was concocted using oxidized copper blended with oil. It gives it that deep, intense color after its rubbed off, this is what remains."

Owner Janet Brockway of Navigator News loved the whole sense of it being a natural substance.

"He lets you still see the antler while articulating the images inside," she said. "But it's clean and not overdone. It's just a beautiful work of art."

"I dove into the piece about six years ago at Tom Murphy's shop," Frandsen said. "What I originally saw in it was the dead fish on one of the antler tines, then added the fish tail swirling and churning up the eggs. There's a lot of guys that do moose antlers because it gives a nice large canvas with the size of the palms. But they mostly use stencils they lay down and trace it on like a tattoo but that's not how this work was made. All the sculpting and polishing was done by heart and hand. I hope it gets a lot of bidding interest at the auction Saturday night."

Frandsen's wish came true as "Metoilus Magic" raised $6,000 with a winning bid from Ken and Ginger Harrison.

"I'm so happy and totally psyched by the piece," said Frandsen. "You work so long on it and you're constantly putting your energy into the art. I accomplished just what I set out to do."

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MOTH raises thousands for programs

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Artist creates ‘Metolius Magic’

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