Artist burns image on cowhide

Dyrk Godby is a Sisters artist who in recent years has worked with an unusual medium. He creates art scenes on cowhide, using a sophisticated leather-burning tool to transfer what he sees in his mind onto the hide.

One such work, titled "Change on the Horizon," and donated to the annual My Own Two Hands art auction, shows a group of five Native Americans watching a wagon train traveling on the Oregon Trail. It was inspired by scenes from Godby's childhood in southern Idaho, where an annual reenactment of crossing the Snake River near Glenn's Ferry occurred.

"Men and women would drive covered wagons, along with outriders, down the rather steep hill into the river and across to the other side. They were followed by Indians on horseback from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in full dress. It was quite a spectacle," he wrote, explaining the backstory of the piece.

It was chosen as the image on the poster for this year's MOTH community celebration, which has the theme "From Where I Stand." MOTH is part of the Sisters Folk Festival stable of community events, and is the main fundraiser for the festival's Americana Project music education outreach. Sisters Folk Festival Development Director Katy Yoder said Godby's piece was chosen because it fit the theme so seamlessly and showed dual perspectives of the Oregon Trail impact in a respectful and beautiful presentation.

According to Godby, "The piece is a look back at a scene played out many times when the Indian would see a group of settlers crossing their land on what became the most significant trail across the West."

It seems to say, tongue in cheek, "There goes the neighborhood."

When Godby was a young man, he worked on ranches gathering cattle in places where the ruts of the Oregon Trail were clearly defined. As a boy, he lived a mile from the Trail, and had friends on the nearby reservations at Fort Hall and Duck Valley.

"We played real cowboys and Indians there," he said.

As he grew older, he began listening to the stories of the old-timers, stories they'd heard about life on the Oregon Trail. When Godby began to tap his creative talent, he was drawn to painting images of the Old West, of old-time cowboys and Native Americans and the horses and culture of both.

Creating these iconic Western images onto leather is a step of artistic courage.

"There's no going back," Godby said about working in the medium.

If there's a mistake, it can't be done over or hidden. And the high price of cattle these days makes for an expensive canvas. Consequently, much pre-work is done prior to sitting in front of the leather with the burning tool. All the parts are sketched out and carefully planned.

Godby is one of the only artists he knows of working on leather, and "Change on the Horizon," gives collectors a rare opportunity to own a very unique piece of art.