Cowboy Artist Life

Remember the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Do you remember your answer? 

For little boys, being a cowboy, space traveler or firefighter often makes the list. I wanted to be a lot of things; a forest ranger, an Indian (at age 6 that seemed possible), a pirate, an explorer.

Looking back at my childhood ideas of adulthood, I see that underlying each life-description was a yearning for the freedom I wanted when I grew up. Freedom to explore, create and experience life on my own terms.

I was thinking about that life list looking at my old photos. During the era of these photos, I was living the cowboy life full-tilt. I cowboyed in Arizona, Colorado  and California and at the time these photos were taken (in the 1980's) I was living at Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs, California and working full time as a wrangler. I was a guy in his twenties who wouldn't go anywhere he couldn't take his horse. 

As time went on, I managed to continue some version of that life, raising three sons who have in one way or another lived their expression of the cowboy life. Today I'm still living the dream.

But life has a way of shaping our dreams and adding new ones to the mix. Cowboying led me to farrier work, then black smithing and now sculpting. The freedom that being a cowboy symbolized manifested for me as a life of possibilities has led me to living the creative life of a cowboy artist.

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Blacksmith Coal Forge Work with Tolley Marney

The red hot coals of the 100+ year old forge glowed every time I turned the crank and forced air through the turbine. That forced air through the bottom of the forge and through the coke. As the coke caught and burned, black greasy smoke billowed. At the end of every day, I was covered in coal smoke and very happy.

I’ve worked with this coke burning blacksmith coal forge for the past two summers. I’ve been an artist in residence, blacksmith in residence at the Tallac Historic Site, South Lake Tahoe, California in 2018 and 2019. Tallac Historic site is a wonderful antique residence operated by the US Forest Service and the Tahoe Heritage Foundation. I highly recommend touring the site, I’ve enjoyed my two summers there and love the people and the spirits of the past and present.

Photo credit: Gaylord Norcross Photography

The Devil Meets the Blacksmith

     From the earliest of times, the Blacksmith has been the maker of anything steel. This is the tale of the Devil and the Blacksmith. 

    On a summer day the Blacksmith is tending his fire, getting ready for the day's work. The Blacksmith, a giant of a man with huge arms that effortlessly arc with every swing, was twisting and turning steel red from the heat of his forge. You could hear the ring of his anvil as steel twisted under his hammer. 

    The sound of the hammering and the ringing of anvil drew the attention of the Devil. On this summer day the Devil, had walked a long ways causing havoc with every step he took. As his journey slowed into the evening twilight, his fork-like feet became sore with his efforts. The blacksmith seemed like the answer to his problems. 

    I will have him form me a pair of shoes, steel shoes that will protect my fork-like feet, thought the Devil. 

    “Blacksmith,” says the Devil, “I need your attention, my feet are sore and I need a set of shoes built for me, NOW!” 

    The Blacksmith, hears the Devil with apprehension and fear, thinking, “I do not want to be known as the one who builds shoes for the devil, but I fear the rage that lies within him.”

     So the Blacksmith agrees to build the Devil his shoes. 

    “Comeback tomorrow and I'll have them ready,” he says, “they will be like no other shoes you've ever seen before, they will be fantastic to see for all to see. Come back tomorrow and they will be ready for you.” 

    All the night you could hear his mighty blows against the anvil, as the Blacksmith formed the shoes for the devil. Great pride pounded into each swing of the hammer. Nothing less than perfect would leave his shop. All night the hammering went on and on. All night the fear of the Devil, lived inside the Blacksmith’s heart. 

    Morning came and with morning came the Devil.

    “I’m here for the shoes you promised me,” says the Devil, ”now deliver or suffer the consequences and meet your fate.” 

    Without a stutter or a hesitation, the Blacksmith stepped up.

    “I am ready for you Devil, your shoes are here. And as you can see they are nothing like anything else you’ve ever seen.”

    The Devil, looks upon the shoes with the pride of gazing upon something new and wondurous. 

    “I can't wait, put them on now. I want everyone to see me and fear my step.     

    “Devil,” the Blacksmith says kindly, “would you please place your foot up upon the stand and I will nail each shoe to set it securely on your fork-like feet.” 

    Now the Devil, is known for wily tricks but this Blacksmith, had one of his own. The Blacksmith, took each shoe and placed it snugly upon the Devil’s foot and started to hammer the nails that hold the shoe against the foot. But he was holding the foot not in the way he would normally do, driving the nails into the horn of the foot. He reversed the nail to drive into the sole of the Devil’s feet. At first the Devil felt no pain, just a bit of soreness from the hammer. 

    “Now the job is done,” the Blacksmith says.

    The Devil, looks upon his feet with pride. 

    “They are a bit sore,” says the Devil. 

    “Don't worry,” the Blacksmith replied, “the pain will go away. Just give it a day.” And then he sends the Devil on his way.  

    A day goes by and the Devil’s pain is great as each nail begins festering inside the horn of the foot. With each step and with each passing day, the Devil cries in pain as the festering deepens, turning his feet black with decay and white with puss. 

    But thevillagers only laugh at him in his pain. With all of his might the Devil cannot remove the shoes. Despite his efforts, he can’t find relief from the steps that await him. The shoes are firmly attached. Those shoes upon his feet promise pain with each step that awaits. 

    The Blacksmith, stokes up his fire. His hammer rings against his anvil bringing music to the Valley. The Devil doesn't approach the village, leaving it in peace and happiness. The Devil knows now to fear the Blacksmith.    

    So if you're ever looking for something to bring you good luck, look at a horseshoe that hangs above the Blacksmith’s shop. Hang it up with the ends at the top, so you don’t let the good luck run out. It is a warning to the Devil that a Blacksmith is about. 

©Tolley Marney

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Images

Every day walking down the street we see images and these images transform our minds into joy, into hate, into sorrow. A world of the unknown possibilities awaits our eyes. Nature grants this gift to us. 

No one on this planet will see images in the same way. There is no one who will see what I see and I shall not be able to trully see images through others eyes. When I see a beautiful painting that brings me joy but you see the same painting and it brings you sorrow, how shall one interpret this?  

The image is here for both of us to experience but brings to each of us completely different emotions. So one of us must be wrong. It must be you that cannot see. Look at the painting can’t you see the gentle line and the beautiful colors? It brings me joy, but you say no, no, no, I still see the sorrow. Look at the darkness that intertwines with the lines and the color, this painting is obviously indicating sorrow. 

Now we have found the meaning of art: there is no right there is no wrong, we surround our lives with images that bring us joy or sorrow and sometimes we just hated it. The images we saw yesterday will not mean the same to us today and will mean something us to tomorrow.  We see this in a rose, one day it's a bud, next day a flower, and then next wilted away, Life is this way. So we are all an “Art Form” with images dancing in front of us to show us our way.

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