Every January the National Western Stock Show rides into Denver for two weeks. Along with it come extremes in temperature, from well below zero to toasty 60s, and my once-a-year desire to be a cowgirl. Not the kind of cowgirl running around with bling on everything possible, but the one covered in animal slobber, hair, and manure . . . which makes me very popular with my dog, Drew. He can spend an hour taking in all the smells I bring home from the yards on me. Where else would this pampered pooch run into a yak or Texas longhorn?
The last few years I’ve also brought home hundreds of photos I’ve taken of the animals—animals that will one day show up as subjects of an art quilt. Over the years I have even become friends with two yaks, Goliath, who loves being scratched just behind the shoulder, and Luna, a very curious and adventuresome girl. This year I met Danny Boy, a handsome mule, and two of the most beautiful Brabant mares with their gray manes and tails.
I can’t wait to get in the studio and start creating. Check my Facebook page and website regularly to see these majestic animals come to life in cloth and thread!