Western Art show a Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale highlight
Jan. 29—Hundreds of guests perused western works of art on exhibit at the Tehama County CattleWomen's Association-hosted Western Art Show on Jan. 24, one of the many highlights of the 83rd Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale.
The Art Show at the Tehama District Fairgrounds was home to 75 pieces of western art, ranging in medium from handmade turquoise and silver jewelry, photographs, tooled leather, silversmith bits, paintings in oils, pencil and acrylic, handmade horse-hair saddle cinches and more.
One of the most popular features of the art show was the Texas long-horned bull metal sculpture created by Ione artist, Denise Bing, which won the event's Best in Show ribbon.
Bing said it took her five weeks to create the bigger-than-life sized long-horn.
"My inspiration for the piece was my neighbors' long-horns," Bing said. "I started with the horns and went from there."
The metal artist does all her own welding and design using scraps of metal she finds on the ranch she operates with her husband.
"I was cleaning up some of the scrap metal around our place about three years ago and decided to do something creative with the pile of junk as it wasn't worth taking to the metal recycling place with metal prices so low," 59-year-old Bing said. "My husband kept bugging me that I needed another hobby so I decided to start welding those old metal pieces together, and I'm now selling my sculptures for thousands of dollars."
Along with the long-horned bull, Bing also had a horse sculpture at the show — that piece took her 10 months from start to finish. Other pieces she has created and sold include koi fish, a mule head, chicken, deer, and other small animals.
"I learned how to weld in high school," Bing said. "Later in life I did some welding in a friend's workshop. I guess it's one of those skills that once you learn it you never forget how to do it."
Some of the unique metal pieces that make up her artwork are 150 years old.
"Almost every piece of metal in my work is stuff I have found on our ranch. Some of it is pieces people have brought to me, but nearly each piece of scrap metal has a story behind it," Bing added.
Looking at her long-horn, she can name just about each piece and its role in the ranches history, and where it came from or the piece of equipment it broke off of.
Her husband being a retired farrier, the stands that hold the long-horn and horse are decorated in old, discarded horseshoes that litter the property where the couple raise cattle and sheep.
In addition to making metal sculpture, Bing also makes furniture out of her pile of scrap metal.
"I've always been a bit crafty, making and creating things," she added. "The only difference now is that I'm able to sell what I make. Much of my work is by commission."
Throughout the artists' reception, Bing visited with guests as they enjoyed her work, as well as that of the many other artists who were in attendance.
The event also featured food catered by Butte Creek BBQ and western music provided by vocalist and guitarist Gary Gragnani.
Two area wineries, Raging Bull Vineyard of Orland, and Burnsini Vineyards of Cottonwood, were on hand to serve samples of their award winning wines.
The Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale, which ran Jan. 23-27, culminated Friday with the Livestock Dog Auction and Ranch Gelding Auction, followed by the Bull Sale on Saturday.
Last year the event's overall combined sales total was $2,522,600.
