Mountain Wildwoods


The Artwork of Tom Benedict.

Artist Statement

For centuries, the harshest elements of nature have shaped my selected medium. In the wilds of Montana, the twisted wood of the Rocky Mountain Juniper tree evokes a sense of tortured endurance. To travel through a twisted juniper grove, viewing these ancient trees, is an exercise in humility. These old, dead trees saw the world change around them and lost the tug-of-war with nature somewhere along the way. As I see it, my job as a sculptor is to collect the most compelling subjects and tell the story contained within the wood. I let the wood speak to me as I carve, following the natural flow of each piece. Carving and sanding transform the wood, bringing to light a majestic presence that has not been seen in ages. By doing this, I hope to bring the tree back to life in a new form and for a new audience. My goal for a finished work is for its viewers to feel the same sense of fascination, beauty, and humility that I do while viewing live juniper trees in the wild.

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