Internationally Acclaimed Wood Sculptor
Completes Piece Commissioned for Futurity
Charlie Boren, world renown wood sculptor, has completed the art piece
commissioned for the 2001 Peruvian Horse Futurity.
"Charlie
has been working on the piece for almost 18 months," said Futurity Director Donna
Bearer. "We are delighted to have an artist of his caliber creating original art for
the Futurity. We wanted something that anyone would be delighted to display in their
homes, offices or a museum. It is one of those ‘one of a kind’ pieces that just
takes ones breath away. I have the sculpture in my home at this time and I can tell
you, it makes me want to buy a horse and compete for it, just so I don’t have to give
it up."
Boren no longer accepts
commissions. He prefers sculpting what his mind envisions in a piece of wood, and
conducting seminars on wood sculpting. A long time friend of Peruvian Digest
Publisher Kathy Chiles, Boren has accepted our commission for one Futurity piece every two
years.
In addition to a cash prize, the
artwork will be presented to the High Point Breeder at the 2001 Peruvian Futurity.
Boren’s artwork is priced
between "$3,000 and $7,000. Since he no longer accepts commissions, his art has
increased tremendously in value.
"People who like my work
are people that love natural things; they love nature," Boren said while seated on
the screened sun porch attached to his family’s 100-year-old farmhouse.
His work is in great demand and
can be found in the homes of our nations top airline executive, in the offices and homes
of politicians, doctors, attorneys, banks and in the collections of other fine art
collectors.
"They like to touch the
wood; they enjoy the tactile sense of art. Wood really needs to be touched. You need to
stroke it. You need to feel it. They treat the work as something they are
going to live with and really enjoy."
Boren’s gallery is in an
old dairy barn with a coveted Texas Historical Plaque attached prominently near the door
entrance. Here he spends many pleasant hours bringing the creations in his mind to life.
"I sometimes I see a piece
of wood, and I begin to see it take shape into a swan, or a face, or a mountain man.
Creativity is only limited by ones knowledge," he smiles.
Raw wood is carefully selected
from the shores of Lake Buchanan and the ranches surrounding Burnet, TX where Boren and
his wife, Louse, own some acreage. They make four or five wood pilgrimages each year,
taking a day here and there to wander the prairie or drift the lake in search of the right
pieces.
"I love working in
mesquite," Boren commented, "It is a strong, hard wood with wonderful
nuances."
The sculpture for the Futurity
is carved from the trunk of a mesquite three that was struck by lighting, giving it the
wonderful deviation in colors. "It is one of my most unique pieces," Boren
smiled, obviously pleased with his work.
The sculpture is 14-½" x
14-½" and is mounted on a rotating base. Boren’s autograph can be found on the
piece, if one looks closely. The actual sculpture will be displayed at the PPHRNA’s
National Show in September.
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