While visiting COWBOY Christmas last month in VegasI found it difficult not to stop & chat with sculptor Craig Bergsgaard.  Craig, a silver haired, hippie-turned-cowboy, with warm eyes and an affable smile {and talent to boot!!}, shared with me his passion for sculpting, and the life of an artist. 

The first thing to capture my attention in Craig’s space was an enormous bronze sculpture called ‘Coolin the Dogs’ {BELOW}.  Another edition of this bronze now sits permanently in front of the Town Hall in Fountain Hills, Arizona.  A stickler for accuracy, Craig pointed out a slight imperfection that he saw in ‘Coolin the Dog’s’ horse, but these are indistinct to anyone else.  Instead it is the detail in the cowboy’s worn boots & socks, and the horse’s amiable reach for the watering hole, that makes you feel like this classic scene could come alive at any moment.

It is a passion for the story of life, the survival of the spirited people who navigated the Wild West, that drives Craig and his effort to re-create these stories through his sculptures.

Craig’s Scandinavian heritage is what led him to his first subject, a viking.  He thought that if it didn’t turn out well then at least he would enjoy it in his own home.  Twelve years later he is still sculpting, but now he has added Cowboys & Indians to his repertoire, as well as Wild West Bar Maids, classic nudes, and still the occasional viking.  Living in Windsor, Colorado, and traveling across the United States for art shows and cowboy expos, the grand vistas, and a natural draw to the Western life, have led him to sculpting the Cowboys and Indians of long ago.

Craig is particularly proud of his Native American sculptures.  He feels like they are an extension of his free spirit and fierce independence.  Craig has studied the 1876 treaties that were being broken in that time, and the assimilation of the Native people ~ he identifies with their plot in life and sympathizes with their struggles.  With a commitment to historical accuracy, Craig’s compassion and affection for Native Americans is translated to his sculptures through magnificent attention to detail.

A different subject matter for Craig are the women he affectionately call his “Girls”.  Starting as a technical study on the female form, the quartet of Wild West Bar Maids poignantly tells the story of life’s theater through four individual sculptures.  For Craig they represent the journey of an artist, the path that each of us take to get from one stage of our life’s work, to the next stage.  He struggled with self discovery, and why he had chosen bar maids as a subject matter, then he realized that they represent a vignette telling the story of life’s venture.

The first gal, Ten Gallons of Trouble, is a young woman.  She is comfortable with she is, but also a little precocious.  {I relate this to being in our twenties when we fought so hard to be what we thought we wanted to be.}

Everything Nice depicts a time in life that, despite bravado, one begins to feel some melancholy at the recognition of time passing.  Still, attitude prevails.  {Hello thirties??}

High Explosives is completely comfortable with who she is and where she has been.  The road ahead is wide open and she is ready to have some fun on the journey.

The last woman in the series is New Rules Baby and is meant to convey that time in your journey when you no longer make apologies for who you are.  You are comfortable in your own skin and unconcerend with other’s opinions.

 It is these stories that bring out the personalities and life-filled details that make Craig’s work so endearing.

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I also asked Craig about his process for choosing a new project.  While he typically works on several pieces at one time, Craig admitted that there are “a ton of things” he wants to do, and that he often agonizes over WHAT to start next.  It is usually an image, or passing thought, that sparks the fire that drives him to commit to a project.  He told me about a piece that he considered a long time; after several months of contemplation he finally began working with the materials, but still lacked the enthusiasm that typically compels him.  One day Craig came across an image that lit a fire in his hands and suddenly that conteplative piece came alive and Craig began to apply himself as the creative concepts took shape.  The work was complete within three weeks, a phenomenal achievement for a sculptor. 

Craig does have his work showcased in a couple of small galleries, but he primarily shares his art with prospective clients through art shows and events throughout the country.  For the next few months he’ll be in attendance at the Arizona Fine Art Expo in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This is a working-studio events that lasts over 70 days.  Attendees can stroll through the artist’s studios, enjoy a sculpture garden, experience live entertainment, wine tasting and much more.  As one of the original artists to attend the event when it launched five years ago, Craig is proud to be a part of the Arizona Fine Art Expo and enjoys the comraderie he shares with his fellow artists, and the art enthusiasts who attend the event. 

Other planned events and shows for the coming year include:
* Cottonwood Art Festival
* Phippen Art Museum’s 35th Annual Western Art Show 
* Calgary Stampede
* Loveland Sculpture Invitational
* Castlerock Art Festival
* Cowboy Christmas

Make ‘09 a year of ADVENTURE and visit one of these events ~ or all of them!!  Thanks so much, Craig!!

Posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm under Artists, Love It!!, Vegas and . Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Comments/Pings Closed.