Walt's Studio

Walt Stewart Began his art career after a spiritual ceremony during a veteran's walk called "The Last Patrol" on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Until then Walt had no inclination of communicating through Art. Walt joined the walk with another Navy veteran during a sobriety trip to Seattle, Washington. Walt spent the next 2 years with the wounded and broken spirits of in-country Vietnam veterans at hospitals across the U.S. during the final years of the war. Once, when veterans and supporters paraded through the town of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, the People of the Ogalala Nation lined the streets. "When the women sang the Tril`lio," remembers Walt, "I felt electricity rush through my body and the hidden tears came. It was a healing experience for all; to be honored by these ancient people. My Art began as a way to express my gratitude to the people of Pine Ridge. Once I found my art, I found mentors and a path for a life I never dreamed before." Walt works at his Teaxs Hill country studio and is an artisan-in-residence at Michael Hall Studio Foundry in Driftwood ,TX. His works of art are available for purchse through this web site.

Raku

"I love working with the clay of Mother Earth. Clay has memory and like a lover it remembers every touch of the hand. Clay captures the essence of emotions in each finger print."

"When I sculpt these small Guardian spirits, I begin with a prayer that the clay shows me the way it wants to be. I then follow the tiny platelets as they reshape themselves in my hands."

Should you want one or dozens of these Guardian Spirits for your collection, you will be satisfied to know each is unique made of natural elements.

Bronze

"Standing next to a crucible full of molten Bronze is like staring into the sun. I can feel the danger and the life-giving energy simultaneously, capable of destroying or creating Artistic life forms. There is a fine line between creation and destruction. Judgement being on the leading edge of that mark. We draw a circle on the earth to bring focus where we are too place the crucible. Balancing it on the Earth, stabilizing then capturing it with the pouring shanks. This centering is for many things, grounding the foundry men to focus on the alchemy that is taking place, a prayer, a spiritual ceremony. A Crucible full of vibration, dancing atoms radiating outward touching all involved. Reminds me of my own boiling energies. Without containment I am a danger to myself and others. Without ever heating up I am in danger of being frozen stiff. The alchemist learns how to contain him/herself and gain distance from the powerful human energies, balancing the power for creation or destruction. Without death there is no life. Without no form there could not be form. By destroying old perceptions I make room for growth of new ideas bridging the void of no idea." Welcome to destructive recreations.