When you are a dog mom, one gets invitations to yards (byod-bring your own dog), or walks much more then homes! It was at one of these yards I learned the story of “Running Rock Head”.

Great art by great artists can be found in the most surprising places! Visiting a friends’ yard (yes on Cape Ann and no I can’t say where) for the first time, I was introduced to this very unique work of art, hidden behind her fence, “running” in the side of her yard. It is inspiring to look at and special in significance. The story how it came to be located there is at once intriguing and sad.

The artist, Joe Wheelwright is the intrigue. His art ranges from tree “sculptures” to traditional stone sculptures, all the way to cast bronze. His art is one of vision, imagination and execution. It is not so much the art of using materials to create an object, but more one of seeing a vision that people like myself can not see. He “liberates” this vision, from its’ encumbered natural existence into that of a piece of art. Now eligible to be seen, admired and enjoyed by mere mortals like you and me.

Tree figures he creates, are one piece of wood. Joe removes the unnecessary part of the tree to fit his vision. He then designs a wax feeder system that will channel the molten bronze around the tree form. The form is then enveloped in plaster. The plaster contains the bronze as it surrounds the tree form. When it cools post-casting, it is again heated in an oven. After the plaster is removed, he often creates a patina on the surface using a heat torch, chemicals and a brush. Joe often sculpts heads out of stone and frequently sees trees as forms having life energy apparent in arms and legs. It is so very fitting that in this sculpture he has used a rock as the head and the tree as the movement of the figure. His most common stone sculptures are heads and faces. Yet, his most plentiful tree sculptures are of the human body consisting of torso, arms and legs.

The sad part of the story: Running Rock Head came to reside at my friend’s house as a gift from a friend. It was received, post-mortem, after a tragic youthful death. It dances (in my eyes) or runs every day as a testament to a friend with way too much life to ever really die. Thank you dear friend and Joe Wheelwright for this gift of life. Both the artist, and the gift giver, are and were two truly exceptional people in life and in death.