BUFFALO SOLDIER

BUFFALO SOLDIER (2006) Bronze, Monumental Bronze, 120’’ x 50’ x 40’’
This monument was commissioned by the Wyoming Buffalo Soldier Association in Cheyenne, Wyoming and is located at a park just outside the main gate to Warren AFB.
“Buffalo Soldier” is a nickname originally given by Native American tribes to the members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Throughout the Indian wars, 20 percent of the U.S. Cavalry troopers were black and fought in more than 177 engagements. Their combat prowess, bravery, and tenaciousness on the battlefield inspired Indians to call them “Buffalo Soldiers.” Many believe the name symbolizes American Indian respect for the Buffalo Soldiers’ bravery and valor. Buffalo Soldiers down through the years have worn the name with pride. cnavarroart.com

JOY OF LIFE

JOY OF LIFE (2007) Bronze, Monumental Bronze, 9’ x 14’ x 4’ I was commissioned by a housing development in Scottsdale AZ to create an equine sculpture for the entrance to the property. I came up with a design of a mare and young colt running and expressing the joy of being alive. cnavarroart.com

RING OF PEACE

RING OF PEACE (1999) Bronze and Stainless Steel, Monumental Bronze, 19’ x 4’ x 3.5’

I created this sculpture in memory of Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student who was murdered in 1998. The 19-foot tall memorial is located in Casper, Wyoming. I was driving home to Wyoming from Texas in 1998 after delivering a monument when my wife called to tell me that Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother, wanted to talk to me about a memorial to her son. Later, from my motel room, I awoke at 3 a.m. I have a habit of keeping a pen and paper next to my bed, so I quickly made a sketch and notes of my thoughts before falling back to sleep. The next morning, I noticed my sketch and the accompanying poem that had come to me through a dream. As I looked at it, I knew I would create this sculpture. cnavarroart.com

THE RING OF PEACE

If you believe in hope

And the need for peace,

Step up and ring the bell,

So it will sing

For the promise of tomorrow.

MUSTANG PRIDE

Last week I posted monumental sculpture competitions & proposals I did not win.This next week I will post competitions & proposals for monuments bids I did win.

MUSTANG PRIDE (2003) Monumental Bronze, 12’ x 9’ x 4’

The mustang has long been the symbol and mascot for Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming. As a tribute to the school, I created Mustang Pride, a wild mustang stallion rearing forward with mane and tail flying. This was a special monument to me, as my two children, JC and Natalie, along with my wife, Lynne, all graduated from NCHS. I was able to dedicate the bronze while my son and daughter were attending school there. cnavarroart.com

''EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE'' the art of Chris Navarro art show at the Nicolaysen Art Museum Casper WY May 27 -- August 14, 2016.

My upcoming retrospective of my work ''EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE'' at the Nicolaysen Art Museum Casper Wyoming May 27 -- August 14, 2016. It will be the largest display of my artwork in Wyoming. I will have a traveling museum one man show featuring 60 bronze sculptures and 25, 30'' x 40'' canvas prints of monumental sculptures I have created. Opening reception June 2nd 5pm hope to see you there. cnavarroart.com

Video of my acceptance speech receiving the Wyoming Governor's art award.

I wanted to share this video of my acceptance speech receiving the Wyoming Governor's art award. It is a real honor to be recognized by my home state for my art. I am very grateful thank you. cnavarroart.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pkfqilVyhA

COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH

COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH (2010) Monumental Bronze, 20’ x 25’ x 16’ 
I was commissioned to create the Columbian Mammoth which is the representative symbol for the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland, Wyoming. The Colby Mammoth Kill Site near Worland provides evidence of Paleo-Indian hunters: namely, the recovery of Clovis projectile points, along with various stone fragments and tools. Dr. George C. Frison, emeritus faculty member at the University of Wyoming’s Department of Anthropology, believes the Paleo-Indian hunters maneuvered mammoths into areas such as arroyos or gullies, where they could be safely harvested. The remains of seven prehistoric mammoths were excavated at the Colby Site, where animals were butchered and stacked in meat caches or piles to be used at a later time. These caches remained unopened until Dr. Frison opened them in 1973. The site provides us with a unique glimpse into the lives of some of Wyoming’s earliest hunters and gatherers. I am amazed at early Wyoming men taking these massive animals down with a sharp rock on the end of a stick. Man, they had to be tough! cnavarroart.com

‘’1OTH MOUNTAIN’’

‘’1OTH MOUNTAIN’’ (1998) Monumental Bronze, 14’ x 9’ x 5’ this monument was commissioned by Bert Bidwell a 10TH Mountain veteran of WW ll and Aspen resident. I did not know he was suffering from cancer at the time and he passed away 6 months after the dedication. He wanted to leave a memorial to honor both the men he served with and the town he loved.
The 1OTH MOUNTAIN memorial is located in Aspen, Colorado, and was dedicated to honor those who served in the 10th Mountain Division. Formed at the beginning of WW II, the 10th fought in Germany and Italy and was the United States’ first division of mountain ski troops. The core of the unit was comprised of 3,000 National Ski Patrol veterans and was trained in Leadville, Colorado.
cnavarroart.com

‘’EAGLE AGAINST THE SUN’

’ Bronze, and Stainless Steel Monumental Bronze. This was the first monument I installed in Casper, WY a commission by Della Works from Casper as a memorial for her son Robert who was killed in a plane crash in Alaska. I told her I wanted to create a sculpture to capture her son’s sprit expressing flight and the freedom of soaring above the earth. A polished stainless steel ring represents the sun. Attaching the Eagle’s upper wing to the top of the ring allows the lower wing to be surrounded by negative space, creating a stronger sense of flight. cnavarroart.com 

WHEN CHAMPIONS MEET

WHEN CHAMPIONS MEET (1996) Monumental Bronze, 15’ x 11’ x 7’
Located in Greeley, Colorado, the Greeley Independence Stampede is known as the world's largest Fourth of July rodeo. I was commissioned to create the monumental sculpture When Champions Meet for the stampede’s 75th anniversary in 1997. The sculpture depicts saddle bronc riding, often referred to as “the classic event of rodeo.” The horse is rocketing out of the chutes, with a rider balanced in the mark-out position. What you see is a champion bucking horse against a champion cowboy in a beautiful, wild dance. I have probably sculpted more cowboys riding bucking horses than any other subject. There's always something epic about a horse trying to throw a man off of his back.
Rodeo is more about trying than anything else. A man or women with guts and heart can become anything in this world they want or desire, because to be a champion, all you have to give is all you got. cnavarroart.com

WHEN CHAMPIONS MEET
They say I've drawn a champion bronc that no one can ride.
Well, I'm a champion, too, and I’ve got just as much pride.
So I guess I'll take my chances and nod for the gate,
‘Cause it gives my life meaning, being in this wild dance with fate.
By Chris Navarro

SPIRIT OF THE THUNDERBIRD

SPIRIT OF THE THUNDERBIRD (1995) Monumental Bronze, 15’ x 11‘ This monument was another self commission with the help of Bill Landen who I went to Casper College with. We were at a youth hockey game when he told me I should do a monument for Casper College and raise the funds like I did when I created the Champion Lane Frost Monument. I told him I would and with his help we were able to get it done by finding donors for $1000. and giving them an 18'' smaller bronze of the monument. I believed by giving donors something of value back for their donation it would be successful and it is proof that the more you give back the more good you receive in your life.
Spirit of the Thunderbird depicts the Native American warrior eagle dancer who has long been the logo and mascot for Casper College. Reverence for the half-man, half-eagle mythological figure was prevalent among all tribes. They believed the Thunderbird’s shadow was a storm cloud. The flapping of his wings made the sound of thunder, and the rapid opening and closing of his flashing eyes sent forth lightning. These mystical powers brought the rain that replenished Mother Earth, and they tested man's belief in the power of the Great Mystery in the sky above the earth. This bronze monumental sculpture is located at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where I attended school. cnavarroart.com

CHAMPION LANE FROST

CHAMPION LANE FROST (1993) Monumental Bronze, 15’ x 11’ x 9’ This was my first public monument. I commissioned myself to do the job I raised the funds by finding donors who would give $1000. each and they received an 18'' smaller bronze of the monument. With their help I was able to get it done. If you want to do something bad enough you will find a way.
World Champion bull rider Lane Frost lost his life at age 25 competing in the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. As a former bull rider, I wanted to honor this great young man who paid the ultimate price doing what he had a passion and love for, so I decided to commission myself as the artist. Champion Lane Frost is always going to be one of my favorite sculptures because of all of the difficulties and challenges it took to complete it. Every time I started feeling good about the project, something would come along and knock me on my ass. Right out of the gate, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Committee turned me down, saying I would have to raise all of the funds on my own. My father suffered a stroke just as I was starting the monument. He died on Nov. 8, 1992. When I was nearly finished with the clay original, it burned up in a fire at Caleco Foundry in Cody, Wyoming, on March 6, 1993. I was living in the foundry when an electric heater warming the clay shorted out and started a fire in the building. I awoke at 3 a.m. to find my room filled with smoke and called 911 before jumping out of the second story window. The volunteer fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, but not before the surface of the clay sculpture and most of my tools had been destroyed.. I ordered new tools and clay that very day and began working long hours to repair the damage. I was able to finish the monument and delivered it just days before the dedication on July 26, 1993. This was my first large public monument and it will always have a special place in my heart. Champion Lane Frost is located at Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Through its simple truth, the following quote by Lane touches my heart and gives me strength. ''Don't be afraid to go after what you want to do and what you want to be. But don't be afraid to be willing to pay the price.'' ̶ Lane Frost

''20% Chance of Flurries''

''20% Chance of Flurries'' Monumental Bronze, 15’ x 11’ x 7’
Last week I posted monumental sculpture competitions & proposals I did not win.This week I will post competitions & proposals for monuments bids I did win. Monumental Bronze,
20% Chance of Flurries is a sculpture that won a national competition and was commissioned as a 15-foot tall monument by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Placed at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, the sculpture honors the dedication and hardships of the people who make their living ranching and farming. Guy and Vern Robinett, my rancher friends from Casper, Wyoming, modeled for the sculpture. We were riding out in his pasture to catch a young calf to put across a saddle when he told me about a time a few years back when the weather forecast for that day was a “20% chance of flurries.” The seemingly small storm turned out to be a severe spring blizzard and killed more than half of their herd. As I depict him here, the rancher has his head down against the wind, calf across the saddle, with his horse pulling through deep snow in the middle of a blizzard.
For me, this image of a cowboy on a horse saving a young calf embodies the test of endurance that highlights the best qualities of the men and women who live in the West. They face hard conditions and take life as it comes.
cnavarroart.com

''AUTUMN'S CHALLENGE''

''AUTUMN'S CHALLENGE'' height 9' commission Vail, CO. Last week I posted monumental sculpture competitions & proposals I did not win.This next week I will post competitions & proposals for monuments bids I did win. When making art, you invest so much of yourself in the creation. It is difficult not to take rejection and criticism personally when so much of yourself resides within your art. We all suffer setbacks from time to time; it is the way we react to them that counts. That is why I like to take rejection and make it work for me. When someone tells me I’m not good enough or can’t do something it puts a fire in me and fuels my passion and desire to not only disprove the naysayers but also prove that I am capable. Believe me, I don’t like rejection, failure or looking foolish, but I’m not afraid of taking risk. Risk is part of life and life is full of changes and challenges that's what gives life meaning. I use rejection as a tool I have to because I have lost more monumental competitions then I have ever won.
Desire, determination, and dedication are the ingredients of success in any field. To be successful at something you care about is a matter of being someone who does not quit and that ability is available to everyone. And remember you can't win unless you enter! cnavarroart.com

''CLIMB AS HIGH AS YOUR DREAMS''

''CLIMB AS HIGH AS YOUR DREAMS'' another bronze sculpture competition for a monument for The Wyoming Boys' School that I did not win. The school is a secure facility run by the state for troubled youths 12 years and older.I visited the school and was moved by these young boys being confined. I noticed they had a climbing wall next to the gymnasium and it gave me the idea for the sculpture I would enter.The overall abstract design of this sculpture is in the shape of a flame, which represents the desire that burns in man. Inside the rock crevice, a man, strong in mind and body with determination, struggles to pull himself up through a difficult passage in order to reach the top. He is alone,between a rock and a hard place, free climbing without the security of ropes. At this point in his life, his fate is literally in his own hands. He must trust in himself to climb higher, because only with self-discipline and belief will he be able to reach the top. Even though I did not win I still cast the sculpture because I believed in the message and I still do. cnavarroart.com

''IRON TRACKS THROUGH THE WEST'''

''IRON TRACKS THROUGH THE WEST''' another bronze sculpture proposal for a monument for the Depot Center in Cheyenne WY. It was a national competition.The theme was how the Union Pacific helped settle the west. This was my entry and it won the competition. I was really excited it would have been the largest bronze sculpture I ever created. They canceled the bronze commission later. Sometimes even when you win you lose but you can't win unless you enter. Besides I was able to create a new bronze sculpture that I never would have without the competition. cnavarroart.com

''RANGE RIGHTS'

''RANGE RIGHTS' another bronze sculpture proposal for a monument for the Casper Chamber in WY that I did not win. This one was only 2 miles from my studio it was a tough one to lose.All you can do is make the very best piece you can and enter the competition. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose but you can't win unless you enter.

cnavarroart.com

'' TO THE STARS''

'' TO THE STARS'' I thought I would share some monument sculpture commissions competitions I have lost. Submitting a bid or proposal for a monumental bronze project does not assure one will win the contract. I know because I have lost more monumental competitions then I have ever won. I always tell myself you can't win unless you enter.This was for the Columbia Shuttle commander Rick Husband who lost his life when the shuttle blew up on reentry. It was for The renamed Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. Originally I won the competition that was judged by the city council but when Mrs Husband viewed the sculpture she nixed it because she did not want the shuttle in the sculpture. The monument was awarded to my friend and fellow sculptor Mark Lundeen. So sometimes even when you win you lose. You just have to keep on keepin on!
cnavarroart.com

''FIERCE GRACE'' bronze of a killer whale

''FIERCE GRACE'' bronze of a killer whale for a possible monument commission for the Seattle Aquarium. It never happened.Submitting a bid or proposal for a monumental bronze project does not assure one will win the contract. I know because I have lost more monumental competitions then I have ever won. I always tell myself you can't win unless you enter. That is why I take rejection and make it work for me. When someone tells me I’m not good enough or can’t do something it puts a fire in me and fuels my passion and desire to prove them wrong. Believe me I don’t like rejection, failure or looking foolish, but I’m not afraid of taking risk. Because risk is part of life and life is full of changes and challenges and that’s what gives life meaning. cnavarroart.com

This weekend I received The Wyoming Arts Council 2015 Governor's Art Award.

This weekend I received The Wyoming Arts Council 2015 Governor's Art Award. 
I have been extremely fortunate to make my living with my art for the last 30 years. I was 23 years old and did not have much going for me when I started sculpting. I had no money or formal training in art. However I was full of confidence and ignorance. 
The creation of monuments is extremely time consuming and labor intensive. I find the labor gives me great satisfaction. All artist want to live on in their work. Knowing my work will be standing in the sun long after I’m gone for future generations to experience and enjoy is extremely rewarding’’ Sculpting is what I do for a living, I don’t ever plan on retiring. I have found something I really love and have a passion for. I hope others can see that through the works I have created because in the end it is not about how many years you lived in this world but what you leave behind that truly matters.
March 13, 1986 is the date I quit my corporate oilfield job and predictable income to pursue my dream of being a professional sculptor. My son JC was ten months old and my wife Lynne was pregnant with our daughter Natalie. Everyone told me it was the wrong decision. I had two kids and a mortgage and a family to support. However there are times in life when you have to make a stand and turn your dreams into reality. I just knew it, I knew it deep inside. I believed my instincts. So listening to my heart and trusting my gut I took a leap of faith. If you really want something bad enough you have to be willing to take a chance and put in the effort to make it happen. I wanted to make a living doing something I had a love and passion for and not spend my life just showing up for a steady pay stub at the end of the week.
There are always going to be negative people and haters out there. People who will want to tear you down and find fault. They believe by tearing you down it helps build themselves up. Never let your happiness be determined by what’s going on in someone else’s head. You have no control over that. What is really important is how you see yourself and what is going on in your own head.
‘’Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.’’-Mark Twain
It is important to keep your sense of humor in all things, because humor is the armor that protects you in life. It is the great lubricant that makes the difficult things easier to bear. Be able to laugh at yourself and roll with the punches.
I know seeing Harry Jackson sculptures made me want to become a sculptor. When others look at my life’s work I hope they are inspired to see hope and to live life with determination. My advice is to never give up and do not take no for an answer. Believe in yourself when no one else does. Do not be afraid of failure or being knocked down. Just keep getting up and do the best you can with what’s in front of you. It is a waste of time to worry about the amount of talent you have or don’t have. With work you can make your talent and knowledge grow. Desire, determination and dedication are the ingredients of success in any field. To be successful at something you care about is a matter of being someone who does not quit and that ability is available to everyone. You never really know what you can do until you try. Remember you create your reality and every expert in any field was once a beginner. You can’t let the fear of the unknown keep you from following your dreams. Do not be afraid to embrace the struggles in life. Go out there and make a living doing something you have a passion and love for. Life is too short not to!