''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!