Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019
Wordscape on the Landscape
A snow drawing on TNC's Carpenter Ranch
Volunteers were greeted at the main ranch house by a wild turkey that has taken up residence outside the front door this winter. After gathering to learn about the landscape that was our canvas and sharing inspired ideas about how to delve into individual contributions to the snow pattern, about 65 volunteer artists snowshoed out to the haymeadow to disperse and begin the 2019 installation.
Artists had the perfect weather window for a snow drawing on the Carpenter Ranch haymeadow. The snow was fresh and deep.
The 2019 design was inspired by words. Artists used their snowshoe-clad feet as pencils to write an inspiring story in the snow. All actual words on display over the haymeadow were imagined and executed by our community artists. They chose their words carefully, with instructions to pick a positive word (or short expression) inspired by our wild Yampa Valley environment. Word choices could reflect an action, an emotion, a feature in nature or an evocative cry to action. After mapping out a path to walk giant letters in the snow, many artists added art, spirals and embellished designs to their messages.
At sunset, local designer pilot Justin Hirsch flew his drone over the design to capture the Wordscape on the Landscape in its entirety, and created this film. Watch it full-screen for maximum impact!
The 2019 Community Snow Drawing was sponsored by The Nature Conservancy's Carpenter Ranch & Bud Werner Memorial Library.
