hoof & paw meet our helping hands
hoof & paw meet our helping hands
BY MEREDITH WHATLEY
Rita Dee with one of her life-size driftwood horses.
Of the exhibition, Cueman says,“ It is always very exciting to have your work exhibited and that is heightened even more in sharing the gallery with Rita’ s talent. Seeing our work together provides a very unique and complementary viewing experience. The fact that Lisa Helmholz is pairing our work together again speaks to the impact and success of our collaborative efforts of last year.”
Similarly, sculptor Rita Dee goes to great lengths, literally, to source the materials for her art. In an effort to find just the right river driftwood to depict and replicate the anatomy of a horse, Dee scales cliffs and personally collects the stray driftwood left along riverbanks after storms. The waters of the Hudson River supply the washedup wood that Dee skillfully shapes into life-size sculptures. She looks for what she refers to as“ a flow” in the wood that can then translate into a flow in her sculptures; a somewhat abstract form results but one that clearly and definitively characterizes the movement and flow of the creature. Dee expresses her process as such:“ How wonderful it is to be surprised by beauty! That is how I feel every time I pick up a piece of wood and visualize how it fits into the magnificent form of a horse.”
The Spirited Horse exhibit will launch with an opening reception on July 22 from 5 – 7:30pm and will run from Jul. 22 – Aug. 5. 442 Depot St., Manchester. 802-855-1678 or www. helmholzfineart. com thistle dew
Tini Hamilton has been working with horses for more than 30 years. Her guiding principle is simple: show animals the same kind of behavior you’ d like them to show you back. With this in mind, she is calm, patient, and complimentary with even the toughest horses that come to her barn.
Tini Hamilton with her rehabilitated Rossi.
Tini’ s specialty is equine rehabilitation for both behavioral and physical issues. Owners bring their horses to Tini’ s Thistle Dew Stables in South Londonderry for training and to learn the skills to interact and relate with them. Coming from her background in Europe, Tini treats the complete horse and cares for them inside and out. She will modify diets, set thoughtful and specific daily schedules, perform strength training, and work with doctors all over the country to treat and train horses for long-term health of body and mind.
Vermont Summer Festival
From July 4 – August 13, equine competitors from all over the world make Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset their summer home. Competitions take place throughout the festival with Grand Prix contests happening on Saturdays and each open to the public. For more information, visit www. vt – summerfestival. com.
TIMOTHY PETERS manchester life magazine 2017 79