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