Western Metal Art

There’s really nothing quite like the excitement of old stories about the Wild West, of a stampede on a cattle drive, dealings with the Indians, and hign noon shoot-out’s in the street.

The cowboy has been portrayed as heroic and romantic.  Actually his life was far from romantic, but he definately was a hero in his own right.  It took a strong and capable man to be able to withstand the rugged life of the early cowboy.  Being on cattle drives for months on end, always having to be aware that their could be a stampede if the cattle were panicked by thunder or lightening, or some other loud noise.  Indian attacks were also always possible.  It was dirty, lonely, back-breaking work across rugged land.

Western decor reflects the rich history of the Old West, and is more than just a design scheme, it reflects the passion you feel for your country and it’s history. It’s easy to incorporate this passion & history into your own home decor with western wall decor in any room of your home.

There was an article yesterday on AOL about things in America that are vanishing.  One of the things they listed was the Family Farm.  One of my fondest memories as a child was going to my uncles farm and seeing the metal welcome sign when you go through the gate.  To lose the family farm is not a good thing. 

That is not only very sad but extremely scary ~~ after all we do have to eat and produce straight from the field on a small family farm just can’t be beat!  The huge commercial farms just aren’t the same, probably because they don’t have the connection to the land & the community that the family farmer has.   My image of a farmer is one of admirable intelligence and skill, one with great patience and endurance.  Just like my uncle!

Before you begin any home decorating project, whether it be large or small, country decor, rustic decor, primitive or western decor it’s always best to plan ahead. A successful home decorating scheme for any room is one that is designed around your personal taste and style.

If your not sure of what you want, go to Home & Garden Shows, flip through decorating magazines, visit model homes.  That one is my favorite to do because you can see, smell, touch and “feel” the effect.   I was in a model home once where they used a real haybale in their decor and it looked totally awesome!  

Notice the common colors used together in a particular decor.   In Asian decor for example they use a lot of reds, blacks, & golds. Cowboy home decor as well as country styles use a lot of the rich and rustic colors such as deep reds & greens, earthty browns & sky blues.

Just remember that what makes a perfectly decorated home is one that showcases accessories that speak to your heart and makes you feel warm, cozy & comfortable.

No matter where you live or what style you prefer, chances are quite good that your home will be enhanced by the addition of western metal art and/or western accessories. And whether it’s an elaborately crafted brazilian cow hide covered barn star, or a simple metal decorative key rack in your entryway, the timeless design of metal art will outlast any “trend” or “fad”.

One great accessory for your western kitchen decor is a wall mounted pot rack.  These are really great for saving space, giving you a place to hang your pots & pans, clearing up space under your cabinets. Some western pot racks display the five point star which is so popular.  As you know, aside from Texas, the star inside a circle is a well loved symbol of the American West.

At it`s core western metal art is the language of romance only true lovers of the western world can appreciate.

The tradition of the barn star in America can be traced back to the 1700’s, and to at least the 1820’s in Pennsylvania. Barn stars were most popular after the Civil War.

On many older American barns, particularly German farms, one could see a large decoration in the shape of a star mounted on the face of the barn. Sometimes they were just aesthetic, but sometimes they represented the trademark of a specific barn builder.

It is our understanding the original star shape was a three-pointed star, but the barn star composition has changed throughout the years.  At first they were built directly into the barn. Later the stars were crafted from wood as a separate piece.  Still later they were crated from metal.  Today their are many variations of metal barn stars. 

Colors had significance with Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch barn paintings. These folk art designs, many of which were star shaped, were painted directly onto each end of the barn, and date back to the 1850’s. Read the rest of this entry »

If your buying a new home, and are in the exciting process of choosing your western decor accessories, or if your remodeling your present home, keep in mind all members of your family.  Even very young children can experience stress at the idea of moving or simple change, not to mention teens or pre-teens.

However by including them in your choices, asking their opinion, even letting them have a final say on some of your western metal art, you help them feel empowered & valued.  Most likely they will end up not only sharing, but perhaps even exceeding, your own excitement.

As a kid I absolutely LOVED rodeo and still do today.  For me one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable events of the rodeo to watch was the calf roping.  At least that’s what it was called then ~~ now it’s called tie-down roping.

There’s just something about the agility, strength and intelligence of a beautiful powerful horse combined with a cowboy possessing the same traits, plus complete trust & faith in his steed.

Tie-down roping requires a highly trained horse as he plays a major role in the success of the endeavor. The horse is taught to know when to start walking backward, responsible for keeping the rope taunt while his rider does his work of tying the calf’s legs together.  A successful event requires expert timing, speed, agility and strength.

It is truly an amazing and awesome event to wach as cowboy & horse work together.

Today I celebrate my respect and awe for calf roping by collecting different types of metal art, like a bill organizer, metal framed mirror, boot scraper’s and throw pillows with logo’s of calf roping.

Texas leads all other states in categories such as cotton, oil, cattle and sheep, Texas ranches and farms produce wheat, hay, sugar cane, poltury, eggs and a variety of furits and vegetables among other things.

Texas is also an industrial giant and a major agriculture state possessing many natural resources.

Texas comes from the word “Texsha” meaning “hello Friend” in the language of Caddo Indian Tribes ~~~ appropiately Texas’s motto is “Friendship”.

Rustic home decor is extremely popular in Texas.

“The Lone Star State” comes from the symbolism of the star on the 1836 flag of the republic, the “National Standard of Texas”. Read the rest of this entry »

Metal art takes on many forms, from wall hangings, mirrors, bookends, clocks and magazine racks, to name just a few.  The art of metalsmithing is the same.

Learning to create western metal art, actually any metal art, is definately not something to be taken lightly.  The skills of metalsmithing are honed over many years, and with so many specialized fields, all requiring their own set of equipment, it can also be extremely expensive.

Even where the metal is acquired varies greatly from metalsmith to metalsmith. One artisian I know creates his works of art from old farm machinery parts.  Some use only metal that has been thrown out for whatever reason. Some use items as they are, incorporate two or more together and create something that is totally different than what they were originally made for, such as the western metal bookends pictured above. Some metal art craftsmen draw their own templates or patterns, others buy patterns, while still others don’t use one at all!

Metal art has flooded the homes of millions of American’s, whether they prefer western home decor, cowboy decor, or rustic home decor, they all appreciate the attention to detail on these unique pieces of western metal art.

The first day of summer is almost here.  As hot as it’s been it could’ve been called summer here (in Texas) for almost a month!

We’ve got the perfect way to cool off on the hottest of hot summer days.  Go to Hill Country, around New Braunfels & float down the Guadalupe River (it’s best to make reservations).  It’s SO cold when you first hit the water that it almost takes your breath away, but you soon get used to it & you’ll find yourself lazily splashing some of that cold water over yourself.

You float past stunning Cypress trees, beautiful plantation looking homes with meticulously manicured lawns, small weekend cabins & campgrounds filled with campers enjoying the same things you are.  The smell of various foods cooking on the grill, make you realize your getting hungry, and your eyes drift to the picnic tables filled with all kinds of goodies.  There’s even a metal napkin holder especially made for outdoors with an arm that holds the napkins down.

Adults sit around the tables & some have even set their plastic chairs out in the water with plates balanced on their laps.  They smile as you go by.  Children are playing in the water or building damns around the cypress knees.  It’s about now you decide it’s most definitely time to stop for awhile and eat.

So stay cool ~~ enjoy your summer, enjoy your family, enjoy the outdoors ~~ even on the hottest of hot summer days!