Impressions of Vulture City Winners

Can you image how it would be to walk or drive into the mining city of Vulture City in its day? This is the image I wanted to create for people today. The metal surfaces on the buildings, gravel roads, foliage with points and spikes and rustic dirt walls and ridges. This was the town of Vulture City. I wanted to create that first impression as you enter city with all its activities in contrast to the vast wilderness that surrounded it. The brilliant blue of the sky, rough pointed mountains and the unending openness of the landscape. Here I created a little area where activities would be centered amidst a few random buildings, miscellaneous tools, a walkway and vegetation. The sign depicts your location, in case your confused. This painting was created in oil and I used multiple techniques to create the textures of the land vs. the creations of man, such as signs, buildings, and tools. The man made creations showing the effects of time on the buildings and tools are in contrast to the landscape, with shows little or no effect of time.

This scene instantly reminded me of my husband. He was an engineer and was often down in mines designing transfer and conveying systems to bring up various materials. For many years, he was a horse shoer and he makes bits and spurs by hand. Needless to say, he has used virtually every piece of equipment currently displayed at the blacksmith shop. I can easily picture men of the past operating the machinery to bring up material from the mines. Meanwhile others fire up the forge, to heat up some metal

One of my go-to outings for family and friends when they visit here in Wickenburg AZ, is a trip to Vulture Mine City. It amazes me how it captures a piece of time of what was, where you can see and feel how hard it was in years past, as we roam through the buildings around every corner is a gem to be found.

During a long and tiring day of working in the cold, dark mine, I’m sure the miners looked forward to a hot meal and the light of day. The sun shining through the window onto the stove gave a feeling of peace and anticipation important for me, as I created this picture, to remember the families who lived and worked here to create the memories that still remain.

This picture challenges us to take a look beyond the old, tattered cactus, which has been around for many years, to a well-known symbol of the past here at Vulture Mines. It was inspiring to me how this piece of equipment, which stands tall in the midst of the city, can help each of us to visualize the miners working to fill those cars and bring them up to the surface from below.

This work has similar characteristics to most of my landscapes- layering of the canvas with a variety of acrylic gels and mediums for texture and balancing between unfinished and very detailed areas. In this composition, I did try to have a clear distinction between foreground, middle ground and background. Coloristically, the rusty red of the background and the old machinery contrasts with the blueish green of the cactus and the building. For me the rusty relics of the past carry a romantic, timeless beauty, so unique to the Southwest. Each of my paintings is a small attempt to capture it.

I absolutely loved visiting the mining town. I found it so inspiring! I’m obsessed with old machineries and rust and enjoyed working on my pieces. I spent a long time preparing the surface with modeling paste, fiber paste, and crackle paste, layered with a paint on top. My main goal in all my paintings is to find the sweet spot between freedom and control, abstracted and very realistic. It was hard to choose which views to work with, but the saguaro with its sculptural, monumental beauty was my first pick.

This portrait was sculpted from life in the image of Vulture City’s own Stephane Cerutti, the person who most maintains and embodies the history of this magnificent site. This is the clay original that can be arranged to be made into a permanent bronze casting with a marble base upon request.

Vulture City 1863 sitting on an ore cart My inspiration came from the entrance to the walking tour at Vulture City The entrance sign on my piece is slanted, as it is representing the current rise of Vulture city.

I love ghost towns and history. I look at remnants left behind and wonder about the people who left things behind and what their dreams and hopes were. They left everything they previously knew to start anew. My vision for this piece was that when you first come upon an old town, there are remnants of life from yesterday. But the pieces are scattered so you have to gather them up to try and understand the entire story. Not all the pieces are neatly laying together, not all pieces are there, yet you still can create a story of what might have been. My medium is clay; all slab constructed. To retain the appearance of old history, the pieces are colored with oxide stains rather than glazes. The items I created were typical equipment for miners in the late 1800’s when Vulture City was active.

I’m retired I have worked with wood all of my life. I was a framer and trim carpenter all of my adult life. I moved back to AZ six years ago. I like to make things by hand instead of relying on a machine like a CNC. I make it a point not to use paint or stain using the color of natural woods for the coloring. I like saying there is “no paint or stain “ I do this to inspire people that they can do anything with there hands and mine not be afraid to try anything. Besides its FUN

Metal found-objects sculpture of a bird. “Junkyard Bird” was created prior to our visit to Vulture Mine City, but afterwards it seemed apparent that it would be a natural fit. I am drawn to and collect rusty old remnants of civilization that eventually find their way into my artwork.

After taking a self-guided tour I wanted to depict the full circle Vulture City has gone through, over the years from 1863 to 2022, having the gears and the wheels on the ore cart symbolizing “the wheels of fate”. The pan, pick and shovel depicting the start of mining. The closed mineshaft for the closing in 1941 and the “Destination” for 2022

I found myself intrigued by the hanging tree and the implication of the vultures roosting there. Were they a deterrent to men contemplating stealing riches from the mine or were they simply the clean up crew hanging in the branches? Vulture City is an unusual name for welcoming residents but maybe the vultures were mascots guarding the miners and their gold? Is the vulture in this sculpture ready for flight or just settling in to keep watch? The sculpture is constructed of nylon fiber clay over an armature. It is covered with a sealant and finished with acrylic paint.The hanging tree branch is local hardwood, gnarled and twisted as the old tree appears. The trolley sits upon a pile or “ore” from the mine. It is sprinkled with “gold” flecks depicting the wealth that is still possible in this historic ghost town.

This abstract sculpture in fiber clay was inspired by the guide we met when we visited. He told us about all the time he had devoted to making Vulture City what it is today, and also about his personal paranormal experiences. In my artistic impression of him, I added a few silver hairs as I’m sure he will indeed be there until his dream has been reached!