Laurie Roddick
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: LAURIE RODDICK AND THE BEAR
After 25 years as a landscape architect in New Mexico, I moved to the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado and began my artistic practice in animal sculpture. Surrounded and inspired by Telluride's high peaks and abundant wildlife, I create unique handmade pieces representing bears and other wildlife.
Before moving to Telluride, I visited frequently. This was when I finally had my first true wildlife experience. Here’s the story: I was staying at the Manitou, and the night was blacker than black. I was restless and had to go for a walk. Up the river trail I went, and back down, passing several voices in the darkness. On the way back towards the Manitou, there was a young man walking in front of me. I couldn’t see him because it was so dark, so I stayed about 20 feet back. I guessed he was a little on the heavy side because he was kind of shuffling his feet. He seemed a little wider than most people. As we walked closer to the Manitou, a flood light was shining towards us, backlighting the fellow. That’s when I realized I had been following a large bear. Light showed through its fur and it was a beautiful reddish color. At that point, the bear turned left and calmly headed up the hill into the woods. What a thrill! That bear clearly knew I was there during our shared walk and clearly tolerated me. But I have always wondered what would’ve happened had I been going in the other direction toward the bear on that dark night.
Now, living in Telluride, I sculpt wildlife, mostly bears. Why bears? They’re very smart, they’re furry and cute, sometimes they can be scary, and they’re all around us. I like all those features. I also like to think I am bringing some public awareness to the plight of wildlife and disappearing habitat. As a species, humans are very successful on this planet. As a result, we are witnessing the crowding out and disappearance of many wildlife species. When I sell one of my pieces, I always donate at least 30% of my profit to a charity that protects wildlife habitat. I also hope that the buyers who live with my animals will begin doing the same.
@DeerAndTheAntelope • deerandtheantelope.com
