In the mist…a presence...
barely discernible from the grey of sky and water.

In silent solitude, suspended on a single stilted limb,
his graceful feathers dance wildly, as the wind
alternately embraces and rejects this solitary
creature, imbued with stoic presence.

What forces within allow him to be present in the moment, yet seemingly suspended without time or place?
What lessons from this Sentinel,
this study in concentrated patience?

Without warning the shape transforms and,
within a blink of his amber eye, he has lifted off.
Enfolded in the floating mist,
he disappears into the ethereal spaces
... and I with him.

Lift up my dreams on giant wings,
Oh, OMEN BIRD...
mythic messenger of Ra.

by Robbi DeVries

Living on Lake Washington has provided me with many opportunities to view the physical characteristics and behaviors of the beautiful, Great Blue Heron. They are present almost daily, standing stoically on our dock or waiting patiently at water's edge. When we moved to the Seattle in 2002, I was surprised to learn that the large, egg-shaped bundle of feathers with seemingly no neck was one and the same bird as the elegant, elongated figure, balancing incomprehensibly on one slender leg with massive wings and a neck measuring as long as its body!

 Many a time I have crept along on hands and knees, camera in hand (with telephoto, of course), to capture the perfect close-up. I actually came within about 10 feet once before "Harry" transformed and lifted off with a loud squawk and one beat of his giant wings. Mesmerized by their piercing yellow eyes and captivated by their ever-changing appearance, herons have become one of my favorite subjects for sculpting.

On stilted limbs
with gangly grace
they dance.

Two heron hearts embrace
waiting….

by Robbi DeVries

Great Blues mate as solitary pairs and nest commonly in trees. They have elegant and stately courtship displays, involving flying in large circles with an exaggerated slow wing beat, producing an audible “whomp”. At the nesting site, neck-stretch displays and head snaps accompany elaborate bristling plumes.

Once a pair forms, the male presents the female a stick for the nest which they build together, a domestic gesture, symbolizing his acceptance of her as a mate. Their union produces from 2 to 7 aqua blue eggs and gestation is 25-29 days, producing chicks being hatched at different intervals. As a mother of 3 myself, I instinctively chose to show 3 eggs.

As a fan of mixed media, I used glass eggs, but the sculpture is available with bronze eggs as well.

I watch her soaring, lifted by the wafting winds.
Her giant wings resplendent in their warmth of hue,
contrasted by head and tail the color of fresh snow.
Her golden beak and lengthy talons, gently curled
beneath, excite my eyes.
In awe, I watch her form, surreal against the azure sky.

Effortlessly, she wings above all earthly hems,
piercing eyes seeing far beyond the realm,
then dives toward unsuspecting prey….
This graceful warrior huntress rises as the Phoenix,
the embodiment of feral fierceness and freedom.
Untethered by doubt and unaware of mortal bonds,
she alone controls her destiny.

In my mind she calls to me,
“The same indomitable force lies within you.”
I gaze with upturned face as higher, swifter she flies,
unbounded by the endless skies, and I know.
Only when the fear is vanquished, can you truly soar.

My once dormant soul begins to breathe and I believe ….
I AM EAGLE….

By Robbi DeVries

Something about seeing a Bald Eagle in the wild, even though I see them frequently over Lake Washington, still causes excitement in me like few other birds. This excitement is frequently followed by introspection. In native cultures, eagles have always symbolized courage, strength and freedom and in the plains tribes were thought to be the earthly incarnate of the Great Spirit.
Their range includes all of North America including Canada, Alaska and Northern Mexico. The average wing span is 5.9-7.5 feet. Impressive when you consider my sculpture is less than half that size. They usually mate for life and courtship involves spectacular displays of swoops, cartwheels and chasing, in which they fly high, lock talons, and free fall, separating just before hitting the ground, or water in the case I was privileged to witness. Though I have lived in “eagle-country" since 2002 and made many trips to Alaska, I have seen this behavior only once…breathtaking!
 “I am Eagle” was my very first bronze sculpture (2010), a difficult undertaking, but so worth the many hours. I chose to suspend her in a steel ring symbolizing the “azure world” she commands,  suggested in a line from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

“He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.”

Perched on a rock on the ice-fringed coast of Antarctica,
my eyes delight in the hues of fire and ebony
against the blinding-blue sky and icy-white land.
A cacophony assaults my ears as
the elegantly clad inhabitants call to each other
and to their pot-bellied chicks, peeking out
from the warm bellies covering their rocky nests.
I smile, as each in turn, the dutiful parents waddle
awkwardly along the “Penguin Highway” to the sea,
where theyare transformed into graceful
swift-swimming hunters, only to rocket ashore
with bellies full. The hungry chicks await.
A male Gentoo, pebble in beak, deposits the treasure
at the feet of his life-time mate.
A repeat of the courting ritual just weeks before.

 A stirring with in me swells and I am filled
with joy at life so encountered:
observing life rich in adaptation of behaviors,
yet similarto man in the most human of emotions.
And I am amazed….
that I am present in this moment at the bottom of the earth…
a witness to love in its most primitive form,
and struck by the thought that it is WE
who have the most to learn.

by Robbi DeVries

In January 2015, I was privileged to complete my quest to have visited all 7 continents with an amazing trip to Antarctica aboard the National Geographic ship, Orion. Fascinated by the vibrant colors of the multitude of Gentoo penguins we encountered and touched by their loving family scenes, I snapped hundreds of pictures with the goal of capturing the character of these precious creatures in bronze. The result is this Gentoo penguin mother and chicks, entitled, “Tender Moments.”

I was drawn to the vibrant colors of these birds and the patina artist, Jonathan Kuzma, and I attempted to replicate these hues using various mixtures of chemicals in the patina. However, for the bronze purists, this sculpture is also available with the traditional liver patina.

In spite of the skill of the patina artist, white chemical coloring can never give that translucent look of ice, thus my choice for mounting these sculptures is selenite, a variety of the mineral gypsum. Because it is a natural stone, each piece will vary slightly. I first saw this stone at the Rock and Mineral show held annually in Quartzite, Arizona and obtained the selenite from a source in Idaho.

“The Peculiar Penguin”

While on one of the many shore excursions on my trip to Antarctica, I noticedsomething odd. I was seated on a rock, reveling in the antics of the penguins waddling or tobogganing down the “penguin Highway”, (trail to the water) when my eyes caught a single Adele penguin amongst the hundreds of Gentoo. He was noticeable because of his lack of color. All the Gentoo had bright orange beaks and feet.

Wondering how this had occurred, my imagination went wild and the beginnings of a children’s book was born. I began the story that night aboard ship, and finished it in the wee hours of the morning. After many iterations and months of re-writes, hope to have it print for my grandchildren.”

Robbi DeVries

“Art is nothing without love.”

                                                                       -Marc Chagall

I once saw a sculpture of hugging bunnies, which brought a smile to my lips and a mist to my eyes. As humans, we frequently attribute animal behaviors to emotions not unlike our own. Luv Bunnies is for me, the warm and fuzzy hug emblazoned in bronze.

As an artist, you hope to touch some emotion of the viewer. A dear friend, whose son and daughter-in-law had just lost a child, purchased this piece as a gift for the grieving couple. A greater compliment I could not have been paid, and I think of them whenever I look at the one I keep in my bedroom.

Robbi DeVries

According to ancient legend
'twas an accident they said;
that man was to discover
this treasured drink of red.

Fable tells of a Persian princess
heavily laden in despair,
who downed a “poison” seeking death
for a life she could not bear.

She drank from the jar of “spoiled grapes”,
and lapsed into intoxicated sleep.
But instead of eternal darkness,
the king, her father, would not weep

…for when she woke, HER SOUL WAS HEALED.
Intolerable stresses dispersed.
Again she partook of the “spoiled grapes”,
experiencing giddiness and mirth.

The king shared his daughter’s discovery.
To the court, he made a royal decree:
Increase the production of “spoiled grapes”!
The benefactors…oh, yes, it is we…

…as now many centuries later
we still sup the nectar of the vine.
Savoring our glass of “spoiled grapes”,
tongue in tantalizing tempest of wine.

by Robbi DeVries

“Wine is sunlight held together by water”
                                                      -Galileo

Washington is the third highest wine-producer in the United States. Living here and being involved in a guild whose major fund-raisers for Children’s Hospital were wine events, the romanticism of winemaking grasped my fancy. Because of our aviation adventures, my husband was asked to speak on several occasions. These events were usually followed by food and spirits…mostly wine, prompting me to decide on an aviation-themed wine label. 

In 2009, I release my first vintage of wine, a chardonnay, followed in 2010 by my first vintage of cabernet sauvignon. It is called, Tailwind Cellars. Together, my husband and I designed the labels,  picturing a different plane on each.

Eager to find a special way to display these bottles and with my love of sculpture, I knew what that would be. The result is “Spoiled Grapes”.  A recent trip to Italy, inspired me to combine mediums (the Murano glass grapes) and use the beauty of glass to enhance the bronze depicting ancient vines and leaves. Hopefully, this would be a lovely addition to anyone’s bar or wine cellar for displaying your favorite wine.

The grey phantoms erupt as one from the
ocean’s glassy surface as they propel their
sleek and slippery bodies into the azure sky,

Then disappear under the white foam only to
leap again in a synchronous ballet surely
choreographed by Poseidon himself.

And oh, the twisting, twirling, leaping,
splashing...

Pure joy profound!

Dolphins

...the ever smiling,
sagacious wonders of the deep,

have come to play!

by Robbi DeVries

The rustle of leaf on leaf is the only sound at night envelopes my being.

She is there, though I cannot see her.

I hold my breath that I might hear the mournful knell,

Known for sharp vision and keen observation.

She is to the night what the eagle is to the day.

I know she is there... watching me.

Oh, that I were one with this ancient companion of the goddess of wisdom.

That through the millennia, I had evolved to be able to see what is hidden to most.

To approach in absolute silence.

To see true reality, beyond illusion and deceit.

To welcome the darkness as my illumination.

I feel her presence more than see her...

And she is there... watching me.

In the course of my work with Seattle Children’s Hospital, I was privileged to get to know an amazing woman, Kristin Jarvis Adams. She is the author of the true story of  ”The Chicken who Saved Us”, a memoir/biography of her young Autistic son’s battle with a brutal and mysterious disease and how Andrew's relationship with “Frightful," his pet chicken, led to his diagnosis and ultimately the ability to survive.  I was so touched by their story, their courage, and their faith, that I knew I just had to keep Frightful alive forever in bronze. To read more about Frightful and Andrew, visit Kristin's website: kristinjarvisadams.com

This custom unicorn design was created as part of an recognition award. The bronze rests on a black granite base engraved with each recipient's name and title.

University of WA Mascot

Originally, the University of Washington had two unofficial mascots: the Indians and later the Vikings. In 1920, it was changed to Sundodger by majority vote of the student body. Because of its negative reference to the city’s rainy weather, in 1922, the Husky was announced as the official mascot. The committee believed that it captured the true spirit of the Northwest, “Gateway to the Alaskan Frontier”.

Dubs I, was named the University of Washington’s 13th Husky mascot in February 2008. He is an Alaskan Malamute (The largest Husky breed) from a kennel in Burlington, WA and lives with his family in Seattle.

The cougar mascot was originally adopted by Washington State University as its official mascot in 1919. A few years later, Governor Roland Hartley presented the student body of 1927 with a live cougar cub and a new tradition was born. The young cougar was named Butch after Herbert "Butch" Meeker of Spokane, the football star of the day.

A live cougar mascot continued to represent Washington State University at sporting events until 1978 when Butch VI, in declining health and 15 years old, had to be euthanized. In October that same year, university president Glenn Terrell decided to discontinue the live cougar mascot tradition.

Today “Butch” is represented by a costumed student and in 2006, was the "Capital One Mascot of the Year." As a new mascot tradition, the identity of the student in costume is revealed each year after the last sporting event of the school year.

A custom sculpture which was created as a wedding gift for the owner of the Turbine Goose N550, one of only 4 left in the world.