Meet Penny

Meet Penny. She is one of many sculptures gifted to Art on the Farm by the sister of the artist who made them, after he passed. Today was the first delivery, and Penny now stands out in the pasture with Mount Rainier at her back, like she has always lived here.

Penny is built from strips of rusted metal wrapped and riveted around a frame, with pointed ears, a long neck and a face full of character. Up close you can see every seam, bolt hole and curl of wire. She is bigger than she looks in photos, and carrying her across the grass felt a little like walking a very patient, very heavy dog. Our own little pup came over to check her out right away.

She came with friends. A rusted mask-like face peers out of its own box, wire hair sprouting from the top. There is an assemblage made from an old wooden box, pipes, fittings and a small red heart tucked inside, like a machine built to keep something tender safe. And the truck bed was full of more: rusted limbs, coiled wire, wood and found pieces, waiting for their turn to be unpacked and given a place.

Some of the treasures found new homes right away. A worn orange stool now sits in the greenhouse on the rainbow rug among the plants, and the circle staircase — a tight spiral of wooden steps held on thin rods — now climbs up beside a handmade wooden chair.

Thank you, Joy & Kevin, for driving out with the first of many deliveries, and for trusting us with this work. We will take good care of every piece, and we are honored to give the artist’s sculptures a place where people can see them, touch the seams and wonder about the hands that made them.