BELLE Sculpture

Nath's inspiration soars on the hot, dry winds sweeping over the southwestern borderlands. The Sonora and Chihuahua desert are where she loves to wander; either on her Harley or on foot, dusty from her boots to floppy hat, pulling and pushing her trusty red wagon down into arroyos and up over rocks. The desert is where Nath finds the sun baked cactus carcasses, roots and plant debris she transforms into art. Hours, weeks, months go into reclaiming these finds, scrubbing and scouring embedded sand, dirt, gravel, peeling off thorns and bark, hollowing and smoothing cavities, carefully picking crusted bark out of whirls, curves and crevasses, carefully separating razor thin cactus fibers. Nath then hand smooths each cactus or root piece, with dozens of treatment coats to harden the fibers to a silky sheen. Sometimes it takes years, but each cactus or root piece reveals itself in time, evincing a feeling and form to be created. Nath creates each piece from the cactus and root carcasses and plant debris she found in the desert and reclaimed with hours of sweat and tears, augmented with additional natural products and art finishes. No matter where where you find her, Nath lives in a desert state of mind; it’s where you can find her when she's dreaming. Nath hopes you'll join her in honoring the hidden treasure of the Chihuahua desert, by bringing one of her pieces into your world.