APRIL 16, 2014
Artist partners with local Interior Designer to benefit DFLT
First edition bronze sculpture available at Sonoran Stars auction
NORTH VALLEY –Through the generosity of bronze sculptor Bryce Pettit (above) and Sue Bickerdyke, owner of Sue Bickerdyke Interiors & Home Furnishings, Desert Foothills Land Trust is proud to offer a monumental piece of sculpture during the Sonoran Stars live auction on April 26.
The life-size bronze called Noble Heart depicts a great horned owl. The piece is part of a limited edition of just 30. It was created specifically for this event and is the number one, signed edition. Noble Heart was created over the course of a year beginning with photo shoots to capture the great bird’s composition.
Bickerdyke was inspired by the release of a rehabilitated owl she witnessed at last year’s Sonoran Stars event. Wild At Heart is a local nonprofit that rescues, rehabilitates and releases birds of prey, including one at every Sonoran Stars.
“I immediately thought of Bryce because his work is so expressive,” says Bickerdyke. “He captured the majesty, power and grace of the owl.”
Pettit specializes in sculpting North America animals seen in the wild. In her gallery, Bickerdyke offers furniture that Pettit has crafted, including bed frames, tables and fire screens with inset sculpture depicting rabbits, Gambel’s quail and other smaller animals. Pettit’s coterie of coffee table-sized animals includes snakes, roadrunners, bobcats, lizards, foxes and fish. His life-size, freestanding sculptures have included javelina, bighorn sheep, bear, buffalo and elk.
Pettit’s sculptures are part of private collections, public collections and museums. Noble Heart will be offered to patrons during the live auction at Sonoran Stars and is valued at more than $6,500. Proceeds will benefit the Desert Foothills Land Trust. A longtime supporter of the Desert Foothills Land Trust, Bickerdyke notes that Noble Heart will work equally well in a Southwest, traditional or contemporary home or even outdoors.
Bickerdyke, who is the exclusive gallery representative in Arizona for Pettit’s work, met the artist through a mutual collector five years ago. She is animated when discussing his work, praising the remarkable detail and integrity of each piece. She says his pieces “fly” out of her Carefree showroom because once collectors acquire one of Pettit’s creatures, they want more.
“People fall in love with their personalities,” says Bickerdyke. “They are very, very realistic; each one tells a story. They beg to be touched. It’s a joy to live with his sculptures.”
The talented and humble 39-year old Pettit has had a love of animals since he was a boy. Thanks to his study of biology and ecology during his college and graduate years, he is able to imbue realistic detail into every sculpture he creates. Pettit resides in the Four Corners region.
The 19th Annual Sonoran Stars will be held on Saturday, April 26 at the elegant and majestic Los Cedros USA equestrian facility in north Scottsdale. Other auction items include trips to Great Britain, Aspen, Colorado and New York City Fashion Week. There are also incredible unique experiences, such as a private tour of the Sweet Candy Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a dinner for 12 at The Boulder House, catered by the talented chefs at The Boulders. From artwork and jewelry to golf and home décor, the Sonoran Stars auction is going to be incredible! For details, please visit www.dflt.org.
