We’re fortunate that some of the sculptures and metalwork of past Harmony Hollow artists came with the house. This article only covers a part of what we are enjoying, as we keep finding more.
The buzzard sculpture greets you as you enter the property. It’s part of the cowboy gate made by Richard Mocco. We wonder if any of the car parts are from the vehicles left in the grassy area.
We also wonder if some of the other pieces were made by artists other than Richard. This kinetic piece is a fun one with its springy base. I love any kind of found object art, especially at Harmony Hollow, because it has me daydreaming about where the parts came from.
Were the parts salvaged? Were they left over from other art pieces, or broken down equipment? Did someone in town say, “Hey, I have this scrap, do you want it?” I think the answer to the latter question was always a, “Heck yeah! I’ll be by tomorrow, God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, to pick it up.”
This little guy is a cutie. I’m not sure if it’s a bug, or just an abstract little critter. Whatever it is, I love it and can’t wait to give it a nice display space once we know what the grounds are going to look like around the house. The pedestal is one of many that were made for sculpture display, and they will have a place too, somehow, somewhere.
It’s also an inspiration piece for me because all of the rusty bits and pieces we find around the property nudged me to take a welding class. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to making my own little sculptures, but thanks to the Harmony Hollow artists, I have parts galore to work with.
This is a metal towel rack that was left in the kitchen. I have a feeling that when something was needed in the house Richard said, “I can make that!” And if that is the case, thank you, Richard Mocco, for all of the little touches we’re still finding!
It wasn’t just little things that were made for the house, either. Check out this pot and pan rack! While he could have stopped with a utilitarian design, the lizard components are greatly appreciated.
These touches are examples of why, when I walked into the house for the first time despite it being in disrepair, I was smitten and could feel the presence of the artists who’ve lived at Harmony Hollow.
Even if it was just a functional piece that was needed for their home, you can FEEL the heart and soul that went into the making. At least, I can.
And ohmygosh, this piece!!!
The story goes that the Cross family bought a more conventional wood stove for heating at Harmony Hollow, but Richard wasn’t having it. I got the impression that it didn’t appeal to his artistic sense. So, what did he do? He built his own. (We found the unused fireplace out in a shed).
When we bought Harmony Hollow there was so much stuff left behind that we had a grace period for a few people who had lived there, or were friends of Richards, to come and claim pieces.
I don’t think this stove could have been taken. It weights over 400 lbs, at least. While we want to use as much of the pieces left behind we’ve decided that we don’t want a fireplace, or any other options to burn. The fire risk in the conservation area is just too high to take any chances. But, we will do something with this gorgeous piece of art!
UPDATE:
All of the sculpture left at Harmony Hollow was made by Richard Mocco. Including the front door dragon latch, the buzzard, spiral staircase, etc. He visited car junkyards often to find specific car parts to create his sculpture. His work is featured in homes all over the area, especially Desert Mountain where he and Shelby Wilson architect and Jan Sanders designer collaborated on some incredible architectural columns, fences, gates, and lighted sconces. Richard often donated large sculptures to the Desert Foothills Land Trust art auctions to raise money for preservation. You can see one of these donations at the Carefree town square, his horse sculpture “Gidd-e-up”.from Melissa Paxton
