Art of the North Fork on display
<p>Secrest uses a chain saw as he begins to shape a log into one of his spherical sculptures on Thursday. All of Secrest’s pieces are handmade using chain saw, chop shaw and planer before being sanded and finished.</p>
<p>Secrest handles his newest sphere, a piece of juniper wood that had been struck by lightning. “If you can see something beautiful, it can make it a little easier to get through the day,” Secrest says. “That’s what art is supposed to do. It helps you on your journey.”</p>
<p>Lee Secrest removes bark from a log at his home north of Polebridge on Thursday. In the background is Secrest’s studio that he describes as “hippie house” style — something that has been added to over the years.</p>
Artist Lee Secrest is opening his home north of Polebridge today for his third annual summer art show.
“We usually have a good turnout for the event,” said Secrest. “It’s hopefully a nice time for friends and neighbors to gather, visit and look at something pretty.”
Secrest has lived near Polebridge since 1976.
Over the years he built his home and studio where he has worked with leather, tanning, painting, milling wood and now wood sculpting.
Secrest came to Montana from upstate New York to attend the University of Montana, where he got his degree in wildlife biology.
After graduation, jobs were tight and Secrest ended up going to work with his family doing carpentry and construction for three years. In that time he found his way to Polebridge and knew that was where he wanted to settle.
“Up here in this canyon you’re kind of separated from all the ‘politi-babble,’ Secrest said. “It’s remote. It has an untrampledness. My property is off the grid and off a gravel road — that was very important to me. The winters are tough, but I don’t mind. They give me time for solitude and working hard.”
And with this particular art form, the work is very hard.
“There is no cheating. You’ve got to do the work,” said Secrest. “You got to walk your talk. If you want to get that sphere out of that 300-pound trunk, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort. It keeps a person honest.”
Secrest works with a variety of woods including Western larch, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, cottonwood, aspen and spruce. “Western larch is my favorite,” Secrest said. “I like the color of the wood. It’s a warm, ‘feel-good’ red.”
An amazing array of variables comes into play with Secrest and his wood sculptures: The type of wood used, how the sun and wind and rain and snow fell on a tree, whether it survived a fire, how bugs and animals affected the tree.
One of his favorite features is to look for trees that have been struck by lightning. These influences determine the differences that make each sculpture unique.
“Wood is very important for all the things we build with it,” said Secrest. “But I think it is just as important as a thing of beauty.”
Secrest has been making wood art for seven years.
“‘Why does an artist do art?’ We were talking about that last weekend at Arts in the Park. The universal answer seems to be ‘We can’t help ourselves.’ There is a joy that art gives to those who create. We do art because we can’t not do it.”
This year Secrest isn’t the only artist whose work will be on display. Painter Peter Moore, glass artists Dave and Pattie Heglend, photographer Keith Ridgway and jewelry artist Melissa Mylchreest all will have work on display along with Secrest’s wooden sculptures.
The show starts today at 4 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. It will be held approximately 11 miles north of Polebridge at 14045 North Fork Road.
Brenda Ahearn may be reached at 758-4435 or by email at bahearn@dailyinterlake.com.