Krumhotz

In my Dinosaur Mosacis, I use reclaimed materials that allow new life for things others have deemed trash. They fulfill my need to save everything I possibly can from the dump. I also like the idea that my creations have inspired friends to start cleaing up the prarie, beach or whereve they are, by bringing me small bits of broken pottery, glass and rusty objects for use in my creations. Thus far, I've gotten beach glass from India, broken pottery from an old homestead on a friends land in Wyoming and beautiful green prairie glass from Veedauwoo. Interestingly enough, all were birthday presents from friends who know me well.


Krumholtz
23 x 16 x 6"


Krumholtz was created from the field jacket of this Triceratops scapula.  GRET, the name of this particular Triceratops, now lives on display at the Casper College Tate Geological Museum.  It was buried during the Cretaceous Formation near present-day Lance Creek, WY of Niobrara County.  This formation is known for the beds of chalk and green sand deposited 140 to 65 million years ago when flowering plants first evolved. Krumholtz are small clumps of old, stunted, wind-scored pines at timberline high in the Rocky Mountains.


    Special thanks to: J-P Cavigelli, Tate Geological Museum, Casper College; Wikipedia
Created from my broken pottery, un-used tiles from a mosaic installation and a sculpture base I decided to change into something else, leaving me with wavy clouds for the sky in this mosaic. Krumholz is a reminder of just how beautiful the area I live in is.  The trees on top of the Snowy Range near Laramie,WY are so wind blown they only have branches on one side.  As a kid, my mom told me they were "krummy trees" as a result,  and ever since, I've remembered the term Krumholz, defined below by Wikipedia.

 Krummholz or Krumholtz formation (German: krumm, "crooked, bent, twisted" and Holz, "wood")  is a particular feature of subarctic and subalpine tree line landscapes. Continual exposure to fierce, freezing winds causes vegetation to become stunted and deformed. Under these conditions, trees can only survive where they are sheltered by rock formations or snow cover. As the lower portion of these trees continue to grow, the coverage becomes extremely dense near the ground.









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