Heart of the Desert Pistachios From Eagle Ranch
Heart of the Desert Pistachios From Eagle Ranch
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BINKS AND KIVLEHEN SHARE SPOTLIGHT AT EAGLE RANCH


Artist Binks
Fine art painter Bill Binks

February brings two talented artists to the gallery at Eagle Ranch. Bill Binks’s fine art paintings and Skip Kivlehen’s finely crafted mesquite lamps make a complimentary statement that all will enjoy.

Bill Binks has had a life-long love affair with art from his early childhood growing up in Utah. His career in art has encompassed many phases, starting with painting murals on airplanes for the combat pilots in the Korean War. In the beginning days of the space program, Bill worked as an illustrator for Thiokol Corp., producing many of the illustrations of how it was thought the exploration of outer space might appear.

 

Artist Kivlehen
Third generation Lamp maker Skip Kivlehen

He founded Binks’ Art & Lettering in 1964, which he operated until 1989, followed by Albatross Graphics, until his retirement. He did a wide variety of art: design, layout, lettering, brush and airbrush pictorials, bulletins, large scale murals, etched glass, as well as fine art, when time permitted.

Today, Bill is retired, living in Alamogordo, NM, and enjoying painting fine works of art, bringing his creations to life with custom realistic artwork. He has many pieces hanging in private collections around the country.

Skip Kivlehen is a third generation lamp maker who is relatively new to the crafts scene. After a successful career in corporate America, he left to follow his dream of making a living working with his hands. After an apprenticeship with Wally Kohler, he has mastered the craft of making mesquite lamps and copper shades. He is now a craftsman, full time. A small staff of craftsmen contribute to the making of the lamps and shades. The business has grown throughout the years, but the uniqueness and quality of each lamp remains. The lamps and shades are sold throughout the country in shops and galleries.

The Mesquite, called “Velvet” is handpicked from the Sonoran Desert. The beauty you behold in each piece has unfolded from a tale of survival in the harsh desert. Long droughts, floods, extreme temperatures and constant attack from insects create a lasting remnant of nature’s life-cycle. Many pieces are enhanced with turquoise inlay or naturally occurring holes. The satin smooth finish is the result of fine sanding and multiple applications of Danish oil.

Lampshades are crafted from solid copper, milled in the Southwest. Designs are punched or cut using a plasma cutter. Colors are achieved with a secret recipe of natural elements developed over a 25 year span of trial and error. A clear lacquer is applied to preserve the outer finish. The inside is left “raw copper” to develop a colorful, organic beauty through its own natural life-cycle. All shades feature soldered seams and wire reinforced edges that are designed to be enjoyed through many generations.

The show runs the entire month of February, from the 1st thru’ the 28th. A reception to meet the artists will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 5th, at the gallery at Eagle Ranch. Easy to find, Eagle Ranch is located at 7288 Hwy 54-70, mid-point between Alamogordo and Tularosa. Gallery hours are the same as the store, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon. thru’ Sat., and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

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