Talk about Art

A column by Carolyn Henderson

There's a lot more you can do with an old horseshoe than nail it over your doorway for luck.

At least, if you're Annie Behlau of Milton-Freewater, who creates sculptures of everything from Scottish Terriers to modern dancers, using old horseshoes and their ilk.

"I gather steel scrap from salvage yards, junk piles, yard sales, and farms," the artist, who raised her now grown family on a 100-acre farm just outside of Dayton says. "I also use horseshoes gotten from my friendly farrier."

With a family background in blacksmithing that includes a father, brother, and nephew farrier, Behlau carries on the trade with welder, torch, and forge. Her subject matter focuses on animals, as well as elements of farm, country, and ranch life.

"I love all things cowboy!" Behlau exclaims.

"I have a lifelong love of horses and anything in the cowboy tradition. I've competed in horse shows, trained horses, team roped, barrel raced, and ridden in endurance rides."

While raising her family, she involved both herself and children in FFA and 4-H, and after 27 years in the nursing profession, the now retired Behlau spends hours in her shop/studio, forging new and unusual artwork that is both whimsical and serious.

Through April 20, Wenaha Gallery (219 East Main, Dayton) is showcasing an array of Behlau's repurposed steel sculpture. See how an old railroad tie looks, welded and forged into the shape of a dog; find the beauty in a pair of pliers, transformed into a dancer; or encounter – safely – a porcupine made of forks.

And meet Behlau in person Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the gallery's Spring Art Show, which also features Kennewick photographer John Clement and Dayton jewelry and nostalgia journal artist, Dawn Moriarty.