About The Artist
Celeste Havener is a Laramie, Wyoming based artist who creates original oil paintings, pen and watercolor drawings, baling wire animal sculptures, silkscreened cards, and origami. She specializes in Wyoming landscapes and wildlife. Her artwork is part of private and public collections nationwide and has been displayed in a variety of fine art galleries, art shows, and group exhibitions. She has a selection of artwork in-stock ready to ship and also accepts painting commissions for custom artwork.
Artist Biography
Painting is Celeste’s therapist. While Celeste is not sure if she is cheaper, she is certainly available 24/7. Centennial Valley, where Celeste makes her home is inspiration for much of her work, the animals and the landscape provide constant sources of images daring to be captured. As a child she enjoyed drawing, the brightest crayons in her Prang box of crayons were always worn to stubs first. Her parents took her to see the work of Birger Sandzen, an artist who lived in Lindsborg Kansas. The brilliant Rose Madder and Ultramarine Blues she saw in the wheat fields and rivers in the Midwest gave her new eyes with which to view the world. To see the threads of red in the sumac, the Prussian blue of the shadows, the way a river was rarely just blue but rather a mirror to the trees and vegetation around it. She didn’t follow through on putting those colors to canvas until forty years later. Celeste is self-taught and likes to think one can see Birger’s inspiration in her work.
I received a Scholastic Award for a wooden sculpture in High School. But I let life get in the way and didn’t really pursue art for years. Then my ponies encouraged me to do sculpture again. By being naughty. The two BLM (Mustangs) horses I own are chow hounds who eat their rations then go after the two Arabian mares grain. So I became hall monitor. During that time I began to fold the baling wire from the hay into shapes that became horses, bison and pronghorn. It hadn’t occurred to me that people would like them until an art professor came to visit and wanted to know the gallery I was showing at. To my surprise people do like them.
Artist Statement
After learning about the work of Debra Butterfield I have begun to expand materials for my animals using bicycle parts, sagebrush, bones and willow.
I also draw pen and inks of mustangs and pronghorn. Simple, inexpensive and meant to bring a smile to the viewer. I can’t tell you which of these is my favorite forms, I love them all.
I like art, I believe that in this world of confusion creating art important. As humans I feel we have a duty to bring beauty into a world that needs more smiles.
I am drawn to horses and wildlife as an art form. I enjoy watching the animals outside my windows, their movements and antics intrigue me. My most notable art to date? Not sure. I think it is my next one.
