Chasing Santa Fe: Star Liana York - Sculpting a menagerie!

This is my third Spirit of a Studio post, and I am grateful to these amazing artists who so generously share their work and their passion with me and my camera.

Welcome to sculptor Star Liana York's studio.

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

Star moved to Tierra Azul - just on the southern side of Abiquiu - seventeen years ago and she and her artist/designer husband Jeff Brock took acres and acres of land and a 100-year old adobe house and turned them into an artist's sanctuary. There is Star's two-story studio, Jeff's huge barn/studio, their charming one-story home, and a paddock and barn for the horses she raises and trains.

Over the years, the house has been renovated and expanded, but it still retains an intimate, homey feel.

And Star's distinctive work is scattered about the house and around the property.

Her studio is just down from the house, and it was built in this perfect spot to take advantage of the light, and to be near the horses that feed her soul.

"My studio is like a sanctuary for me," says Star, "the moment I step inside I have a different mindset."

The pasture-side of the studio is raised to accommodate loading large finished pieces on their way to be cast in bronze. No pulleys and lifts needed here.

And the inside of the studio is airy and bright, , brimming with clay sculptures in various stages of creation.

Currently she is smitten with bears. "They're a healing spirit animal," explains Star, who is creating a series called The Bear Dialogue.

"Each of my sculptures has a rhytmn of its own. There are pieces that have a 'fast birth' and others evolve slowly. And sometimes I begin a piece and have to get away for awhile. Some pieces just need more thought and time."

And then there is her line of silver jewelry. "I used to create sculptures in miniature," explains Star, "so the transition into making jewelry was a natural."

Star's husband Jeff is also a jewelry designer.

And he designs and builds race cars that are amazing looking and break land speed records at Bonneville to boot. Hence all the vintage cars and parts scattered around the property.