Alexander F. Harmer: "...eulogist of
the beauties of the world."

by William Reynolds

That phrase aptly describes a special person in the history of early California and vaquero art. They were spoken by Alfred Douglas Harmer about his beloved father, and only begin to introduce the artistic and social contributions made by Alexander Harmer, an artist considered to be the first important painter of the West and a leader in California's art community of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Harmer was a pioneer in the portrayal of not only the "fantasy" of the West but of its reality with his depiction of the plains and its indigenous people. But his most popular contribution must lie within his collected works that celebrated the memories and visions of the people and ways of early California.

 
Through his photos, award winning photographer Myron Beck (Los Angeles, CA) inspires us to dream and embrace the beauty that surrounds us in the people we see, the environments in which we thrive and the diverse cultures that enrich our lives.  www.myronbeck.com
 

In a series of profiles, Smoke Signals takes a look at the women artisans working in the traditionally male world of the Western Lifestyle. This month, Smoke Signals chats with
 
Lisa Sorrell
Founder, owner and artisan
of Sorrell Custom Boots.

In a most engaging conversation with Lisa Sorrell, it became immediately evident that this woman is truly an artist passionate about her work - creating some of the most beautiful boots anyone's feet could ever don.

"I'm a boot maker, not a cowboy" is her opening statement. And how she stumbled into her craft is story of the most unlikely of circumstances. Lisa was raised in a strict religious community in Missouri akin perhaps the Amish. At an early age, Lisa began sewing her own clothes as what she was allowed to wear couldn't be "bought at Macy's." By the age of 15, she was an accomplished seamstress sewing clothes for women in the community. At the age of 20, she married and together she and her new husband moved to Oklahoma. Needing a job and knowing her talent for sewing, she answered an ad in the local paper for a position stitching boot tops. She had absolutely no idea what this was - had never heard of it before. But, her sewing skills landed her the job and she spent the next 1-1/2 years working with master boot maker and designer Jay Griffith. And the rest as they say, is history.

By 1996, she opened her own business which, as she tells it, could never have been done without the dedication and support of her husband Dale. Now, both wife and mother, her husband provided her the team support to develop her artistic design skills and begin marketing her rich creations. She began by making real working cowboy boots but her real love was creating what she calls "office boots" - the kind of boots men wear with the finest suits in professional environments. It was these "office boots" that brought her artistic talent to the forefront. In the most charming of statements, Lisa believes "cowboy boots are a way for men to wear high heels in bright colors."

Well done Lisa for in just 3 short years, her work was recognized and featured in Tyler Beard's hard-cover coffee table book, "The Art of the Boot" published by Gibbs Smith in 1999.

Today, Lisa's clients span the globe from Belgium to Buenos Aires. While the majority of her clients are men, the number of women she designs for is on the rise. She meets personally with each of her clients for custom fittings but more importantly so she can glean the personality of the person destined to wear them. Through that, she can create the design and incorporate the colors that will reflect the heart and "sole" of the wearer. "They aren't just a piece of footwear, they tell a story."

As a boot maker and an artist Lisa feels that "cowboy boots are the perfect representation of art and craft meeting." Today in her studio, she employs an apprentice but don't expect overnight results. The intense design work and craftsmanship that goes into each pair takes time. You can be sure, though, that they will be worth the wait!

Lisa Sorrell
Sorrell Custom Boots
217 E. Oklahoma Avenue
Guthrie, OK 73044
405-282-5464
www.customboots.net
customboots@aol.com

High Noon 2010 Dealer Update
from "T"

Dear High Noon Dealers,

It was great to see so many of you at the Cody Old West show in Denver. I'd been
to the Denver Merchandise Mart for many different events over the last 30+ years,
but that was the prettiest I'd ever seen it. Hats off to Brian and his show managers, Deb & Roz Broussard, and their decorator Chris Bailey & the Dynamic Events' crew.
Well done everyone!

We're back at the office in Los Angeles, and ready to put on our cowboy hats and get back to work. Linda
& I meet tomorrow to begin work on the 2010 High Noon show contracts. We expect them to go out at the end of August.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at the office: (310) 202-9010 or Theresa@highnoon.com

We'll see you down the trail,
Theresa

RG (Ron) Munn
Auctioneer, Savvy Indian Collector and Great Teller of Stories


After chatting with RG about the life and times of RG Munn, one's ribs hurt from laughing so hard. His experiences are vast, his collecting knowledge rich - 40 years in the business and 40,000 stories to share. So many it's hard to choose so let's begin and set the tone with the one about Olaf Weighorst...

Each month, Smoke Signals will give a little insight into who makes High Noon happen. This month we introduce you to Estee and Jeff Roll, treasured auction volunteers.

Estee & Jeff Roll
Treasured Friends, Family
and a Treasure Trove of Fun

In wrapping up the interview with Jeff, he took an aside and reflected: "A couple of months ago, Estee and I were on our way back from picking up some hay in town for our horses. My dog Sonny was in the back and Estee was at my side in the truck. Just driving along, I realized I have everything in life I ever dreamed of." Wow, not many of us can say that but it's hard to think of any two people more deserving of this happiness than our Jeff and Estee. Soulful, sincere, caring - just a few words that barely begin to do justice to this team of two that can have you crying tears of laughter from their irreverence or spellbound by their insightful views on life and how to live it to the fullest.

Just to be involved in the energy and spirit of High Noon - that's their motivation to come down off their New Mexico ranch high in the mountains and join us each year, VOLUNTEERING their time, working the grueling hours from opening auction preview, bidder registration, the auction itself and check out into the wee hours of the morning. They are there and they are smiling because they are happy just to be there and we are honored that they are.

How did this all happen? How did High Noon get so lucky? Since 1994, Jeff and Estee would escape their Los Angeles life and come each year to High Noon to add to their collections of the finest in Western and Indian and visit long-time friends. Admittedly not the biggest collectors (although Estee is a confessed shop-o-holic) they remember always being embraced by Joseph and Linda and everyone involved with High Noon. One year upon their arrival, they popped into the auction preview room and no one was there. So, being who they are, they asked Joseph if he wanted them to "hang out" for a bit and cover the area. "Great - that would really help - thanks!" Three days later, they're still "covering the preview room...oops." And that's how it began - a High Noon snafu begets a life-long friendship with two of the worlds genuine gems.

Speaking of gems, let's look at Estee and the fabulous jewelry she creates. Yup, she's a "beadiac!" It's "hobby run amuck" she says as she watches you flip through her catalog of page after page of absolutely gorgeous beaded necklaces - all one of a kind works of art that rival any of today's noted jewelry artisans. She's also a show producer in her own right coordinating a monthly outdoor artist's market in their community near Santa Fe. Conveniently, the perfect opportunity to promote her own line of jewelry which is donned by stylish women from across the Southwest.

A look into Jeff reveals the unexpected. Shy and reserved and reluctant to talk about himself, very few of us know what a power house in the ad agency biz he was throughout his career. Always a bit of a renegade (explains why the Air Force didn't ask him to re-up when he was young) his intrinsic artistic ability was quickly recognized by the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles followed by a stellar career as Art Director in one of the "big 2" Los Angeles agencies. You don't get to be on a first name basis with the president of Porsche or Volkswagen unless you make really nice commercials. You also don't win a Cannes Silver Lion Award for being mediocre. When asked what he won the Cannes award for? In typical Jeff style (with a sparkle in his eye) the response is "Oh, for some stupid TV commercial I did." When asked if he still has the award? "I asked Estee a while ago if it was still around. She said, 'yeah, somewhere in a box'. " You know darn well she knows exactly where it is. She also knows that this was Jeff's work, not the heart and soul of the man she loves. Today, who they really are is reflected in the life they share, now miles from Los Angeles on their ranch in the New Mexico mountains, surrounded by their horses, their dogs and cats, their friends and each other. "Our dreams have come true."

And for us, our dream has come true - they are and always will be part of our family.

Interested in wearing some of Estee's amazing jewelry?
Email her for more info and photos:
jerancho@cybermesa.com