New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Throughout the years, the colorful “Rainbow” Petrified Wood of northeastern Arizona has always been a favorite of collectors and museums. So much so that a national park was developed to protect it, for all to enjoy. Lapidary projects have also evolved enhancing the beauty of this most colorful petrified wood material. This presentation is about the inspiration, development and creation of a Petrified Wood “Petting Forest.” Using 15 handpicked large petrified wood logs that are free-form sculptured and to be placed in the front courtyard of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology Mineral Museum. The sculptures feature highlighted polished surfaces that bring out the wide range of colors and patterns of this excellent petrified wood material.

Back in 2003 as my business partnership with Richard Overly and the Rio Grande Rock & Gems developed, we would sell at gem and mineral shows in New Mexico and Arizona. Richard and I had collected bucket loads of petrified wood from west of Los Lunas, New Mexico, in the Rio Puerco river valley. Now with all this material we needed a sales gimmick to utilize it for selling. Thus Richard Overlee came up with the idea of a “Pet Forest” featuring New Mexico petrified wood. Needless to say they didn’t sell very well though.

During this time Richard Overley and I staked our goethite mining claim, which yielded both specimen and lapidary material. Richard developed his skills on cabochons and I started on free-form goethite sculptures, accenting the hematite banding, which was in the Bursum/US-60 mine botryoidal material.

Dr. Virgil Lueth initially nicknamed Richard and I; Crusty and Rusty. As some of you know Virgil has a unique sense of humor. As my skills developed over time, the free-form goethite sculptures were taking on a beauty of their own. At a symposium tailgate social, Virgil commented about my turd polishing abilities! Anyway I took that turd polishing moniker as a compliment, because if one actually polished a turd that would be a testament of their skills! So after a while the brown goethite material got old and I took to sculpturing chrysocolla, malachite and petrified wood.

In June of 2016, Virgil asked me to put a shine on a small log piece of Arizona petrified wood. During that time I worked also on another piece I had at the shop. It had a nice starburst pattern to it and I donated it along with the finished piece Virgil had. While working on these pieces the idea struck me. The mineral museum needed a petrified wood “Petting Forest!” I mulled over the idea for a few months and finally approached Virgil with the concept. He fell for it immediately! So the thought was to purchase 10 to 12 large log sections for $10,000 and make free-form sculptures of them. Coincidently, on October 15, 2016, the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club was going on a field trip to the Dobell Ranch, 9274 Old US Hwy 80, Holbrook, AZ. Frank and Rhonda Dobell were the hosts on their private property right outside the Petrified Wood National Park. They also donated three pieces of petrified wood for this project and have since become close friends. One of them “Rhonda’s Rock” is in the below photo on the left.

So the 1,000s of photos taken during this year long project are for you enjoyment chronicling the effort of selecting, transporting, polishing and setting in place 15 free-form sculptured pieces of petrified wood to create the “Petting Forest.”

The “Petting Forest” project is inspired by the natural human desire to rub a smooth polished surface. So my mission is to put a shine on the world one rock at a time.

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