P. O. BOX 185
Shelby, Montana 59474
Phone: 406-434-2029
"Unique Antler Products"
| | R. G. "Ray" WALLER P. O. BOX 185 Shelby, Montana 59474 Phone: 406-434-2029 "Unique Antler Products"
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 | Ray grew up in eastern Montana on the Medicine Lake National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. His love and knowledge of nature began showing through his art work at a very early age. In fifth grade he made a set of water color flower paintings for his grandmother. Oil paint came next. As the years passed, he tried pen and ink sketches, wood inlays, chalks and murals, but none of these satisfied him. Then he found his true love in sculpting, which is now reflected in bronze, wood and antler. Through all of this, Ray found he was born 100 years too late. His other passion is the Mountain Man Era. He owns his own teepee and lives in it whenever he can. His art now recaptures this time period whenever possible. |
Graduate of Medicine Lake High School -- Class of 1968
Private Chalk Lessons -- 1982
Private Sculpting Lessons -- 1984
Private Woodcarving Lessons -- 1992 and 1993
Chainsaw Sculpture Seminar -- 1993
After private lessons in sculpting in 1984, Ray created his first clay sculpture. Several models later, he developed "Crusifixion of Royalty", his first bronze. This has been included in a 1990 art exhibit at the Jewish Center of the Arts, Denver, Colorado, and has also won merit awards at St. Maries, Idaho. -- Art on the Green. He has three other bronzes on the market at this time.
During the summer of 1992, 18 chainsaw sculptures were bought by a private business from Ray and then marketed in Maryland. From these sculptures came orders to create sculptures in beams of log homes. Several of these appear in homes in the Dillion, Montana, area.
In November of 1991, Ray began working with antlers. From one single line of feather earrings, the creation has unfolded into a full time business not only for himself, but for his wife, Johnine, as well -- known as "Mountain Feathers".
A very diversified artist, Ray creates carvings using either bronze, wood or antler -- all unique and each one individual. Due to the unique media and the guaranteed high quality of workmanship, "Mountain Feathers" has evolved from small summer craft shows to requests and acceptances from large metropolitan craft shows to appear in their shows. "Mountain Feathers" has a part-time broker and thirty some wholesale accounts of our own. From a backyard carving and kitchen table assembly line, we are now in a full sized workshop with our own mail order catalogue in progress.
