Richard Carpenter

About me? Hmmm... Well, I was born and raised in Whittier, California. My name is Richard Carpenter and I knew since the fourth grade that I wanted to be an artist. I took every art class I could through high school until 1974. Then it was off to find a job (several jobs actually!) to try and make a living. My dad, whom I had spent little time with since the fourth grade, was in poor health, and asked my brothers, my sister, and I to move to Idaho on several occasions. Help take care of things, he would say. By 1990, I was sick of the city life, and thought it would be a great time to get to know the dad I never had. That is what brought me to Idaho. We spent one wonderful year together, before he passed away. In Idaho, I met a fantastic lady, April, who asked me if I could do anything I wanted to for a living, what would I like to do? Wow, I would love to devote my life to my passion for art! That is it, an Artist! April said, you are an Artist and if you will seriously commit to this, I will stand behind you all the way. Let's do this! Neither one of us had any money. Living 22 miles from our little 1 stop light town, we had to use materials we could find for our art supplies, (living along the Salmon River we have been blessed with many art worthy finds), and so living on a thin and worn shoestring budget, and all this natural beauty around us, the creativity started and has not stopped. I remember a friend giving me some old broken antler, and I had one Dremel tool, a few bits, and a lot of desire, so I started carving earrings, hatpins, bolos, pendants, and buckles. April also did art and would assemble the antler jewelry in her own style. We would drive from town to town and sell our art. Gas was cheaper then! With hunting, fishing, gardening, working forest fires in the summer, and Art, we've managed to survive. When April got cancer in 1999, I would sell our work in the streets of Montana so we could stay in a motel during her treatments. I would carve in the parking lot of the motel. April could no longer do her half of the jewelry, art and sales. We could no longer afford to travel so I taught myself the computer and started sell things on eBay. Found the button collectors and carved buttons for my bread and butter for 5 or 6 years. When the bills were caught up, I'd work on my bigger pieces. My prize art pieces are my one of a kind PINE NEEDLE BEARS. Each one has its own unique character. My life size, hand woven BEAR took me 8 months to create, and has been introduced around the world. He is set up in a lovely Ponderosa Pine display case, with lighting. This BEAR has been in a Teddy Bear Scene Magazine out of the U.K. Also has been on display at I.S.U., on television newscasts, Newspaper articles, and filed in the archives of the Folk Art Institute. Currently, April is now an 8 year survivor. She does not pursue her art at this time due to Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and Osteoporosis, but feels blessed that most her family has moved close and she gets to live in the country. However... it would be nice to snowbird it now and get her in a warmer climate during the winter.' Maybe....someday. Ripley's Believe it to Not! made me an offer for my Large Bear. $15,000 just didn't seem fair. Sounds good hour wise for 8 months work. Just doesn't seem fair for what April and I went through in my pursuit to accomplish a new art. The sacrifices we made and are still making because of it. We still just pay the bills and we're grateful we can do that. Many artists never reach that point where they can make a living with their art. I Wish I could offer April more, but we both feel blessed we have what we have and we did it our way. I thank God for my talents and you for your appreciation.