Day 22: Dan Klennert's studio is easy to spot if you're driving up to Mount Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance. Two miles out of Elbe, you'll see a lifesize metal giraffe standing by the side of the road. It's not the kind of thing you could drive past without noticing, and that's just your introduction to "Recycled Spirits of Iron." Dan is a man of considerable talent. He has the ability to visualize the shapes of things out of their normal context, and to assemble them into very recognizable forms. He works primarily in recycled metal and "found" driftwood (of which there is no shortage in Alder Lake).
Dan and I have known each other for something like twenty-five years. I stopped by his studio today, stuck my head in the door and yelled, "You home?" A faint voice answered me from somewhere deep among shelves of nails, bolts, rake heads, gears, pipes, chain, wrenches, fittings and whatnots (strangely including a tiered crystal candelabrum). I ventured further in, peering into nooks and crannies in the hopes of catching the sculptor in a creative pose. When I finally found him, I was somewhat disappointed. He was working on an ATV, engaged in the purely mundane mechanics of repair. When I asked if he'd mind if I took a few shots inside the studio, he apologized for the chaos. He'd been bringing the more delicate pieces indoors for the winter.
He went back to his work and left me to prowl around at my leisure. I had taken quite a few photos and was getting ready to leave when I noticed the light on this driftwood horse where it stood in a darkened corner. For once, I had my tripod with me, so I was able to capture the moment in HDR.
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