Meet Joe Arnold of The Sacred Art Garden in Estes Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Arnold.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Joe. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I came to my artistic vision later in life. I worked as an engineer for the National Park Service for 38 years. It was a great place to be an engineer because my work was in a beautiful environment. But I always bristled at the bureaucracy and regulations and codes and wanted to do something more creative.

In 2007 I created my first large scale art installation for Burning Man and in subsequent years I got grants and support from Burning Man for my art. Burning Man was incredibly liberating for me. I could do anything I wanted and they were supportive and non-judgmental – no codes, no regulations, no bureaucracy! So that opened the creative doors.

But I wanted to do something more personal and spiritual. Whenever I’d travel to shrines, and temples and cathedrals around the world I’d be inspired by the idea of how we as humans are always reaching for the heavens through our art and architecture. Obviously, I couldn’t build the Sagrada Familia or the Temple of Heaven, but I could make my own sacred place and fill it with shrines and prayer wheels, and prayer stones. So that is what I have been doing: making personal sacred spaces for gardens and homes.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have been lucky to have the support I needed to pursue my art. The Burning Man grants were a major affirmation that people saw value in what I do. And my girlfriend, Deedee Hampton, also an artist, has been very supportive in helping me refine my artistic vision and offering encouragement.

I enjoy the challenges of learning new processes and materials for my art. When I started out I didn’t really have the tools to create the prayer wheels or have a clear vision of what to make them out of. Now after much trial and error, I have refined the process and finishes and materials. Early on, particularly when trying to make patinas I’d have to start all over when something didn’t turn out the way I wanted. But that’s what makes art interesting: learning new things and exploring new horizons.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Sacred Art Garden – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I create personal sacred spaces – prayer wheels, shrines and prayer stones for homes and gardens. The idea for the prayer wheels came from seeing Buddhist prayer wheels in Ladakh and Nepal and Bhutan. Buddhists put scrolls of mantras (prayers) inside the drums of the wheels and then they are spun to be sent out into the world for manifestation.

My prayer wheels are similar but I can create bespoke embellishments to represent the spiritual interests of the client. Prayer is common to all religions so I have made prayer wheels with Buddhist script, secular themes, the Virgin of Guadelupe, Wiccan symbols, and Hindu gods. I also make shrines for religious statues and other sacred objects.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m finishing several large prayer wheels that are more personal for my own garden. One I call the Life Story prayer wheel: it will have eight painted scenes from life from childhood through old age and will represent my beliefs about spirit and the journey of the soul. It’s big: about 6 feet in diameter and 14 feet tall. And it will be a challenge for me because I have never painted scenes this large before. But I like challenges and learning so this will be a fun project.

Pricing:

• My prayer wheels range from $350 for a small interior wheel to $2,000 for large custom copper exterior wheels.
• I also sell mani (prayer) stones for $100 to $200
• My shrines are all bespoke and range from $1,000 and up

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesacredartgarden.com
• Phone: 303.884.8123
• Email: joearnoldart@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Joe Arnold

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