Irene Juliette Deely

Irene was born in a tiny Norwegian community of the Palouse Country in Eastern Washington. The rich traditions and beliefs of her Scandinavian background were woven into the simple life and beauty of the rolling wheat fields of her birth to influence a unique approach to art. Growing up later in the thickly wooded environment of the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains offered Irene an endless resource for creativity and development of an organic esthetic. Irene was encouraged throughout her formal education to pursue a wide variety of creative outlets, from dramatic costume and set design to fine-art applications. After extensive travel throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East, she returned home to complete a fine-arts degree with an emphasis in sculpture at Boise State University. Teaching art at the elementary and middle school levels for several years led eventually into full- time freelance pursuits. She is currently working as a metal sculptor in   her Garden City studio/gallery, where she fabricates welded steel work and sculpts models that are sent to Parks Bronze Foundry in Enterprise, Oregon, for casting. Much of her work is held in private collections through individual commissions. A large public welded steel work, "Commitment," may be seen in Eagle, Idaho. At present, Irene is developing designs ranging from a life-size representation of an Idaho pioneer to limited-edition bronzes and one-of-a-kind welded steel works. Purple Sage of Sun Valley, Brown's Gallery of Boise and Golden Pacific Arts in San Diego exhibit her work. Visits to her Studio and Gallery are invited, but an appointment is recommended.

Personal Reflections

I live and die every day in my studio because so much of my soul is spent in the process. After a full day of studio work, it feels like "the end" at many different levels, as welding burns, acrid air, metal grime and heaviness of the work take their toll as they combine with the effort to make the work communicate a personal emotion. I create primarily from intuition while applying the fine art training from my formal education. However, life experience, extensive travel and exposure to a variety of people and cultures are also inseparable from my art. A high degree of sensitivity with the subject matter, integrity of application and empathy with my audience are also kept in delicate balance during the creative process. The physical limitation of metal contributes its own challenge to this equation. While laboring under the welder's helmet to resolve these issues, it is not uncommon to lose all sense of time and place. This is when I really live.

I believe that growing up in a farming family instilled the work ethic of my Norwegian forbears and blessed me with the physical strength and tenacity that are essential for the discipline of a metal sculptor. Much of my early years were spent in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Living in the sunrise shadows of Cougar Mountain lent its own unique mystery to explore and nurture imagination in its endless world of forest and streams. Today, I do not live far from my roots. Still living at the edge of rugged mountain foothills, I make my home in the Boise Front, part of Idaho's claim to the Rocky Mountain Range. It is a major source of inspiration. Their dramatic silhouette dominates Boise's horizon. When the work of welding, grinding, or forging threatens to unnerve me, I am just a step away from lifting my eyes to their towering guard over my vulnerable world. That sight never ceases to revive.