Totems by Fine Arzt

In early spring last year, I was lucky enough to almost literally stumble upon a totem pole created by Elisabeth Arzt. I went looking for the artist to chat about the possibility of a small-scale commission for my mother's 80th birthday which was coming up in September, 2011. My mother is a great admirer of the Pacific Northwest and its art, and I thought I might have an opportunity to create something really special for her.

Elisabeth Arzt radiated energy and creativity, but was also approachable, agreeable and reasonable. We chatted in person, then corresponded via email. In July, I visited Seattle and the Burke Museum on the University of Washington campus, and took a variety of photos of Pacific Northwest art, both contemporary and historic, and sent batches of them to Elisabeth with some notes about what I liked and what I thought my mother would like. My brother, who was in London, was also part of the discussion.

The creative exchange was delightful. Elisabeth was excited by the ideas and send me sketches. She was very accommodating about my quirks and desires. In the end, she added a dimension to our totem that I hadn't thought possible, wings!

Elisabeth delivered the totem herself on the weekend of my mother's birthday. Meeting the artist was also a thrill for my mother. The end result exceeded any possible expectations we had (and we had pretty high hopes). It's a once in a lifetime kind of present that reflects some very personal wishes on all sides, artist, gift givers and recipient. I can't imagine a better experience.

Now I'm craving one of Elisabeth's epic chairs ... with hints going out to people for my milestone birthday in 2015.

Mary K., Potomac, MD