Cary Schwarz Custom Saddles

Old School Craftsmanship and Artistry

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Work, or Play?

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It was September 23, 2010. I was settled into my seat in the front row of the historic Egyptian theater in downtown Boise. The theater was classic architecture with an exotic twist. Painted Egyptian figures and statuary gave the interior an other-worldly flavor. I thought about how wild the week had been…and it wasn’t over […]

Leadership

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In the spring of 2009 I visited France with my friend and colleague Pedro Pedrini. We spent most of our time in Saumur where the Ecole d’Application is located. This is a horse facility that traces its beginnings to Napoleon Bonaparte. To this day, it is an integral part of officer’s training in the French […]

Traditional Cowboy Arts

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I just received word that my saddle arrived safe and sound at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. This was one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever completed. What a great opportunity as an artist and a craftsman! Make plans now to attend our opening weekend (Cowboy Crossings) in the middle of October. […]

One, or Two?

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He had occasionally given me a bit of trouble before on these back feet, but this spring he became more resistant. I’d been trying more of the kinder, gentler approach to handling his feet and it wasn’t working. In my efforts to make him softer, he was getting tougher.  I finally decided to build more […]

Working Without a Net

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It was exactly thirty years ago in “The Little Red Barn” on Main Street , Bozeman, Montana. I was working for Rocky Mountain Saddle Company owned by Frank Ford doing mostly repair work. It was a sticky Montana summer spent hunched over used saddles in the back of a renovated barn. In the front was […]

Maple Leaves, not Mapplethorpe…

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Maple leaves have always been a favorite of mine. I built this saddle for an arena roper in SoCal a few years back. I will always consider this a design that was one of my best. I invite you to focus on the scrolls on this side jockey. I have to admit that the placing […]

Paperwork

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The great spur maker John Ennis once remarked that one difference between  a visual artist and a craftsman is that the work begins after the drawing is finished. Unless you’re endowed with the phenomenal skill of say, Sam Maloof, working designs out on paper is a good idea. Many leather craftsmen work out their floral […]

Bill Owen

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History will consider Bill Owen one of the finest cowboy artists of his time. Bill lived the cowboy life and interpreted that  life accurately for all of us to enjoy. I have had to evaluate shows with Bill’s work in them and have found that he not only mastered the medium of oils, as well […]

Floral Design II by Schwarz Productions

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Cary Schwarz and Schwarz Productions (TJ Schwarz) presents something for beginner and advanced leather carvers. This DVD is a tutorial that breaks down the design-on-paper into bite sized pieces. It is a series of exercises where the viewer, with pencil and sketchbook in hand follow line-for-line a variety of flowers, leaves and scrolls. These exercises […]

…and a horse and rider appeared in the west.

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It was June 6, 1944. Allied forces, primarily American, British, and Canadian cracked the “Atlantic Wall” Hitler had established in anticipation of just such an invasion. It was the largest concentration of military personnel and materiel in history and will likely never be repeated. The first wave of soldiers landing at Omaha Beach was especially […]