Pat Haptonstall, CA
(1943-1995)
Pat Haptonstall was born in Cedaredge, Colorado, in 1943. His natural talent and artistic eye manifested themselves at an early age. By the time he was six years old, he was already spending much of his time drawing. As a young boy, he suffered from asthma, so his parents moved the family to Prescott, Arizona, hoping that the climate would help improve his health. At age sixteen, Haptonstall won a statewide competition and received the Arizona Scholastic Art Exhibit Award. Thus began his life of artistic pursuits.
For twelve years, Haptonstall worked at foundries around Prescott, learning the technical aspects of creating a bronze. As an artist, however, he was largely self-taught through his own observations and the study of past masters. Haptonstall continuously sought to hone his sculpting skills and achieve both technical and spiritual perfection in his work. When Haptonstall was once asked to describe the process that he used to select his subjects, he said, “Sometimes I spend more time working on an idea than on the piece that results. I might think about it for two years before a way to do it in a fresh, distinct way comes to mind.”
By 1980, Haptonstall began to pursue his art full time. He became a member of the Cowboy Artists of America in 1986. In 1987, the CAA asked for a volunteer to create a new awards medal, and Haptonstall accepted the challenge. The medal he designed is still being presented annually at the CAA show in gold and silver as awards for the two best pieces in each medium.
Haptonstall himself received a silver medal at his first CAA show for his bronze entitled, Settlin’ the Dust. In 1993, he received a gold medal for Simple Pleasures. He was an active member of the Cowboy Artists of America for eight years. During that time, Haptonstall served on a number of committees, participated in all the CAA shows, and attended every Trail Ride but one.
Source: The Cowboy Artists of America
Where Time Stands Still
Artist: Pat Haptonstall, CA (1943-1995)
Description: Bronze (1993) | 18 ½”h x 17”w x 9”d; Edition #11 of 18
Haptonstall gave great thought to his sculptures, painstakingly working out the details of composition before actually beginning the sculpting process. He once said that he might contemplate an idea for a bronze for two years before beginning to sculpt. In this piece, he placed a reflective Navajo man, seated with hat in hand just at the feet of his saddled horse. There is an air of peace and tranquility to both rider and horse that as the title suggests was Haptonstall’s intention. “Where Time Stands Still” took home the Silver Medal in sculpture at the 28th Annual Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition & Sale at the Phoenix Art Museum in 1993.
Arizona Ranger
Artist: Pat Haptonstall, CA (1943-1995)
Description: Bronze (1995) | 14 ½”h X 7”w x 6”d; Edition #3 of 35
Pat Haptonstall was largely self-taught learning his craft through experimentation, practice and close observation of his preferred subjects, the historic and contemporary West. Born in Colorado, but moved to Prescott as a teen, there he learned the process of lost wax bronze casting by working in foundries for a decade. He became a member of the Cowboy Artists of America in 1986. “Arizona Ranger” presents the rugged and lean figure of a frontier lawman with rifle in hand and six gun on his hip.
The group’s early origins began with the Arizona Territorial Rangers in 1860 to help protect against Apache raiding parties, but were disbanded just two years later after the arrival of the confederate army. During an 1882 attempt to reestablish the group, it was once again disbanded due to a lack of funding. Then, in 1901-1909, modeled after the Texas Rangers, the Arizona Rangers were reauthorized to assist in ending the lawlessness as well as cattle rustling that was rampant in the region. In 1957 a few surviving members reestablished the group. Today, the group remains an unpaid, all volunteer, non-profit organization that provides support and civilian assistance to law enforcement. For a complete history visit https://azrangers.us/history