STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Casey Horn transforms calligraphy and brushwork into sculpture.

His flawless lines take shape in bronze to create three-dimensional depictions of the characters for “friend” and other character attributes. And his wall sculptures do the same, evoking attributes like hope, charity and strength.

“The idea is to encourage the heart,” said Horn, who hails from Denver.

Horn’s bronze sculptures with stainless steel flourishes are on display this weekend at the Artisans Invitational Show. The show, which opened Friday, continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6, on Ketchum’s Fourth Street between East and Walnut avenues.

Artists are donating 10 percent of their sales to the Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center near Bellevue.

The show features a variety of art including Denver oil painter Tate Hamilton’s scenes of Paris and New York, which he says emphasize movement; Shani Solomon’s silk skirts featuring Japanese block printing, Anja’s stretchy clothing, Cathryn Martinez’ 18-karat and 22-karat fine jewelry and Anne London’s portraits of elephants and giraffes (see Eye on Sun Valley’s July 31 story “Artisans Invitational Artist Has to Paint Fast in the Bush”).

Horn apprenticed in sheet metal fabrication, welding and foundry processes while earning a certificate in mechanical drafting. But it was the study of ancient Japanese calligraphy—and the meaning behind the forms—that emerged as his subject matter.

His wall sculptures feature branches dotted with flowers.

Horn twists thin bronze rods together like rope, then melts them into a twig or branch with a torch. Then he adds stainless steel flowers to each branch, with sun blossoms signifying hope; chrysanthemums, honor, and orchids, purity.

Another unique sculptor in the show is Pat Nichols a Boise artist who is constantly filing for patents for his next new ideas.

Nichols—a man after Dr. Seuss’s heart, has created a variety of eye popping lamps, night lights, wall hanging and pond sculptures that captivate children, as much as adults.

Among them: Ishrooms, the modern-day equivalent of the 1960s’ Lava Lamps.

The lamps, created of aluminum casting and painted with automotive for a unique effect, spiral up from their base in something reminiscent of a romp through Dr. Seuss land. Inside are animated LEDS that pulsate. The lamps even emote music.

Nichols’ Psyflower sunflowers are made of cast resin with optical LED lights controllable by smart phone. And his night lights made of resin offer owners the opportunity to display baby pictures, wedding pictures—even flies.

“I’m an inventor as much as an artist. And I take part in a couple shows a year, not necessarily just to sell my pieces but to share my ideas and see what people think,” he said.

Sun Valley’s own Lisa Holley is showing new horse and hummingbird portraits in her “You Are What You Eat” series. She’s hard on work at sea otters—California sea otters, in particular—because they’re so cute.

“It turns out there are more than 30 different sea otters,” said Holley, who also has new scarves featuring her artwork. “And they eat a hundred different things.”

Hailey artist Diane Dick, meanwhile is trotting out some new works in her line of animal portraits, including a deer she’s titled “Oh Dear” and a chipmunk simply titled “Chippee.”

Nature seems to be a popular theme this year with Vicki Banks and Paul Shardlow bringing a line of nature paintings and sculptures from their homes in Southern California and Maine.

Banks does block printing by hand. Rather than use a press, she creates the image using a wooden spoon.

She also crafts one-of-a-kind bronze castings, which feature feathered wonders, such as raptors and turkey vultures, as well as crows and ravens pecking away on a typewriter or hanging out on a water pump.

“My daughter is a biologist who takes care of California condors in Arizona that are bred at the Peregrine Center in Boise,” she said. “I like birds for their entertainment quality. They have many anthropomorphic qualities. Some owls look like little Napoleons. And when people tell me how noisy crows are, I ask them, ‘Have you ever been to a restaurant on Saturday night? We’re like that.’ ”

Banks hopes that people will come to see the value of birds as they view her work.

“The turkey vulture, for instance is awesome but endangered. And we would lose a lot if we lost them,” said Banks, whose email is “vulturesculpture.” “Especially in places like Africa. If there are no vultures  around to clean up, we’ll see an increase in botulism and other diseases.”