December 5, 2018

Local artist finds inspiration in the badlands

Local artist finds inspiration in the badlands

By Betsy Ryan
Farmer Staff Writer

When Kortney Beth Wilson came across the skull of a pot belly pig on a friend’s farm outside of Reno, Nev., she had an idea.
Years earlier Wilson had seen an artist who had taken the skulls of wild horses and added crystals and other details and placed them in boutiques around town. She loved the idea, the honor and remembrance it evoked.
Kortney picked up that pig skull and took it home. She carried it around with her for another five years before she finally caught the vision of what she wanted to do with it.
In the meantime, while the skull sat on her dresser, Kortney was hard at work, developing her passion of art.
At an early age, she began drawing. Her grandfather is an artist, her mother and sister draw and paint and her father creates art through wood working. There was never a shortage of creativity and imagination in her Nevada home.
“It took me a long time to learn how to be my own artist,” Kortney explained. “I spent so long trying to create what I thought other people wanted. It was freeing once I leaned into my own vision.”

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