A Beautiful Root Canal

A couple years ago I needed a complex root canal and I knew just who to call. Prior to my urgent dental care needs, Dr. Heather Sulte, DDS of Aspen Endondontics had asked me at an art show opening if I would be interested in working on some pieces for her new dental office. At the time my plate was more than full, but after some production schedule juggling, completing my senior project for my degree and after the left side of my face didn't throb anymore, I was able to create 4 large pieces that would be featured in custom recessed boxes, complete with spot lighting in her new office space. The whole office is professionally elegant and Heather’s design ideas and architectural décor has been both privately and professionally recognized. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to see that the Winter edition of Alaska Home magazine is featuring her office in an article and I am very flattered to be included in the story! Unfortunately, this particular article does not have a quick link to the entire story on the magazine’s website, but here is an excerpt from the article about the artwork;

“At Home In The Office –by Mara Severin

Art That’s Not An Afterthought

The bold and brilliant artworks by Cindy Shake, hanging in the back offices, echo the autumnal theme and are clearly anything but an afterthought. They shine, literally and figuratively, throughout the office. Heather was long familiar with the artist whose work hung in her father’s practice (also a dentist). During construction, she approached Cindy at Half Moon Creek gallery and asked her to consider creating some custom work. At the time, Cindy was too busy to commit. But Heather was not to be disappointed for long. Two weeks later the artists called her.

“She said, ‘I have to come see you for a root canal.” Bad news, perhaps, for Cindy, but good news for Heather who was able to commission the works after all. Both artist and dentist agreed that, “It was fate.” Cindy came to see the offices while they were under construction and designed her work to fit the specific wall spaces. The results are stunning, shimmering, iridescent sculptures of leaves and fauna. Using rich and vivid palette of copper and steel, the pieces convey the beauty of autumn and the promise of spring. They are arresting and complex, transforming the offices into a min-gallery.”

Thank you Dr. Sulte for the fantastic commission opportunity (and relatively painless root canal!) and thank you Ms. Severin for the kind words in the article and special thanks to my friend Heather Thamm for the professional photos.