Use the selections at the left to see all the materials Charlotte works with...
Charlotte's latest creations include a large variety of mesquite crosses.
Each handmade cross is unique because every piece of mesquite has its own personality
Charlotte's mesquite crosses can be purchased at theseGalleries
Contact Charlotte this Christmas Season for custom size crosses e-mail
Charlotte Rufenacht, a native West Texan, creates a wonderful variety of art from the natural materials found in the Concho Valley, her birthplace. Working from an old Santa Fe railroad boxcar converted to a studio, Charlotte has been creating a unique style of mesquite crosses plus pottery, wood and metal crafting for over twenty-five years.
Charlotte's Mesquite crosses are handmade, cut from local mesquite trees and are hand finished in her studio and workshop.
Custom sizes may be ordered directly by phone and e-mail. Pickup is at my shop. Call or e-mail for details.
Found locally, Charlotte's raw material consists primarily of wood obtained from native trees that have died by natural processes such as lighting, drought, flood, disease, and so forth.
All of these processes, combined with the sometimes-harsh West Texas climate, have their effects on the trees, creating incredibly beautiful colors, shapes, and patterns.
This beauty is not visible at first, but through a deductive process-that is, by peeling away layer after layer, it can become visible. Charlotte's role in this process is simply to reveal the beauty created by God.
"My desire to create, like my talent, is a gift from God. For me, making art, regardless of the materials or techniques involved, is the same thing as breathing - it is a physiological necessity."
