Page 56 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2024 - Online Magazine

LOCAL LEGENDS

Artist
The

AT THE FORGE

R.G. Box

by Gayle Willson

R.G. and Biscuit

a shotgun. R.G. has been featured
University of Texas at San Antonio mascot, Rowdy
in the Texas Country Reporter, the
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, and
a UTSA article. You can read
more about him on his webpage,
pecanderosaforge.com.

The talented artist was born in
Oklahoma City in 1934 and moved
to Lubbock in 1936. He graduated
from Lubbock High and attended
Texas Tech. R.G. then moved to Big
Spring to work as a welder in the
oil field. Oil rigs were built on the
ground and then erected, requiring
welders to crawl to the top to secure
“ he Village Blacksmith,” R.G. has created works as small as the joints.
by Henry Wadsworth leaves and as large as 812 lbs. His R.G., his wife, Janie, and four
TLongfellow, sets the perfect roadrunner named Rowdy is six daughters: Kathy, Leslie, Julie
stage to introduce R.G. Box, a true feet tall and has 960 hand-designed and Kristi, settled in Del Norte,
artist at the forge, putting a bit of feathers. The massive sculpture took Colorado. He continued as a welder,
himself in each piece he designs. “A 6 ½ months to complete and was but this time in the construction
blacksmith does all the iron work commissioned because Rowdy is the industry. He also enjoyed wilderness
himself. If he wants a certain design, mascot for the University of Texas at living, sometimes escaping by
he puts a piece of steel in his forge San Antonio. himself on a horse with a pack
and heats it to around 2000 degrees, mule for a couple of weeks at a
puts it on his anvil, and hammers R.G. has been a Grand Hearing time. He enjoyed ax throwing and
on it. He can heat and hammer Center family member since we even stitched his own buckskins.
this piece many times to get what began working with him in 2012, With his family’s help, he built their
he wants.” Inspired by nature and we continue to enjoy his stories 5,000 sq. ft. home in Del Norte.
1
and employing his talented hands, and humor with each visit. He also
loves hunting quail and dove with The Boxes returned to Lubbock

56 Lubbock Senior Link