Cowboy Art Talk #1: Wilson Capron, Carol Gessell, Ernie Marsh and John Willemsma

Bit and spur makers Wilson Capron and Ernie Marsh and saddlemaker John Willemsma, artists featured in Cowboy Craft: Traditional Art of the West, will present on the history and intricacies of their highly specialized practices.

The bit and spur are essential means of communication between a horse and its rider, creating a strong connection. The making of these objects requires meticulousness in conjunction with artistry. The forging of mouthpieces, the filing of bit shanks, and the engraving of heel bands all require a mastery of metals and design, with a practical knowledge of the elements of effective tack.

Similarly the iconic Western saddle symbolizes the connection between horse and rider. Saddle making requires finely-honed skills; from the initial design of the saddle to the meticulous carving and stitching of leathers, to constructing the structural layers in between.

Wilson Capron grew up on ranches in West Texas and has studied horsemanship and roping since his youth. In 1996, Capron began working for a friend’s father, legendary bit and spur maker Greg Darnall. Darnall’s encouragement for Capron to learn engraving sparked a passion for craftsmanship that continues today.

Carol Gessell was given a little Tandy leather kit as a child. Though she put the kit away when she got older, she pulled it out again years later to make tack for real horses. Gessell started her own custom leather business around 1998, and by 1999 she was able to focus on working leather full-time. Shortly after, she began to build saddles. In 2017, Gessell was the recipient of a TCAA Fellowship. Gessell became the first full TCAA member who is a female.

Ernie Marsh has been a bit & spur maker and western silversmith since 1990. As a founding member of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association he has exhibited work annually at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City since 1999.

John Willemsma has been building quality saddles for forty-six years. He has had the great fortune of being able to study under some of today’s greatest craftsmen, such as Don King, Dale Harwood and Chuck Stormes. In 1986 John opened LJ’s Saddlery with a desire to build and design saddles that meet the needs of working cowboys, horsemen and women.

As members of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association they are committed to the continuation of their crafts for generations to come and to grow public awareness and education of the arts. The presentation will conclude with a Q & A—a chance to ask a real cowboy about their craft and culture.