Photo by Donna Elliot
After the Harmony Monument sign was damaged last year, the Art Alliance of Idyllwild commissioned David Roy to design and install a new one. Roy is the artist who created the monument. Harmony is a wooden sculpture that weighs 5 tons and towers 25 feet over Idyllwild’s village center.
Roy has lived in Idyllwild off and on for 24 years, putting his talent to work as an artist working with wood and chainsaws. He worked for five years on Harmony and completed it in July 2012.
The inspiration for his creation was endangered species. That is why the California condor and the grizzly bear feature prominently. His favorite part is the mountain lion.
Four large cedar trees were glued together to create a raw block into which these life-sized native animals were carved. It is a tribute to Gorilla Glue. In fact, Gorilla Glue features Idyllwild’s monument as one of their “Tough Stories” and as one of the largest projects using their products. They dubbed it a “monumental task.”
When the monument was dedicated, Roy said, “The work represents the balance of nature and the harmony of Idyllwild’s inhabitants.”
Nearly every day, visitors honor this work of art by lining up for photographs with it.
The new 4-foot-by-8-foot sign has 13 characters on it: A raven, a squirrel, a raccoon and other native birds add color and significance to the sign. Of special interest is the stone-colored wooden bench at the base of the sign with a realistic sculpture of a rattlesnake and gecko. David Roy has spent the last two months creating this new photo opportunity for visitors.
AAI owns the monument and sign, and it shares the responsibility of maintenance with the Rotary Club.
