The sluggish sloth moves slowly inch by inch, yet it reaches our hearts. Found in the tropical
forests of Central and South America, sloths are tree dwellers. They can teach us to slow down
and appreciate life if we have the patience to listen to their silence. This beautiful creation arrived at the Carousel of Happiness in November 2023. Some of the ornamental carved animals are available to permanently adopt. Check out current adoption opportunites.
A Bradypus, or Sloth, am I
I live a life of ease…
idle as I please.~ Michael Flanders
Scott Harrison: “The day after watching a wonderful TV documentary on three-toed sloths, I drove to the hardwood store to buy a few boards of basswood. A few days later I went to see my friend, George Blevins, who created the drawings from which I carved most of the carousel animals over the last four decades. When he was finished, I knew that this would be my new favorite animal to carve. For me its relaxed “Mona Lisa” smile says, “Hey, slow down, buddy, it is ok for now”. The pose I chose for this sloth, hanging from one of the carousel rafters, upside down by her four feet, required me to carve her in three pieces and then put her together in place, and using a ladder, finish the carving and painting as it hung there during two days when the carousel would be closed.
I added two butterflies as it appeared to me that the sloth might need a friend or two to hang
with. My friend, Boulder metal sculptor Robert Bellows, created an organization called Warrior
Storyfield (https://www.warriorstoryfield.org/). He oversees a group of military veterans and others as they create two massive metal sculptures of a dragon and phoenix. These two
butterflies are from their shop.
