King George School "Under the Prairie Sky" collaborative Sculpture progress

I am working on the King George School "Under the Prairie Sky" collaborative project right now.  It is an incredible experience working with the King George School community.   The students researched what was on their school grounds before their school existed and determined what elements (grasses, animals, trees etc) they would like represented in the sculpture to show what they had learned.


Then the students spent 3 days hammering textures on the laser cut aluminum aspen leaves.  


12 students visited my studio to check up on the progress back at the end of June.  It was fun to have them out and be able to share with them the progress, techniques and equipment.  I appreciated their visit very much and was excited by how interested they all were.  


Maryse Samson, Principal, came out last Sunday and helped out shearing some extra aspen leaf forms.  These are going to be used to fill in spaces where only a portion of a leaf is needed.


Here are some pictures of the progress to date, newest at the top.  So far I have used 400 rivets and I am not quite 1/2 done the riveting yet.

The Red Tailed Hawk with leaves positioned.  Not all the rivets are set yet. I used a particular texture for the red tailed hawk to make it stand out.  The textures will show more once I have put the finish on.

The aluminum round bars are a combination of  5/8' and 1/2 "

Welded Aluminum framework on the side that I still have to plasma cut the backing for.   It's not as heavy right now if I work on only one half first. There is an aluminum flat bar that goes around the sculpture 1/4" thick.

The very first rivets set through the aspen leaves and into the backing plate - they are not oxidized (blackened finish) yet. I had to flatten and anneal them first.

Some tools to set the rivets - drill, riveting hammer, aspen leaves and rivets.  Not shown is the rivet set.

 Rivet Set

Hammering Stations that the students worked on to hammer on textures to the aspen leaves

One half of the plasma cut backing for the sculpture

Plasma cutting the backing plate

Working drawing of the final design with the students input - bison rubbing stone, red tailed hawk, native spirit, chinook wind, aspen tree, fescue grasses, sulphur chrysalis butterfly, weasel

My original design to generate ideas - it was a sculpture a la carte, buy by the bird, small mammal, large mammal etc. I designed it to make it easier for students to fit the sculpture to their research results and their budget.

The King George Private Blog

Hi Teachers - The King George Private Blog address is:

http://kinggeorgeschoolproject.blogspot.com/

You will have to be invited to be a reader.  Please use your cbe email address to request being added by emailing Geoff at cgsandhurst@shaw.ca and you can always change it to your personal address when you receive your invitation. Cheers, Corinne for Geoff Sandhurst

King George Students and Teachers

Dear King George School Staff, Students and Community Members:

It was a fabulous three day hammering session!  It's exciting to actually be working on the sculpture together now and have the design phase complete.

I am delighted to be getting some questions about the sculpture we are collaborating on at King George School and I am putting the answers on the King George private blog for Teachers to access and show their students.  Its a private blog for us to communicate on.  If you are a teacher and would like to post your students comments and view the blog, just email me your CBE email address.  I have added some of the teachers already.  Also, if you can't remember how to access it, just email me at cgsandhurst@shaw.ca.

If you are a parent or community member with questions, you are welcome to post your questions here or ask your child's teacher to ask the question on your behalf on the private King George School blog.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Geoff

Media Release by King George School Council May 3, 2011

Media Release

May 3, 2011

For further information contact: Jodi Dixon, Naturalization Committee, King George School Council, tel: 403 401 2420 Lara Olson, Schoolgrounds Committee,King George School Council, tel: 403 619-9105 

 “Under the Prairie Sky” Collaborative Sculpture (King George School, NW) 

This project engages a noted Calgary metal sculptor to work with the school’s children and create an evocative piece of public art on the school site. The sculpture celebrates the natural features of the short-grass prairie on which King George school was founded in 1912, as one of Calgary’s historic sandstone schools. The sculpture is based on the theme “Under the Prairie Sky” that has been developed to guide exciting future naturalization efforts in the north field illustrating the natural history of NW Calgary, which will be undertaken in partnership with the City Parks department. 

The project brings together a noted Calgary metal sculptor, Geoff Sandhurst, (http://www.sandhurstsculpture.blogspot.com/) leading a dynamic collaborative design process with the students and giving them the opportunity to learn about and experience telling the area’s story through metallic materials. On May 3, 4, and 5 Geoff and parent volunteers will lead the students in individually texturizing the 550 small metal plates that form an integral part of the resulting sculpture the kids have also helped design. 

The sculpture will form a gateway to the new playground and naturalized park in the largest part of the school grounds. A dynamic new playground with a natural climbing rock zone was completed in October 2010 (Phase 1). Phase 2 is the naturalization of the north field which will take shape over 2011 and 2012 and within a short grass prairie setting include stepping stones with animal tracks, an outdoor classroom, a heritage garden, and a “discovery archaeology” section including trails and a bison wallow. This ambitious parent-drive project to create a dynamic new community park has forged partnerships with the Calgary Board of Education, the City of Calgary Parks, the Mount Pleasant Community Association, the Alberta government through the Lottery Fund, Alderman Druh Farrell, the Calgary Parks Foundation, the Calgary Foundation, the Calgary Zoo’s Schoolyard Naturalization program, as well as local businesses. The 100th anniversary of many of the city’s original sandstone schools is approaching and this is an opportunity to create an exciting legacy on a site that strongly represents Calgary’s past. 

Authentic Learning: A Student-focused Design Process 

The project aims to give children the opportunity to learn in an authentic way about the creative process, and the art of metallic sculpture in particular, through creating a lasting legacy for the school. 

The design process began when, Geoff Sandhurst, a sculptor, illustrator and designer who is this year’s guest artist, was introduced to students on November 26, 2010 during a special assembly. Since then, students have been involved in research on the site’s history and each class has proposed images Geoff will use to tell the story about what the prairies looked like before Calgary existed. Though initial plans were to include only one large and one small animal given cost constraints, during these design sessions students proposed many additional images and committed to raising additional funds if necessary. 

Geoff has worked with all the student input and created an amazing final design (below) that evokes the rich texture of prairie ecology and includes a bison rubbing against an erratic boulder, a hawk, a weasel, birds, and a trembling aspen bowing under the spirit of a Chinook wind. Geoff is currently building the metal frame and on May 2, 3 and 4 each child will use a small hammer to texturize metal plates, and these 550 plates will be riveted together and mounted within the frame. By the summer, students will celebrate their achievement with the final product that will be installed at the entrance to City lands featuring the playground and future naturalized area. 

For further information contact: Jodi Dixon, Naturalization Committee, King George School Council, tel: 403 401 2420 Lara Olson, Schoolgrounds Committee,King George School Council, tel: 403 619-9105 

King George Project

I am immersed in a creative collaborative sculpture project called "Under The Prairie Sky" with Calgary Board of Education - King George School students and staff right now.  It's an incredible experience and I am looking forward to sharing more here soon. I am in a three day artist residence, with the students hammering textures onto metal plates for a sculpture that we designed together.  It's been so interesting as they challenged me to include elements in the sculpture that I had not considered, and there were other elements that we agreed on from the start.  I love this kind of collaborative work.

The King George school's website for the naturalization project that this sculpture is part of :  http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b221/naturalization.htm

I believe there will be more information about the sculpture portion posted on the King George School site  soon.

I am looking forward to working with the students for Day 2 tomorrow!

Repair Work and Custom Bases for sculpture in Ivory, Jade, Baleen and soapstone

Soapstone Caribou with Metal Antlers I designed and Built 

Although I am an artist and create my own work, I am also passionate about repair work that I complete for clients.  It's an honour  to handle these pieces.  The research is challenging and interesting.

Soapstone caribou before adding antlers

Twisted Seal - after fixing chips  and making custom base

I meticulously repair each piece to the specifications requested by my clients.  I  also custom design bases in a variety of materials, such as plexiglass and metal to enhance the sculptures and give them stability.

Here are some examples of recent sculptures I have had the pleasure to either repair and add bases to or just add bases.

Twisted Seal - Before repair/polish

Whale Shaman after custom base added

Whale Shaman before custom base

  

Sketchbook Project 2011 - my book and my Daughter's book

I just sent in my daughter, Kierra's and my sketchbook yesterday.  It was an interesting project to be involved in and hard to believe that we are part of 28000 artists submitting sketchbooks to the Art House Co-oop in Brooklyn New York.

This is our first time being part of the project.   My sketchbook topic was "In Flight" and Kierra's was "Happy Thoughts".   It's open to anyone, and you can find out more about it at:

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

In Flight - Cover Page Geoff Sandhurst

Self Portrait - In Flight byGeoff Sandhurst

Flying Reo - by Geoff Sandhurst

Up Up and Away by Geoff Sandhurst

Radar by Kierra Sandhurst, Age 8

Hills by Kierra Sandhurst, Age 8

Left - Self Portrait Kierra  and Right - Degus by Kierra

My Piano Teacher by Kierra Sandhurst, Age 8

Cover Page - Happy Thoughts by Kierra Sandhurst Age 8

Rocket Shoe by Geoff Sandhurst

Look Ma, I can Fly by Geoff Sandhurst

Making Snow by Geoff Sandhurst

Poor Loser - By Geoff Sandhurst

Gliding over the Chinook by Geoff Sandhurst

Flying Fish by Geoff Sandhurst

Algie - Pink Floyd's Pig by Geoff Sandhurst

by Geoff Sandhurst

The Hydrate gives Life by Geoff Sandhurst

Flying Iron Fish  by Geoff Sandhurst

Tobogganing By Geoff Sandhurst

What Kids Really See by Geoff Sandhurst

Zebra by Geoff Sandhurst

Walrus Tusk Carving

Narwal sculpture - I carved a 9.5 inch replacement tusk for this Narwal. I did not carve the sculpture. 

4.5 inch Walrus Tusks  - I made replacement tusks for this sculpture.  

Roughing out the pieces for two walrus sculpture tusks, narwal sculpture tusk and pencil holder

Narwal Tusk  - testing the fit

Walrus Tusk Pencil Holder

Walrus Tusk before starting.  I laid out two walrus tusks, and the narwal tusk from this.  Not much was left over.

Penciling in lines to create grooves for  Narwal tusk

I recently carved replacement tusks for a jade walrus sculpture and narwal jade sculpture. I also inlaid the ivory eyes in the Narwal and then polished both sculptures.  I made a pencil holder from the remaining material.  

In Canada, walrus tusks can be purchased legally, although the ivory can not be shipped out of Canada.  Interestingly, woolly mammoth ivory can be shipped internationally.

I enjoy the challenge of repairing and restoring sculptures for clients.

Teaching Paper Mache Summer Camp 2010

My daughter, Kierra, testing the paper mache Giraffe design

I had a fabulous experience teaching a paper mache summer camp class at the Calgary Jewish Centre August 2010.    I designed a giraffe for the 5-6 year olds and a fish for the 4 year olds.  My daughter, Kierra, was a great helper, testing the designs.  It was a lot of fun - thank you to the Calgary Jewish Centre for having me out!

Kierra's paper mache fish

Kierra's Paper Mache Giraffe

The Summer Camp paper mache Giraffes made by the 5 and 6 year olds - paint drying

Summer Camp paper mache  - school of fish made by the 4 year olds

Bird Bath, Salmon, T Rex

Here are a few pictures of recent work I have completed.  It's been a busy summer and I have also been experimenting in stone, ivory and plexiglass.  I also included a picture of T Rex (finished a couple of years ago).  My wife and I decided to unwrap and enjoy it in our back yard until it finds a home.  We also have the pleasure of letting one of our client's birdbath rust to the right patina in our yard.  Its almost at the right point, and the birds in our yard and we will miss it when its picked up.


Jeff and Tanya's Bird Bath Commission tucked in the Iris's in our yard.

Mario's Salmon Commission

T Rex (for sale $5000.00)  Made from Caterpillar parts and found metal