Morton: 2010 finished

These first six or so photos belong at the end of this page with the others of the finished sculptures. When I figure out how to get them there I will move them down.

This is "Rising Sun" from one side.

And from the other.

This is a view of one of the exhibit areas in the park with "Reflection" installed in the center.

A view of "Canuck" from the front.

From the back...

And from the side.

Ancient memories was installed the day Mohamad and Saeid left for the airport.

Everyone has to take a break from time to time. Here Mohamad ponders his sculpture and his maquette (the horns were broken off in his luggage on the way over).

Peerapong has created what is sure to be an interesting feature now, nobody knows where this is going....

"Canuck" is getting finishing touches now, with the form created Tony can spend the rest of the time now taking surfaces to just how he wants them.

You can see the pieces flying off as Peerapong uses the air hammer he brought with him.

This one is out of order and I have a hard time moving these photos around so you get a sneak preview of where Peerapong is going with his finish, the stone has dramatic stripes in it...

Saeid was ready to lay his stone down so Old Blue got put to work today again, must not be running in this shot.

On Aug 24 an 25 several members of the North American Stone Sculptors Guild came3 out and set up an exhibit of members' work and also worked on some small pieces. They were set up on the lawn so we had our coffee breaks there, they had seventy five or so sculptures exhibited which was a nice treat for people that came out that weekend. Some came on Friday evening and we watched some videos in the gallery together about different sculptors we know.

The last day Tony had a chance to work we got his sculpture installed, tommorrow Rod is taking everyone to Banff. There is a stone base about 2.5 feet tall under it and mounded up with soil around that. It will really be nice next year when the grass grows in around it.

They stopped in Canmore on the way to Banff and stopped to admire this piece by Alberta artist Al Henderson. All has several sculptures placed around our province.

This is the four sculptors at the top of Sulpher Mountain with Banff townsite in the background. Tanja is still in Germany but we have word that she will return on the 28th, so she will be here for the closing ceremonies and stay a while longer to finish her torso.

Everone opted for the ride up on the gondola even though there is a walking trail to get to the top of the mountain. It is a long way back to the bottom and this shot is from about 1/2 way up.

The horns of Mohamad's goat are roughed in, I like the texture but I don't think that's what he is going for in the end. The hole still has to be opened up from the other side too.

A view from the other side.

Sometimes you're dusty....nope, sorry-he's muddy. That's why sculpture is so much fun.

My nieghbor, Ed Stacy, raises Norwegian Fjord horses and drives them behind a wagon. These horses have a dark stripe running up their mane and down their tail, some even have the stripe right down their back. They seem to be about the gentlest horses I've ever seen but that's because it is Ed that is training them I think. In addition to taking all the sculptors for wagon rides his wife Kathleen cooked a great meal and brought it over, everyone loved it.

Before we went on the ride Ed brought out one of this year's colts, that was a hit with everyone.

There is a herd of freindly cows in the field, last year they checked out Chander when he was there, maybe they thought he had come back but they figured out it was Mohamad after a few sniffs. He got a kick out of that.

Morton and Saeid discuss strategy, maybe stand it up again tommorrow to start on details in the orientation that it will be placed in after it is finished.

Steve is a trooper, with his time almost cut in half Saeid is glad to have the assistance.

Peerapong's piece is ready to install, the base has been prepared and all we need is the crane to move it now.

There it goes.

Right up over the roof of the barn!

Sometimes it takes several attempts to place a sculpture just right but "Rising Sun" droppede right down over the pin on the first try.

there wasn't enough time to install "Repression" or to complete it with the cable that will be permanent. We used some big hemp rope to simulate the steel cable for the unvieling/closing ceremony.

Although it is officially the end of the symposium Mohamad will stay a few more days, his sculpture is also very close to completed. Morton gives him a hand polishing the horns.

Each of the artists recieved a certificate recognizing their participation and a poem about art, made in brass. I wrote the poem in 2008 while I was at a symposium in Viet Nam, here it is;

No Borders

Winds blow

Waters flow

Arts grow

This is August 3, the day Mohamad leaves and we just got his installation done in time for a few pictures.

On the way to the airport Saeid picked up a cowboy hat, figured it was an excellent memento of his time here.

Mohamad thought the same, he picked up four...and three footballs. As it all wouldn't fit in his luggage he wore all four of them onto the plane.

Since she missed the wagon ride earlier in the month Ed invited us over after the others had left, Tanja thought the baby Fjord was a cutie.

She had fun driving the wagon in the field. The horse, Skokie Lodge, needed a strong hold on the riens to keep him from wandering to the side and having some grass rather than driving so at first we were kind of driving from side to side. After Ed convinced her not to let him get away with that we straightened right out.

Friday night we went to Olds for the Chuckwagon races, there were trick riders, chariots, mutton bustin and other western entertainment. She loved it.

The day we installed "Reflection" there were still a few last minute things to do, the recess in the base for the torso to sit on had to be touched up along with more polishing.

When it was time to install "Reflection" we used Old Blue to take the torso, the big crane took the base which wighs about 12,000lb I think.

When the base was placed we had to use shims to make it level, lift with the crane and put in a shim then check, add a little or take out a little. It took at least 1/2 hour to get the base perfect. (see the level on the top of the base). The Torso landed right into place on the first try, Tanja is almost lost for words. It usually takes several tries to get the level or the orientation just right.