From the Mountain to the Sea

I have driven by this at least 10 times over the weekend
and it still moves me. Even if I am a bit sorely after the Council opening Event
at the Sarjeant Gallery on Friday night and the Glass opening Saturday night.
Was somewhat disappointed that the other competing artists didn't turn up.
What is that all about?
Anyway.....its a waiting game now and we will find out on 25th September
who wins the $50,000 and who wins the Peoples Choice Award $25,000.
So if you get a chance head on down and see the sculpture and vote for us.
Voting forms are available from Wanganui Vet Services (across the road) and
Wanganui District Council.

Final Day of Sculpture installation

What a start of the day bless the rain. Here we are siting the base stone.

Getting truck into position.

Oh my goodness I can't look. Glad my mate had my camera.

In the air it goes the first of the standing stones.

PHEW!!

And now for standing stone number 2.

Triple PHEW!! This is the first time both stones are connected to the base.

Off it goes. We had an issue with the base not lining up.

So we put the standing stone back on the track for a spell.

This time? Fingers Crossed.
AND success yippy.

On goes the stainless steel top brace. This is to hold the stones at that level and support for the waka. Yeap.

Up in the air 6 tons of stone sculpture. We had to remove for a spell to make adjustments on the holes in the concrete plinth. It seems that with all my measurements and planing was so spot on that we had to make more clearance so it would glide in easier.

And there it stands. After a wee spell a warm shower and dry clothes we all meet back up to install the Waka and the sun came out NICE.
The sculpture is titled "From the Mountain to the Sea"
A emotional moment

Day 1 installing the Sculpture.

Nicked named the "Forever Stone" as this stone had taken a few weekends of hard ache and diamonds blades to make. this is over 2 ton of grey andisite base stone being unloaded by the site of installation.

Finding the Rock

Kerry and Max on our find.

On the 5th June 2010 Kerry McDonnell, Max Cody and I Mikel Durel Browne ventured out onto a property close to Mount Ruapehu to hunt for a special rock. It is hard to say when this piece of andesite was formed. During a recent search on the internet I have discovered the Ruapehu was formed some 250,000 years ago. It seems that either way the final form of the rocks we had looked at had been shaped by glacial movement during the ice ages or constant movement down giant rivers. ???? Without expensive carbon dating on the rock in question we will never know. I will research further into this.

31 July

A big cut through the guts.
This was our mission on the 31st July and we certainly achieved it.

And then there were TWO

Kerry and Max leveling up the stone

Oh the shine. Mikel and Max discussing the pro and cons of life as a rock. Well something like that I don't actually remember but it must have be technical.

NICE! one of the sections.

Coming soon will be the images of the final design so keep guessing as it won't be until the 18th of September when you do know and will be unveiled on the Whanganui River banks with 3 other sculpture from other artists.