We in our family take great pride in being visual store tellers. Everything we create tells a tale. That makes it fitting that the walls of our studio also tell a story... the story of our lives. On one wall, above our paint, are some giant letters spelling my name. They actually say a whole lot more than meets the eye. The letters are part of the giant sign that was in front of the CANADA pavilion from EXPO 86. There was a gigantic hockey stick perched above the Canada sign during the World's Fair of 1986. The hockey stick went to Duncan, BC after the fair. I scored the letters from the big sign. I kept the three that spelled my name and gave the rest to friends. I knew when I acquired the letters that one day I would put these letters in my dream workshop... a wait of fourteen years. The toboggan above the letters belonged to our kids when they were small. I fabricated the snow shoes at a boy's club when I was fourteen (fifty years ago) from steam bent oak and real rawhide. The hand saw is from my dad's tool collection. The various signs are reminders of projects past. Other bits are gifts from friends. This is but a small sampling of the hundreds of pieces of the eclectic collection that makes little sense to anyone but our family... but it all represents the many wonderful stories of our lives - so far. We'll be continually adding more to the collection as we travel on.
Half and half
We unbolted the two halves of the first giant still and with the help of our trusty forklift, gently lowered the pieces down onto purpose built welded steel frames. Each of the frames have eight heavy duty swivel wheels to allow the pieces to be easily moved about the shop. The sculpted concrete work and painting will be completed with the pieces laying flat.
Telling a story visually
Every single element and feature of the Hazelnut Inn will faithfully tell a delightful story. Rather than words, visual details describe this tale. According to legend, our intrepid explorer has gathered architectural artifacts from around the world and built her estate around them. Unfortunately, her journeys leave little time for mundane tasks such as maintaining the grounds. Accordingly, they have fallen into some disrepair. Guests will have the opportunity to explore the lush garden, filled with exotic plants half hiding many of the artifacts.
One of the features on display in the explorer's garden is a giant obelisk. It was acquired far away in the middle east and transported here. When they reassembled it it seems things didn't line up quite right. Not quite enough effort was put into the foundation. Necessary repairs were makeshift, a large steel bracket was anchored into the precious stone artifact. Still leaning badly, the tall stone obelisk succumbed to gravity and tumbled over where it still lays to this day. The steel bracket is twisted and broken, the anchors pulled roughly from the upper stone. The rust marks from the iron bracket remain as well.
All these details are carefully crafted into the feature, on purpose, by bending and welding steel and hand carving the concrete as it set. The rust and weathering is actually skillfully applied paint. And the tumbled stones will in fact be carefully placed to appear as if they fell haphazardly into the garden. The top portions of the obelisk will act as a bench for those who care to sit and take it all in.
