Thursday, October 25, 2018

2 Installations in Champaign, Illinois

I just received these pictures from David Wilcoxen who is the President of the Public Art League in Champaign / Urbana.  These are "Courtesy of" and copyright remains with David.
 We started the installations on the morning of October 23, 2018.  Here, we've just taken "Stepping Out" off the flat bed truck.
 Crossing the cross walk...
 taking her up the road...
 … and over some bushes … in heavy traffic... nothing's easy.
 … and here she is on 1 Main in downtown Champaign.
 Then, off to The Trails at Brittany subdivision for installing Day Dreamer Bench.
 We moved it across the central lawn, beside a lake full of wild geese...
… and already put to good use!  Thanks Dave for the pictures and thanks to all these guys for their help!  Both crews were excellent to work with - took a load off my mind having experienced crews for these installations.

2 Sculptures leased to Champaign, Illinois

Starting with old business first...
 I sold this sculpture to a private individual from Ashville, NC. last weekend.
 I also sold this stone vessel to them as well.
 At daybreak on Monday, October 22, Meg drove me to Louisville to get a rental truck from Sternberg on Crittenden Dr. Then, Dereck Sheroan from JBB Inc. of Hardinsburg, KY brought their 23 ton crane out to move some stuff for me after lunch.  First thing we did was move this 5,000 lb. block of Indiana Limestone out of the way.  (this and the next 6 photos by Meg White.)
 Then, we stood it up so that I could work on the piece.  It will become a functional sculpture titled "Fruition".
 The Public Art League of Champaign / Urbana IL accepted 2 of my stone sculptures into their lease program.  We loaded "Daydreamer Bench" onto the 24' flat bed truck that I had rented.
 Next, we went into the back part of the sculpture garden for "Stepping Out".  When we brought this sculpture out a couple years ago, we got the crane truck stuck in wet, muddy ground - nothing like that this time around.
 We set that piece on the truck and then I made the 6 hour trip to Champaign / Urbana.  Saw a shooting star on the way up - Meg said later that it was probably part of the Orionid meteor shower.   Tuesday was taken up with installing the 2 sculptures at their separate sites, picking up an old piece in Monticello and making the 6 hour drive home.
 The Public Art League had bought "A New Leaf" which had been leased for the last 2 years.  At some point, I may have to go back up and oversee the move to its new location.
 On Wednesday morning, Dereck had to come back to the studio to unload "Shooting Star Bench" before Meg and I could take the truck back.  Shooting Star had been on loan in Allerton Park near Monticello, IL for the last 2 years, but they didn't acquire it.  I had logged in 33 hours in 3 days and I'm taking it easy for the next couple days before returning to work.
 On Saturday, October 13, Meg and I went to Doe Run Inn where a chain saw carving event had been organized by our friend, Abby Peterson.  These are some of the wood sculptures that were auctioned off that day.
 Doe Run is a very pretty place - I spent a lot of time down here as a kid as well as working in the Inn when I was 16 and 17.
… and ending my post with the obligatory wildlife picture.  An employee of Broadbent Wildlife Rehabilitators was showing people a juvenile Great Horned Owl.  The chainsaw event gave a portion of their proceeds to Broadbent - definitely a worthy cause!
(and for more wildlife stuff - check out this video by Meg.  It's 1 of 2 white deer we saw the other day:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQN8q7OZh1U