Designing a flaming piece of art.

The idea was brought up again months ago. We were at a Hutt Zone meeting for scouts and a suggestion was made to arrange an activity that would link Venturers (Youth aged 14-18) and Rovers (Youth aged 18-30). The idea that popped into my mind was the creation of a fire sculpture at the Petone Carnival 2015. 

Many local bands get a chance to perform on a range of entertainment
stages. Seen here is Man!/Woman! performing in 2012

The annual Polar Plunge happens
the morning of the carnival







I've been to several Petone Carnivals and they are a great day, the whole day is a brilliant chance to showcase the best things that the Hutt Valley has to offer; be it music, performances, crafts, metalwork, the annual polar plunge, and heaps more. One of my favourite parts of the day has always been admiring the fire sculptures. In previous years Shellie and I have taken a stroll down the beach to be away from the crowds lining the street, and whilst doing so, admired and contributed to the construction work taking place on the beach.

The first year Shellie and I contributed to a fire sculpture.

Two of the sculptures from previous years,
a drum kit and a phoenix like creature.

We have helped but never taken on the whole challenge on by ourselves. This year I thought, why not? and from then on my interest had been sparked, Through many an email to different organizers I was finally told that I needed to submit a design for a sculpture that met a bunch of specifications and had inspiration from the theme "A Midwinter's Night Dream".

http://www.coveralia.com/caratulas/Loreena-Mckennitt-A-Midwinter-Night-s-Dream-Frontal.php

At this point I switched into full on brainstorm mode, I needed help to come up with a sculpture design that would be sufficient enough to make the final cut, this year there would only be four sculptures created. A quick google search of a 'a mid-winters night dream' came back with this album cover, a similar concept to what I envisaged for my design. I thought of animals, trees, snow, and I also wanted to relate it back to scouting movement.



I made a lot of sketches, the ideas of my own and others onto paper, and figuring out the practicalities of building something that looked like the drawing.



The final concept was based on the circular appearance of a tree, with the presence of typical New Zealand winter woodland animals, as well as some symbolic relation to scouting. One thing we knew from the start was that it was going to feature a deer of sorts; representative of our Rover mascot 'Alan'.


The silhouettes that would inspire my sculpture design.

I needed to find a strong image of a deer to atop the sculpture. This image of a stag is clean and powerful.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/42293105@N05/4039153557

 I searched the internet for the best images of animal silhouettes I could find; using these as the basis of my Winter inspired sculpture I made a model of my intended sculpture.

This is the final Model I submitted to be considered.

The final model takes the cylindrical shape of the tree and the organic nature of hanging ropes whilst featuring the relevant silhouettes of animals and scouting symbols suspended by the ropes.
The centre piece is the stag symbolic of Alan atop the tower. Making the model was no easy task, I had to use my knowledge of craft, The process tested my skills.

After submission I had to wait while it was considered. A couple of days later I was told I had been chosen to lead the construction of one of four sculptures at the Petone Carnival for 2015. I was stoked. Now the real prep work begins.

http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2014/petone-winter-carnival/lower-hutt

This Saturday Starting at 9.00AM a group of Rovers and Venturer scouts, led by myself, will be turning this design into a reality. The five and a half metre structure will be built, well braced, and shown off to the public, before being set alight in the darkness after 6.00PM. We will admire the temporal beauty of a structure made to burn and to look its best whilst on fire.

I welcome you all to attend, to come onto the beach and say hello, and offer some help. There will be fire, fireworks, and a whole carnival of sights and scenes to experience. See you there.