I think community art projects are the coolest. Someday I hope to be a part of one. If I lived in Albany, Oregon, I would be a part of their Carousel project.
We took Ellie to see the art in progress. Each of the animals are in various stages of development. A while back, donors could pick the kind of animal they wanted and be a part of the design process. The one Ellie is riding is a cocker spaniel donated by a family. Around his saddle, each of the family's member's names is engraved. How awesome is that?
Here's a drawing of a frog and then the frog that has been carved and is almost completely painted:
Once the creature is painted it is covered in a lacquer that makes it all shiny and durable.
The thing that is the most remarkable to me about this project is that it is run entirely by volunteers. That means all the drawing, carving, and painting is done by novices who donate their time. We talked to the head carver, Jack, who is in charge of teaching the volunteers how to carve. Carving itself is just totally incredible to me - I can't wrap my mind around how to cut away the stuff that's not part of the intended result. If only I lived in Albany, I would really want to give it a try try. Or maybe I'd just stick to painting. That seems more my style.
Here are a few creatures in various stages of development:
So amazing, right? This giraffe that was being painted was my favorite:
I am so excited to take the girls to see the finished project... even though that will be 6-10 years from now...
