Sculpture Splash - Animals

When I think about sculpture what usually comes to mind is the human figure and there were lots of sculptures of people at the Sculpture Splash. But there were also many sculptures of animals and here are a couple that impressed me.

Linda Lindsay

Here are two more sculptures from last weekend's Sculpture Splash in Esquimalt. Those of you who visit this blog often will know that I spent many years in Africa and when I saw these sculptures I was completely blown away. The sculptor, Linda Lindsay, has perfectly captured the spirit of Africa in these works, a remarkable achievement. When I was able to chat with the artist a bit I was surprised to learn that while she has visited Africa, she has not lived there for any extended period of time. I had assumed that such deep insight as her sculptures manifest could only come from lengthy exposure to African culture. She has seen more in her visits than many people who have lived there for years. You can see some of her other work on her website, LindaLindsaySculpture.com.

"Serenity"

This striking piece on display at the weekend's Sculpture Splash on Buxton Green is entitled, "Serenity" and it definitely has a Buddha-like peacefulness about it. The artist is Richard Gibson.

Sculpture Splash

I mentioned the Community Arts Council Sculpture Splash that was held on the weekend. It was really a terrific show with a large number of exquisite and professionally executed pieces displayed in the beautiful surroundings of Buxton Green. We'll have a look at some of the individual pieces over the next few days.

Sculpture Splash

This remarkable sculpture is just one of many on display this weekend at Buxton Green in Esquimalt. The event is called the Sculpture Splash and gives local sculptors an opportunity to show their work in a spectacular scenic setting. I went yesterday and was impressed at the variety and obvious professionalism of the works displayed. I'm going back today to take a closer look and also to collect the name of the artist who created the stunning sculpture pictured above.

Another View

On Sunday afternoon both Fern and I independently sought the shoreline. Her photo, published yesterday, was taken from Saxe Point Park. I didn't go quite so far west and stopped at Fleming Beach and Macaulay Point Park, and took the photos above and below.

Telephoto Fun

Lately I've been enjoying my longest telephoto lens. It's a 500mm reflex lens and is most useful for birds. Yesterday's posted photo of the Hooded Mergansers was taken with this lens. These birds were so far out in the water that with the naked eye I could do little more than guess at their identity. Yet thanks to modern technology I was able to capture the relatively sharp image I posted. Today's photos were both taken with the same super telephoto lens and I selected them to show the kind of distortion that comes about with long lenses like this. In the photo above, of course, the sun is about 10 times bigger than it appears in reality. It's a great effect- it makes it look like a blistering hot morning in mid-summer instead of a cold autumn sunrise. The photo below is more of a curiosity for locals to consider. In the foreground is the shoreline from Saxe Point (on the left) to Macaulay Point (on the right) with Fleming Beach and Buxton Green closer to the middle on the right. Where it starts to get weird is what's further back - many of Victoria's trademark buildings in apparently odd locations and looking larger and closer than seems possible. If you look carefully you can see Craigdarroch Castle, the Rocklands water tower, Christchurch Cathedral, the Empress Hotel, the Legislative Assembly Buildings, the Sussex Building and others.

Buxton Green and Fleming Beach Breakwater

Above is a photo of Buxton Green, a small lawn-covered picnic area beside the equally small Fleming Beach. Directly behind me when I took the above photo is the view below, of the Fleming Beach Breakwater. The day before yesterday's photo was taken from the far end of this breakwater.