The other day, I received an email from one of my college tutors. Instantly, all of my college memories came flooding back to me and this was one of them.
During my second year of college, we were all given a project to design a wooden sculpture, safe for a primary school of which the children could interact with. A primary school somewhere in or near York had set the brief. In a way, it was a commission but we weren't paid for our work because we were all students and it was a project; so a positive learning curve developed from the experience.
Put into teams, we needed to decide who's sculpture was fit for the brief. My design was picked and so Mr Hedgehog was brought to life! Not literally though because he was made from a log...
The log was shaped and marked for various features such as the spines and the face. The spines, nose, eyes and ears were all turned on the wood lathe. A texture, giving the appearance of fur, was carved into the surface creating a more tactile object for the children to touch.
The various components of the sculpture were stained with wax and ink allowing a more interesting visual appearance. Once all glued in place, several coats of wood preserve was applied. Well, it was going to sit outside so it needed alot of coats!
And here he is, Mr Hedgehog finished and ready to be transported to his new home.
It has been 4 years since this sculpture was made. I wander how he is getting on...
