Artist Mardie Rees Set to Unveil Latest Commissioned Sculpture

The larger-than-life sculpture of a beloved teacher and his dog will be installed in British Columbia, Canada

GIG HARBOR, Wash., Oct. 23, 2013 – Internationally acclaimed figurative sculptor Mardie Rees, will be unveiling her 1,000-pound, 8-foot tall, bronze sculpture of C.W. Lonsdale, founder of the elite Shawnigan Lake School in British Columbia.

The sculpture, comprised of Mr. Lonsdale and his German shepherd, will be unveiled on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. at the main entrance of Shawnigan Lake School in British Columbia, Canada. For more information, visit mardierees.com/shawnigan/. 

Crafting the sculpture has been a 4-year undertaking with Rees using live male models with Lonsdale’s physique, photographs of Lonsdale, a suit from the 1930’s, and a German shepherd with period-specific anatomy. Documentation of the entire process can be found on Rees’ blog.

“Mardie really immersed herself in Lonsdale’s spirit. She spent time on the campus and interviewed myself and other former students,” said Stuart Milbrad, a Shawnigan Lake alumnus. “Her work is amazing and I admire her methodical approach to learning about Lonsdale--a giant of a man.” Milbrad notes the incredible likeness of the sculpture to his late mentor, teacher, and friend.

Rees is leading a revival of the intensely personal medium of figurative sculpting using wooden tools and raw earth in her hands. “I like working big,” says Rees, and explains “My work is about connecting stories, characters, and emotion to create art that people can relate to and with which they can identify.”

The 300-acre lakeside campus and Tudor style architecture will provide a spectacular backdrop for the large-scale bronze sculpture. Founded by Lonsdale in 1916, Shawnigan Lake School is a co-ed boarding school that believes in cultivating a student’s character and unique talents through instructional excellence. 

About Mardie Rees

Mardie Rees is an internationally recognized figurative sculptor based in Gig Harbor, Wash. Her work brings the classical figure into today’s context with an emphasis on emotional dialogue. The relationships between her subjects and their circumstances bring a life to her work that is tangible to its viewers. 

Mardie Rees is currently developing a WWII U.S. Marine Raider Memorial sculpture commissioned by the U.S. Marine Raiders Foundation. She is resident artist at Real Carriage Door Company. For more information on her work, visit mardierees.com.

Postlude: Sculpture Unveiling

The unveiling of sculpture, C.W. Lonsdale, at the Real Carriage Door wood shop

Gallery photos from the party on January 17th & 19th, 2013

Thank you to all who came! It seemed everyone had a wonderful time at the Real Carriage Door wood shop which was transformed into a sparkling winter party. Beer was served by local 7 Seas Brewing; jazz music was played by Zizzy Zi Zixxy, with the unveiling of the sculpture as the focus of the evening. Locals browsed the gallery of sculptures by Mardie Rees, while drinking beer and chatting with friends. Children joined the fun by dancing to the jazz music in front of the band. Many doors were displayed for enjoyment to add to the creative mood. At 6 pm, Beth Rees introduced a new video about Real Carriage Door Company (viewable on a large screen held aloft by a forklift). Thursday night, the current Headmaster from Shawnigan Lake School, David Robertson, shared some background about the school and expressed their excitement in receiving the sculpture of their founder and headmaster, C.W. Lonsdale, and his faithful German Shepherd. Sculptor Mardie Rees was later introduced, and she elaborated on the process of creating the monumental sculpture over the last three years. After much anticipation, Mardie spoke the key words, "Let's take a look," and upon the count of three, the canvas was dropped to a round of applause.

The sculpture will be at the foundry (Two Raven Studio in Tacoma) through the end of the summer, and the official unveiling of the sculpture cast in bronze to be scheduled for October 2013.

Finishing Dog Feet

I'm finishing up the details on all 4 feet of my sculpture of a German shepherd dog (representing the many dogs C.W. Lonsdale had as Headmaster). My model for the body and feet is a white German Shepherd named, Finn. He is the sweetest and most well behaved dog I have ever had modeling for me. Julie (Finn's owner) does a good job keeping him still. Usually he models for me a couple hours at a time.