Meet Odin!

Odin is the model for the C.W. Lonsdale Commission. Odin represents many of the German Shepherds Lonsdale had over the years and has a beautiful head! Lonsdale typically had two dogs (male & a  female) through out his life time. The dogs sat with him in his office as headmaster or followed behind him as he oversaw the comings and goings of Shawnigan Lake School. The reason I chose to do just one dog instead of two is I feel that by adding another dog, it would over power the sculpture (as seen in photo below). The focus needs to remain on Lonsdale, the founder, who managed to start a boarding school in 1916 in a remote area of B.C. Canada (Vancouver Island) and now it is a thriving school of 400 students! What an amazing accomplishment!

SLS Archives

Two of Lonsdale's Dogs - Taken Circa 1948 - SLS Archives

Odin is well trained and did a fabulous job sitting for 'cheese'! I managed to measure his ears, paws, snout, etc...

He will be a great model for the sculpture!

Sketches...Beginnings

Here are just some quick sketches on paper and in clay. I've just been trying to getting ideas out of my head and into some coherent form. They are rough but I am finding direction as I play with gesture and placement.

You can see some of the armature sticking out. That dog is going to add a lot of character and interest to the piece Dimensions : 9.5 x 5 x 5"

Charcoal sketch on paper. I'm now ready to bring the dog in my studio and start measuring him. I went to meet him today (Odin). He is owned by a lovely family in Port Orchard and I think we will be a perfect model as one of Lonsdale's dogs.

C.W. Lonsdale - Old Photo

New Sculpture Commission of C.W. Lonsdale - Founder of Shawnigan Lake School! Here are a few of my favorite photos of Lonsdale.

Here is a great photo of C.W. Lonsdale taken Circa 1927 after the fire of the original school building. He is shown here rebuilding the "main building" which is presently the offices of Shawnigan Lake School, B.C. Canada

Here is Lonsdale standing in front of the main entrance doors.