The Flying Scott (May 2024 Installation)
Overview
This sculpture is a memorial in honor of Tom Scott,
Founder of the Shell Lake Sailing Club, passionate sailing advocate and avid volunteer who dearly loved Shell Lake. It represents Tom's own Flying Scot, a boat that he sailed across these waters for decades.
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Why a memorial? We memorialize to publicly recognize something we would like to carry into our own lives. Tom was driven to bring people together. That spirit made him much loved.
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It is my largest to date- a 20' abstract sailboat estimated to weigh over a ton. It will be installed on Hwy 63 in Shell Lake's City Park in early May.
Sculpture Design
A light and airy abstracted sailboat cruises freely above waves whimsically composed of river rock. The boat, sails, and rock waves create visually interesting sweeping forms, and the dramatic scale (10‘ long x 20’ high) make it an iconic symbol of our lake and it's sailing culture.
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The sails are steel tubes, finished with welded steel textures and a copper plate on the mast and boom. The hull is made of heavy steel bars welded onto a tubular frame, and finished with a combination of copper oxide patinas- a reference to Tom's blue boat. The base is still under construction, but will be made of tubular steel and steel sheet with a patina yet TBD.
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A Community Project
I designed and built the sculpture, the Shell Lake Sailing Club funded the materials and expenses, and it will be gifted to the City of Shell Lake. I had help from many people; notably members of the Shell Lake Sailing Club and the Shell Lake Public Works staff. The sail tubes were rolled by North 40 Steel in Spooner, and the mast and hull were blasted with recycled glass by Tyler's Custom Surface Prep in Rice Lake.