School Sculpture Projects

If you are thinking of a stone sculpting project that can involve young children, then it doesn't come any better than organising a group of children to collectively create a large stone sculpture over a period of time. The idea to do this was first presented to me in November 2011. I was asked to work with children, from Room 7 at Harewood Primary School, to create a feature garden sculpture that reflected the children and their relationship with the school. Since then I have worked with many schools throughout Canterbury and each one has been a joy to do. Below are some examples:

Harewood School,Te Kura o Tāwera

Miss France approached me, to see if it was possible to run a project like this. Earlier that year she had attended my advanced stone carving night classes at Papanui High School and could see the benefit that it could have on the children in her own class. Read more

Te Waka Unua School

Back in 2012, I was invited to work with Te Waka Unua School, (formally known as Woolston Primary School) to create a sculpture to help deal with the earthquakes that had devastated the city. The design represents helping hands, Rise Up Christchurch and the koru heart represents the bond that the school has developed with each other and the aroha and support that have been given by others and endeavour to give each other. Read more

Harewood School, Te Kura o Tāwera / 2014

Harewood School, Te Kura o Tawera celebrated their 150 year jubilee, and the organizing committee funded this sculpture, All of the tamariki at the school were involved in the creation, from the design to the finished product. The tree is the school logo and that connects to a pathway of learning. Read more

Timaru Boys High School / 2015

In 2015 I was invited to work with a group of 15 boys to help them create a stone sculpture as a project for their school's biennial Arts Week. I travelled down to Timaru from Christchurch and worked with the students for two days on this project. They continued to work on it after I left and then when it was completed, it was then named "Knowledge".

Timaru Boys High School / 2017

After the success of their first sculpture, I was invited back to Timaru Boys High School to work with a new group of students for another Arts Week project.

Swannanoa School / 2017

I was invited to Swannanoa School to help create five stone carvings with the children. The school has five main values represented by their Taonga and throughout the week the children sawed, chiseled, rasped and sanded the stone to create these five amazing sculptures. We worked outside but under a porch and managed to battle through a rough week of weather. The children were happy and excited to be part of the project and it was truly an honour for me.

West Eyreton School has five core values that are represented within this sculpture. The values are known as the five Es excellence, empathy, example, enterprise and effort. All of the children got to work on it. When it was finished the sculpture was moved over to a lovely garden setting at the front entrance of the school. Read More

Lincoln Primary School - Te Moana Sculpture 2019

Back in late 2018 The principal of Lincoln Primary school contacted me to help design and create a new sculpture that was to be a feature piece to the opening of their new school block (Te Moana). This was by far the biggest project that I had worked on in some time. Not since when I carved the reproduction of the Lion Of Chaeronea back in 2012 have I embarked on such a big project.

But in order to make it work we did it in four stages.

This sculpture was a very cool project to be part of because the design is very different to the others that I have done in the past and is unique to Hornby High School. Another point of difference is that the project is a team-building exercise for a small group of boys to help them create something beautiful that represents their school and gives them ongoing pride in what they have made every time they enter the school gates. Read more

Hornby High School School, July 2022

I was invited to return to Hornby High School and share my art skills with the students on not just one sculpture but three very detailed birds for their new teaching blocks. The school kindly gave me some information to share with you.