Artisan Metal Works Ltd. has won an award for outstanding craftsmanship in an international competition sponsored by the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association. The event was open to nearly 600 member firms throughout the US and in seven foreign countries. Artisan won Company BRONZE- Unusual Ornamental Fabrication.
Artisan was approached to design and fabricate a functional sculpture primarily as a mount for a security camera to be located along a densely landscaped private driveway. The customer requested that the sculpture be designed to be as non-conspicuous as possible without interfering with the operation of the camera. The design aspect of the project required some research into the existing trees and plants used in this location as well as plants natural to the region.
The finished project is about four feet in diameter and close to 12 feet tall. Fabrication of the sculpture was completed using copper pipe, rod and sheet. The “trunk” of the tree was fabricated from 3.5 inch OD copper pipe with a hammered finish, the leaves (fish tail palm and sea grape tree) hand cut and fabricated from 20 gauge copper sheet and the vines where shaped into an organic form from 5/8’’and 1’’solid copper rods. The final sculpture was finished in multiple patina colours, which were chemically initiated and will mature naturally over time. A special feature was added to the sculpture to discretely symbolize the purpose of the “tree”.
A nest hand fabricated from copper wire contains three parrot hatchlings and located close by is the adult parrot diligently guarding the nest as the camera guarding the owners property. All of the birds and components were hand fabricated from copper and have a multiple patina finish. The project required a little over 230 man hours to complete.
Source: compasscayman.com
The Chelsea flat where the novelist Jean Rhys lived with her literary agent, after her affair with Ford Maddox Ford but before she penned her most famous novel Wide Sargasso Sea, has been commemorated with a blue English Heritage plaque, unveiled by her granddaughter.
The Dominica-born Rhys moved from Paris to London in 1928 following her affair with Ford and the breakdown of her first marriage. She married her agent, Leslie Tilden Smith, in 1934, and they moved to Flat 22 in Paultons House in 1936, living there for two years. Rhys wrote her acclaimed novel Good Morning Midnight –the e story of a young woman in 1930s Paris – in the Chelsea apartment, spending her mornings in a bed “strewn with pages”. Wide Sargasso Sea, her response to Jane Eyre in which she imagined the Caribbean upbringing of Mr Rochester’s first wife, was not written until 1960, when Rhys was living in the village of Cheriton Fitzpaine in Devon.
A plaque commemorating the celebrated novelist Elizabeth Bowen was also installed yesterday at 2 Clarence Terrace, Regents Park. Bowen wrote some of her best-loved works, The Deat of the Heart and The Heat of the Day, while at Clarence Terrace, her home for 17 years until 1952.
Both authors, said blue plaques historian Dr Susan Skedd, “drew on their personal experiences during their time in London to create the stories and fictional worlds inhabited by their characters”, with Bowen writing “one of the most compelling portraits of life in London during the Blitz” in The Heat of the Day.
Former poet laureate Andrew Motion said that both Rhys and Bowen “made invaluable and unforgettable contributions to writing”, and that “in honouring them, the blue plaques scheme does honour to itself”. English Heritage chair, Baroness Andrews, described Rhys and Bowen as “two of our most important female writers”.
“Although different in many ways, each voice was distinct as they drew on their own experiences to create their work,” she said. “Each made a vivid mark on literature, and they have left us with a great legacy.”
Source: repeatingislands.com
The Cayman Islands is now a premier destination for world class beach volleyball action.
Affirmation of which was provided at the last congress of the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation held in Punta Can, Dominican Republic.
President of the Cayman Islands Volleyball Federation Noel Williams was presented an award by International Volleyball Federation Vice President and NORCECA President Cristobal Marte Hoffiz and NORCECA Beach Volleyball President Arnaldo Sanchez naming the Cayman Islands the best host country of beach volleyball over the past two years.
Williams states many international spikers have expressed a desire to play here.
“We have really worked very hard to be the best we can be with what we have,” Williams said. “The athletes, our sponsoring community, which includes the government, the many locals and residents who come out to cheer, our beautiful location and legendary Cayman hospitality have made our visiting athletes and officials so happy that Cayman is regarded as a treasured host. Our regional athletes and officials actually vie to come to a Cayman-hosted event.”
At the November congress, Cayman was offered prized host nation status for the NORCECA/FIVB Continental Cup Olympic Qualifier in December last year at short notice. Cayman’s national beach volleyball teams (who consisted of Cristin Alexander, Jennifer Bily, Taylor Burrowes, Richard Campbell, Philippe Deslandes, Stefania Gandolfi, Shervin Rankin and Olney Thompson) achieved its highest international ranking at that event, grasping an opportunity to attend the Cup semi-finals in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
In the past weeks, Cayman has been offered an opportunity to be a qualifying host in the world championships for indoor volleyball, a chance to be host for the Pan American Games (for beach volleyball) and an opportunity to host the NORCECA circuit finals this year in December. The NORCECA circuit encompasses 15 games over 12 countries.
Williams states Cayman has much to gain from those opportunities.
“We are contributing to the laying of a foundation for the staging of world championships, fitting the emerging national objective of a vibrant sports tourism component. The performance of our national teams is benefitting significantly from these developments. I thank international tournament director Fareed Hosein, site and international games manager Carl Brenton and the entire volleyball federation board. They have been instrumental in us reaching so far so quickly.
“I also thank the numerous volunteers who have been giving unselfishly of their time and making it a continued success.”
Source: www.compasscayman.com
Frank Anders (Sail-World Cruising) describes the spectacular brigantine “Eye of the Wind” and its passage through the Caribbean, where it was the star of the 2012 the Heineken Regatta. He writes:
Caught on film as she visited the French island of St Martin in the Caribbean this week, the brigantine ‘Eye of the Wind’, owned by the German company Forum Train and Sail GmbH, made a wonderful sight as she arrived from St Barth’s and sailed around Sint Maarten surrounded by approximately 200 participants taking part in the Heineken Regatta.
The over 100 years old vessel was on a short stop over before sailing to Bermuda and crossing the Atlantic to the Azores and further on to Europe. Her imposing figure has attracted the attention of the film industry in previous years, so she crossed several times the waters on film sets of major Hollywood productions. As was the case in her real life a long time ago, the ‘Eye of the Wind’ faced in front of the camera fierce storms, run aground, burned out and sank.
The ship was featured in several films such as the adventure film ‘Blue Lagoon’ (1980), the pirate movie ‘Savage Island’ (1983), ‘Tai-Pan’ (1986) and ‘White Squall’ (1996). Well-known Hollywood stars such as Brooke Shields and two Oscar ® winners, Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges, took the helm of the ship in their hands.
In the epic ‘Tai-Pan,’ based on the novel by James Clavell, she was cast in a double role – that of the vessel ‘Morning Cloud’ with white sails and that of ‘White Witch’ with brown sails which the Eye of the Wind still uses to this day. After participating in the Tall Ships Race 2000, a Danish businessman bought the ship, mainly for private use. The new owner completely restored the proud brig and equipped her with the latest technology and electronics for modern navigation and comfort. The planning and upgrading to preserve her character as a traditional tall ship was done in a very conscientious manner.
The use of teak, precious woods, brass and other high-quality materials on the inner deck give the ship its distinctive atmosphere. A sail control system was deliberately omitted. To this day, the sails with a total area of around 750 square meters are raised and lowered by human muscle power.
The historical vessel became accessible to the public only in 2009 when the Danish owner died. Soon after, the beloved sailing ship found a new home port at Forum Train and Sail GmbH, a subsidiary of the German Media Group Forum.
Since then, it is used all year round for group and theme travel as well as for exclusive charters and high-quality management training. The owning company is actually looking into the possibilities to winter base the vessel in St. Martin as from November/December and to offer youngsters in the Caribbean sailing weeks on the ship as trainee’s trough the Caribbean Sail Training Association.
Source: repeatingislands.com