-------------------- “Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect.” - Margaret Mitchell www.samazon.com Posts: 387 | From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm delighted that our society makes room for people like Dan. During some era's they'd be titled mad. That castle is magnificant. Do you know about Ferdinand Cheval and his castle?
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6718 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Yup, I agree with the rest, Absolutely Dynamite!
-------------------- aka:Cisco the "Traveling Millennium Sign Artist" http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935 "to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98 Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Being a Diabetic ..one might say this is the "Evil Castle"...ha ha Absolutely mind blowing........... Great work....
-------------------- Arvil Shep' Shepherd Art by Shep' -------- " Those who dance are thought to be mad by those who cannot hear the music " Posts: 1281 | From: Mt Airy NC | Registered: Mar 2001
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-------------------- Ken McTague, Concept Signs 57 Bridge St. (route 107) Salem MA 01970 1-978-745-5800 conceptsign@yahoo.com http://www.pinheadlounge.com/CaptainKen
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"A wise man once said that, or was it a wise guy?" Posts: 2425 | From: Salem, MA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Thanks Donna for posting the picture of the castle!
The fellow handing me the box of sugar cubes is the world famous Brian Minter.
It still isn't quite done. We have two days left to finish the back side. The poinsettias still will ring the bottom. And we will install lighting inside to give it a bright warm glow.
It has been quite an adventure. There are well over 50,000 cubes so far. The final tally is a secret as we are suporting a charity with a contest to guess the actual amount of cubes.
I don't have too many scars from the hot glue gun and misshandling of the same.
It was built in place (off ladders) There is a welded steel frame inside for the purpose of public safety. There are platforms at various heights to safely support the 500 lbs or so of sugar. All this is hidden by the sugar cubes.
I have spent about 70 hours on the project so far including welding of the frame and design. 10 or so hours to go to finish.
There have been lots of folks around to watch the process of the building (some many times to return) It is interesting to watch people react. They see the castle. They come a little closer ot have a look, and then as they realize it is built of sugar cubes, one at a time, they begin to realize exactly what they are seeing. Their jaw drops and it all turns to amazement. Kinda fun to watch the process repeated again and again all day long!
There have been lots of silly comments as you cold imagine, and I've heard every single 'sweet joke' about a thousand times.
The job has been way more fun than working!! And it will make a great addition to the porfolio.
I appreciate the interest and encouragement I have recieved here on the board and in many emails I recieved privately.
Thanks all! Now go have fun and get creative.
-dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!!
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I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night if I had half of Dan's imagination! I'd spend all night laying there thinking of the fun I'd be having the next day! Or the next project I'd want to make. Or...
Dan, you are amazing and a great source of inspiration. I really admire your creativeness and fantastic outlook on life in general.
-------------------- Terry Whynott Walkerton, Ontario
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Boy Howdy, Heathcliff!! May the Worms in your mind continue to flourish. I am impressed beyond my comprehension! Bill
-------------------- Bill & Barbara Biggs Art's Sign Service, Inc. Clute, Texas, USA Home of The Great Texas Mosquito Festival Proud 10 year Supporter of the Letterheads Website www.artssigns.com "MrBill-" on the chat page MailTo:biggsbb@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1020 | From: Lake Jackson,Tx | Registered: Nov 1998
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I bow to your excellence. Man, what a work of art. What fun it must be to be you Dan. One of these days I'm gonna drive up there and visit Giggle Ridge and see your handiwork up close. Inspiring!
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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Dang! You've got some serious skills Dan! I'm surprised that you don't do exclusive jobs for the President's soires. How are you at ice sculpture? Hehehe!
I used to think up stuff like this when I was young, and my mama told me I was crazy. It's apparent we don't have the same mama, hahaha!
Nice flow on the design, too! Not all squared off and boring! You're something else! Truely awesome work!
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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God, how brilliant do you get? Hey Dan.. you need an offsider there, don't you? You need me? Just a sec, let me pack my bags.. I wanna stay with you! umm.. please? *grin* Maybe when I have some money, hey?
WOW WOW WOW..
-------------------- From Kat Johnston (previously Katie Wright, for those who can remember that far back)
Posts: 530 | From: Brisbane, Australia | Registered: Feb 1999
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Thanks for all the kind comments. To be so honored by my peers is really great!
I had a long, long busy day (at the sugar mine ) and a lot of other things. It was just one of those rush around days with lots of deadlines and endless calls. (still at least one more day to go on the castle) Friday 5:00 pm is the deadline.
After a long day on the job it was time to go home. But for just a minute I sat down in front of this HUGE, HUGE pile of sugar. I took a good look. And it made me laugh right out loud. THIS IS TOO FUNNY, JUST SO OUTRAGEOUS! It's way bigger in person than the photos show.
I am soooooooo lucky to be able to do this outrageous stuff and even get paid for it on top of it all.
Don't tell anybody (especially my customers), but I would do it for free if I couldn't do it for a living.
Thanks again for the kind encouragement.
-dan
ps I'm trying to think up something even better for the next project.
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!!
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Hide the horses! great job Dan, nice design for the castle. can i borrow it??!
-------------------- Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, And Dance like no one's watching. :) Mike Lavallee Mike Lavallee's Pinstriping & Airbrush Art Everett, WA Posts: 449 | From: Everett, WA | Registered: Dec 1998
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My bet is it's on display again at Brian Minter's greenhouse in Chilliwack.
They have a Christmas outdoor light display where you can ride a train or drive through it yourself. I saw an ad in the local paper with a Dan Sawatsky style sketched locamotive. (Those rivets can only be Dan's! ) I plan to go there with Cody perhaps next week so I'll report in if I see the castle.
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The castle was done two years ago and survived quite well until recently. It was starting to get a little tatty the last tme I looked and was torn down a couple months ago. Still, for a temporary display it gathered a great deal of attention and worked well for the client.
The train Donna speaks of was built by a company in Vancouver, but I did do the preliminary design for it which is the drawing she saw in the paper.
If you get out this way Donna, give me a call and drop in for a visit.
-almost grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I just hope that everyone realizes how lucky we are to have Dan in our midst. This man has more talent that all of Disney's troops.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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