My dear friend Travis Tuck started making weathervanes when Stephen Spielgberg showed up in Martha's Vineyard in 1974 and needed metal work to be done for his movie "Jaws". A spectacular and completely free hand shark weathervane was produced by Travis and it was placed on the fishing shack in the film. It was so coveted that it was stolen and had to be reconstructed twice! Travis's vanes became internationally famous and the waiting list for a piece to be constructed edged up on two years. Travis was named a Modern Master (he was considered the finest weathervane maker in the world) and was featured in a TV documentary film. Eventually Tony Holand came to apprentice with Travis, and together they continued to create masterful pieces until Travis's death due to a cancer that he valiantly fought for years.
For my vane, I suggested an Indian archer, but with the decorations of a Jingle Dancer added to the usual elements. When Tony delivered it to me, after Travis's death, it was covered with extra touches of gold leaf.....a gift to me for the long wait. The vane was installed in a space that had been waiting for it and it can be seen in it's finished state by clicking on the title of this posting. Here are photos from the process of it's creation.
No comments:
Post a Comment