6 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2015 | COMMUNITY NEWS
foUr SEaSonS SPotLiGHt
By Leighton McLaughlin
The striking sculptures on the Lodge grounds are the work
of Gail Chavenelle, who employs a unique technique to create
them.
She began sculpting with paper. "I loved paper cutting and
paper folding, but then I had children and they spilled milk
on my work," she said. "I knew I needed something more
permanent."
Now she cuts her creations out of commercial sheet steel
with a plasma torch and then shapes them with her hands,
pliers and leather hammers into three-dimensional statues.
Her background — a bachelor's degree in English literature
and a master's in computer education — would not seem
preparation to become a sculptor. But with the help of artist
friends and a "generous blacksmith," she became one.
She uses either stainless steel because it won't rust, or mild
sheet steel that is coated with a powder and heated in an oven
to prevent rust. This "powder finish" is similar to the finish on
'Permanent Paper' Sculptures at Lodge
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Blue Woman
Butterfly Run
Guitar Player
Winter
Dancer
Lovers' Stroll
Audubon Friends
