Easter Island Carving: Encinitas/Swami's

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/encinitas/article_ff87c026-99eb-56bf-891d-80e084a95d9b.html

"A local artist got the go-ahead Wednesday to transform a stump of a Torrey pine at Swami's park into a huge human head, reminiscent of the massive stone statues on Easter Island.
But the City Council postponed a vote on an Encinitas environmental action plan that's been in production for several years, saying it needs more discussion and perhaps more work.
Work on the giant carving is expected to begin shortly.
Woodcarver Tim Richards, who divides his time between Encinitas and Utah, plans to create what he has called a "temporary" sculpture out of the tall stump.
"Wood is an organic material and degrades when exposed to the elements," Richards wrote in his project proposal to the city. "Although attempts will be made to preserve it, the life span of the sculpture is unknown."
Richard is donating his labor. The city's expense will be $117 for insurance to cover the artist while he is doing the carving, a city staff report states.
The tree, which city officials have estimated to be more than 80 years old, suffered a severe bark beetle infestation and was mostly removed in mid-January.
While the sculpture project was approved without comment Wednesday, council reaction to the draft environmental action plan was sharply divided.
The plan, which was produced by a council-appointed citizens' committee, contains recommendations of more than 100 changes Encinitas could make to benefit the planet. Items range from reworking the city's building codes to banning leaf-blower machines.
The council was scheduled to vote to accept the plan, but decided in a 4-0 vote with Mayor James Bond absent, to revisit the issue in a series of meetings. The first one is proposed to occur within the next 60 days.
Councilwomen Teresa Barth and Maggie Houlihan praised the committee's work Wednesday and said they would gladly support its recommendation that the city hire a full-time environmental coordinator. Houlihan said such a person could easily save the city enough money to pay for the extra salary cost, while Barth said she viewed the action plan as "long-term vision" for the city.
"I see this as a really broad vision of the future, and I support it," she said, adding that she didn't think that by accepting the document the city was committing to doing everything that was in it.
While Barth and Houlihan backed the plan, Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar and Councilman Jerome Stocks said there was no way they could accept it as proposed. Both of them told committee chairwoman Elizabeth Taylor that it needed to be drastically reworked.
"I think what we're missing here is some focus," Gaspar said, adding that she wanted the committee to come forward with a top-two list rather than a long list recommendations "My concern is because this action plan is so thorough, I'm concerned that it will be an in-action plan."
Stocks said he was worried about the financial aspects of some of the recommendations, particularly the proposed changes to the city's building codes related to new home construction.
"I'm sorry --- there are just some things in here I can't adopt," he said, mentioning home-size limits and requirements that "grey water," or wastewater used for laundry and dishwashing, be reused on the site where it was produced.
Call staff writer Barbara Henry at 760-901-4072."

Saw this update to the story today...there's a small picture on the website

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/24/tiki-statue-taking-shape-above-swamis-beach/#

Tiki statue taking shape above Swami’s Beach
Woodcarver turning blighted Torrey pine stump into artwork
By Jonathan Horn

Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 9:56 a.m.

ENCINITAS — Encinitas woodworking artist Tim Richards will spend the next two weeks transforming the stump of a Torrey pine into a tiki head statue that will welcome visitors to one of the world’s most famous surf spots.

The statue will stand above Swami’s Beach in Encinitas and face Coast Highway 101.

Crews cut down the 80-year-old Torrey pine from the park above Swami’s in January after it fell victim to a bark beetle infestation last summer.

Workers, however, left an 11-foot stump on the chance it could be transformed into a piece of public art. The city is already famous for the “Cardiff Kook” (officially “Magic Carpet Ride”) statue down the road.

Enter Richards, who took up woodworking after he retired about five years ago from his job at Frazee Paint. Richards, a volunteer, pitched the tiki head after the city solicited ideas from the community.

The City Council approved the concept last month.

The tiki statue is fitting for its location above Swami’s, a beach revered by surfers. Tikis, otherwise known as Moai, or Easter Island heads, were made famous by Polynesians, credited with inventing surfing, between 1250 and 1500.

Richards began working March 14 by stripping bark from the stump. Passers-by and surfers alike stopped to watch.

“If it gets half the attention the ‘Kook’ gets, I’ll be happy,” Richards said. The “Kook” is a statue of a boy learning to surf. Many consider his pose goofy at best, and the statue has been a constant target of good-natured pranks.

Early indications are that the tiki’s feedback will be more positive. Darryl Hatheway, a Swami’s surfer for 42 years, stopped last week after his time in the water to give the artist a thumbs-up.

“Hey, good luck man. It will be awesome,” he told Richards.

Richards, doing his first piece of public art, said one person came over to suggest a dolphin would have been more appropriate for Swami’s. Richards said a dolphin was actually his original idea, but then he decided to do something different.

He said he expects to finish the carving in early April.

Excellent public art!

for the record:

I asked a friend who lives in Carlsbad (North County San Diego) about it, and
not only has he seen this Moai, it inspired him to carve one in his backyard.

i finally saw it, two weeks ago. took some pictures. i dont know how to do individual pictures on here though.

Here's a picture of the finished product:

I hadn't been to Swami's in a long time. One of my favorite beaches. This new tiki was a really nice surprise!

Excellent.