The Big Easel - Projects

The inspiration and process behind the Big Easel.

The Big Easel began in 1996 when an artist and teacher named Cameron Cross decided to contribute a work of art to the city in which he was teaching. With Altona being the Sunflower capital of Canada, Cross decided an enlarged hand-painted reproduction of one of Van Gogh's sunflower paintings, a public domain, resting on an enourmous easel would make an appropriate landmark for the city.

The project soon began to take on a much larger scope. Cross decided to expand the project to seven Easels, with the Easel acting as an internationally recognized symbol of art. Negotiations are in progress for Easel locations.

Each Easel will feature a reproduction of one of Van Gogh's seven sunflower paintings, and will be placed in communities where sunflowers are a prominent part of local agriculture, or a connection to Vincent van Gogh exists. The sculptures will serve as a unique attractions for tourists and surrounding communities.

The Easel
The Steel Easel was designed with the help of P. A. Beach and Associates, a Canadian based Engineering Firm. The easel is 25 metres (80 feet) tall, with a design wind load of 38 pounds per square foot. The easel weighs 17,500 kilograms (40,000 pounds), with 24 metre long anchor support bolts, and 10 metre (30 feet) deep cement piling.

The Paint
The paint used for the artwork is an industrial Acrylic Urethane Enamel. The paint is normally used on ships, fertilizer equipment and machinery that is exposed to extreme heat, acid or chemicals. The paint was chosen for its long lasting qualities and ultra violet protection.

Approximately 10 layers of Acrylic Urethane Enamel were used to finish the work of art.

The Canvas
The 7 metre x 10 metre canvas consists of 24 sheets of standard 4ft. x 8ft. plywood sheets, 2 layers of one-ounce matte fiber glass, covered in a layer of industrial gel coat . The canvas is attached to the steel frame with over 500 high performance Self-tapping (wood to steel) fastener screws.