Hunt Studios at The Huntington Japanese Gardens

Hunt Studios recently contributed to an award-winning renovation project in San Marino, California at the Huntington Japanese Gardens. 

“The Japanese House” was built in Japan around 1904 and now graces the Huntington gardens with restored splendor. 

Hunt Studios provided the cast architectural elements that adorn the rooftop; traditional Kara-jishi sculptures. 

The proud roof-dogs look out over the gorgeous nine-acre Japanese garden and the many visitors that come to be immersed in its beauty.  The renovation project earned Merit Award honors from both the Los Angles and Pasadena/Foothill chapters of the AIA.

For more information please visit the following links:
http://huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=512
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/blogs/daily/2012/05/huntington-japanese-gardens-restoration
http://www.californiahomedesign.com/blog/2012/05/14/peek-inside-huntingtons-newly-renovated-japanese-house

Fireplace in Brač Limestone

Hunt Studios recently completed a project entailing the creation of a fireplace in beautiful Brač limestone.  Often mistaken for marble, Croatian Brač limestone has been used for millenia in European building and also makes up the columns of the White House in Washington D.C.  Using time-honored methods, Hunt Studios has taken the work through every stage of the process and we are proud to see off another finely crafted architectural treasure.

After the basics are set out the ornament is drawn in.

The front elevation, approved.  We're ready to begin fabrication.

Here is one of the ornamented panels on the banker next to the carver's reference.  Fidelity is key.

A detail of the carving in Brač.

The internal surround roughed-out.

The final piece dry-fit together before sending off.

Hunt Studios: New design added to our suite of hand-carved tiles

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new piece in our growing collection of artisan tiles.  Designed at Hunt Studios, "Polaris" will appeal to the minimalists and decorative arts lovers alike.  

The design came from a series of creative exercises the objective of which was to "pinch" and pull the surface into a focal point, then arrange the result as a continuous, reciprocating movement.  

Here is the original 3" x 3" sketch made in plastilina that we selected for development.

 

Here is the master tile carved in gypsum at 12" x 12".

The theme represented here, connected to the original exercise, is that of two opposite poles pushing towards their point of contact.  The negative, flat space yields to the line like atmosphere bending around the shock wave of a super-sonic body or aircraft.  Where those lines taper off is where the connection is made to the next tile, maintaining a continuous fluidity. 

Here are the tiles dry-fit with blanks that expand the negative spaces.

 

This design is offered in cast composite material, Stuc Pierre, cold-cast bronze, limestone, and Carrara marble, or perhaps any workable stone of your choosing.  Contact us for specs and pricing info.  www.huntstonecarving.com

Get to Know

Nathan Hunt discusses his history and how he came to set up Hunt Studios in San Francisco. Nathan talks about the companies new line of sculptural wall tiles and why he believes there is a place for them in Contemporary building projects.

huntstonecarving.com

Time-lapse carving video: Nathan Hunt

Nathan Hunt carves away the face of the male 

figure in the "Spirit Of The Ocean Fountain" 

restoration project. 8 hrs of video squeezed 

into 1 minute.

huntstonecarving.com

Hunt Studios reproduces a 14th century statue of Neptune for the St. Louis Museum of Art

Our team at Hunt Studios recently completed a reproduction of a c. 14th century statue of Neptune commissioned by the Saint Louis Museum of Art.  The heavily deteriorated  statue was translated into a three dimensional model using a 3D scanner.  Then the  model was locally reproduced in foam for us to begin our work of carving it in stone.   A pointing machine was used to rough-out the initial form, and then the figurative details were added, paying special attention to the historical accuracy as well as the anatomical accuracy.  We are proud to have seen this work of art take its revitalized form here in our  workshop, and will soon be seeing it off to its Midwestern home.

Here you can see the foam Neptune in the foreground, skinned with plaster,
and sitting inside the pointing frame.  The block of Lueders Limestone,
left, has just begun to take shape.

Here is Neptune at the end of stage one.  With the pointing now finished,
sculptors can begin the process of refinement.

The sculptor skillfully peels off layers of stone until he reaches the desired
surface, carefully translating the figurative nuances into the stone.

The work nearing its completion. (Detail)

Cutting-edge technology coupled together with ancient techniques gives
this character a new life in the timeless medium of stone.