Mr. Rossiter's Custom Hot Rod
Artist (s): Sam Wise
Location in school: The "Street"
Year completed: May 2014.
Rationale / Description:
In 2011 plans had begun for our next department mural, a large scale tribute to the technology department and to the city of Oshawa and its automotive industry. We began to envision a large triptych, a modern secular icon devoted to speed, performance and mechanical engineering. A small study was made and talks began with the Department Head of Technology, Jim Rossiter. We discussed the model of car we would represent in the center panel, along with engine components for the side panels, and the mural's location, relative to the auto shop classroom. Building the 14 foot long painting began, it would be comprised of three sections the middle being the largest of the three. Student painters helped to stretch, prime and sand the surface ready for painting.
Then we got the news that the fire code would not allow for anything to be hung in any stairwell or stairwell hallway. Our most ambitious project to date and been put on hold, and the multi-image work would have to be reduced in scale, if we wanted the painting to be near the tech department as originally planned.
Then some great news! Upon discussing the modified plans for the central image, Mr. Rossiter made mention that he and his students had built a Hot Rod! A bright, orange-red Hot Rod, that Rossiter was now driving to and from the school. Over the last four years, the students under Mr. Rossiter's expert tutelage had assembled automotive parts, from various locations and models and had constructed a high performance automobile. It was like Johnny Cash's song
"One Piece at a Time" had come true at our school.
https://vimeo.com/68837540
Mr. Rossiter shared the photo's of the car's creation, and it was amazing. He had guided Maxwell students through all aspects of the build. There was the bare frame and chassis, the suspension, the engine build and rebuild, transmission, body work, paint work and everything in between. The sense of pride and excitement on the faces of his students as each phase was completed was inspiring to say the least. This is what quality instruction and dedication looked like in the classroom, a teacher freely and confidently leading students through a real world task, with stunning results. This is what our painting will serve to document, Mr. Rossiter's custom Hot Rod, built from the ground up by Maxwell Heights technology students.
It had taken four years to complete the Hot Rod, now it was up to a select few Visual Art students to execute the portrait. After photographing the car over the course of several weeks without much success, we decided to use a photograph by Julie Rossiter depicting the car from a dramatic low perspective, exaggerating the car's natural proportions. A grade twelve art student Matt Julal matched the acrylic paint colour used in the painting to that of the original metallic paint used on the car from Mr. Rossiter. Two students were then selected to complete the work, however, soon into the process, one student remained, Samantha Wise. Sam started the painting at the end of her grade eleven year, and had completed the painting by second semester the following year. The painting is a remarkable individual achievement by Ms.Wise and now hangs proudly in the Maxwell "street" as a testament to the fine work of our colleagues in Technology Department.
Location in school: The "Street"
Year completed: May 2014.
Rationale / Description:
In 2011 plans had begun for our next department mural, a large scale tribute to the technology department and to the city of Oshawa and its automotive industry. We began to envision a large triptych, a modern secular icon devoted to speed, performance and mechanical engineering. A small study was made and talks began with the Department Head of Technology, Jim Rossiter. We discussed the model of car we would represent in the center panel, along with engine components for the side panels, and the mural's location, relative to the auto shop classroom. Building the 14 foot long painting began, it would be comprised of three sections the middle being the largest of the three. Student painters helped to stretch, prime and sand the surface ready for painting.
Then we got the news that the fire code would not allow for anything to be hung in any stairwell or stairwell hallway. Our most ambitious project to date and been put on hold, and the multi-image work would have to be reduced in scale, if we wanted the painting to be near the tech department as originally planned.
Then some great news! Upon discussing the modified plans for the central image, Mr. Rossiter made mention that he and his students had built a Hot Rod! A bright, orange-red Hot Rod, that Rossiter was now driving to and from the school. Over the last four years, the students under Mr. Rossiter's expert tutelage had assembled automotive parts, from various locations and models and had constructed a high performance automobile. It was like Johnny Cash's song
"One Piece at a Time" had come true at our school.
https://vimeo.com/68837540
Mr. Rossiter shared the photo's of the car's creation, and it was amazing. He had guided Maxwell students through all aspects of the build. There was the bare frame and chassis, the suspension, the engine build and rebuild, transmission, body work, paint work and everything in between. The sense of pride and excitement on the faces of his students as each phase was completed was inspiring to say the least. This is what quality instruction and dedication looked like in the classroom, a teacher freely and confidently leading students through a real world task, with stunning results. This is what our painting will serve to document, Mr. Rossiter's custom Hot Rod, built from the ground up by Maxwell Heights technology students.
It had taken four years to complete the Hot Rod, now it was up to a select few Visual Art students to execute the portrait. After photographing the car over the course of several weeks without much success, we decided to use a photograph by Julie Rossiter depicting the car from a dramatic low perspective, exaggerating the car's natural proportions. A grade twelve art student Matt Julal matched the acrylic paint colour used in the painting to that of the original metallic paint used on the car from Mr. Rossiter. Two students were then selected to complete the work, however, soon into the process, one student remained, Samantha Wise. Sam started the painting at the end of her grade eleven year, and had completed the painting by second semester the following year. The painting is a remarkable individual achievement by Ms.Wise and now hangs proudly in the Maxwell "street" as a testament to the fine work of our colleagues in Technology Department.