• Tim repairs a Bulldog and carves a Rooster

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    For the new main building of energy network operator Alliander we recently repaired a statue and added its counterpart.

    Koen van Velzen and Tim Kaarsemaker installing a sandstone rooster in the entrance of the new Alliander building

    I say 'We', because I was in charge of this project, but the execution is largely Tim's own. Tim is my nephew Tim Kaarsemaker, who ended up in my workshop after studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent.

    A ceramic Bulldog…

    I was approached if I could repair a broken ceramic work by Willem Coenraad Brouwer , a well known ceramicist from the 1920s. It came from the former power station in Velsen, and had once had a counterpart in the form of a Rooster. At the time they were facade ornaments and the holes for the drain pipe were still clearly visible. I thought it could be a nice learning project for Tim and took on the job.

    We started by gluing together the many pieces and removing the old layers of mortar (it looked as if this Dog had been dismantled with an excavator!), after which Tim managed to conceal all the cracks invisibly using various means. We closed the downspout holes, so that people don't throw coffee cups in it. However, we did it in such a way that it is still clearly visible where they were located. I then welded a stainless steel suspension system with which it could hang from the columns of the reception hall.

    …and a sandstone Rooster

    Tim then sculpted a mirrored Rooster in clay and carved it into a new block of sandstone, and managed to get it in the same color scheme as the Dog with patinas. We hollowed out the back and made a stainless steel suspension system for it again.

    Finally, we installed the Dog and the Rooster (symbol for Power and Light) in the reception area of ​​the new main building, next to the grand staircase. With a smart lifting solution, it all fit perfectly in the end.

    Photo report: repair, modelling, into new limestone, installing

    • Koen van Velzen and Tim Kaarsemaker installing a sandstone rooster in the entrance of the new Alliander building

  • Update after two years: five coats of arms

    coat of arms
    3 comments

    It's been over two years since I last posted on my blog. The main reason for this is our work on the Utrecht Dom Tower, that took up all the attention I had left, in addition to a busy private life and four students. It has been two wonderfully interesting years! Here's my first short update, this time about family crests.

    LANGUAGE

     1: Two coats of arms in enamelled basalt lava

    • Karssen coat of arms 2020 carved in Mont Doré basalt lava, and enamelled

    For two retail properties in Ede I carved two coats of arms in Mont Doré basaltlava. These were then enamelled. Unfortunately, Mr Karssen has now passed away, but he did want to leave something valuable to the city of Ede, with two new retail properties and living space located above. He wanted to add two coats of arms in color, but would rather not have to have it painted every few years. I had the solution for this: to have it carried out in enamelled basalt lava, as we did shortly before as well in Veghel in October 2021. This will easily last for a thousand years. I suggested giving it some bulge as well, so that it became more than just a picture. Unfortunately, the basalt lava can only be at most 5 centimeters thick, so I had to hollow out the stones at the back. In the end it worked out well and the stone shields will continue to shine brightly on the shop facade for years to come.

    LAREN

    coat of arms Van Steenis with 3 lions in Bentheimer sandstone

    2: Two sandstone family crests

    For a villa in Laren I carved a large panel with a coat of arms Bentheimer sandstone, plus a smaller coat of arms to be put into into the pillar of the gate. Tim helped me install it.

    • coat of arms Van Steenis with 3 lions in Bentheimer sandstone
    • coat of arms Van Steenis with 3 lions in Bentheimer sandstone

    DUISBURG

    3: A small round coat of arms in Portland stone

    A coat of arms with helmet, helmet mark and mantling on a round background with profiling. Dimensions 40 cm diameter and 6 cms thick.

    round coat of arms with coat of arms. Portlandstone

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