Heroes Square Georgetown Grand Cayman Island

Grand Cayman celebrates National Heroes Day every January in honour of those who have rendered exceptional service as National Heroes

The bronze sculpture “Tradition” was unveiled by His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, on May 10TH, 2003, the Quintecentennial Anniversary of the discovery of the Cayman Islands by Columbus, in memoriam to the nearly 500 Caymanian souls lost at sea recorded since 1792.

Placed near the central fountain in the square, the life sized sculpture depicts a young boy at the helm of a schooner, learning the art of navigation from his father, in a long held tradition of passing seafaring knowledge down the generations, hence the name “Tradition”. The sculpture was originally placed next to the ruins of Fort George on the waterfront, but was moved inland to a more protected location in the square after being submerged during Hurricane Ivan

It was sculpted by Simon Morris, the creator of the “Guardian of the Reef” sculpture placed at Divetech in Grand Cayman in 2104, the mermaid “Amphitrite” placed at Sunset House in Grand Cayman in 2000, and the mermaid “The Emerald Princess” placed in Powell River, B.C. in 1989. All are underwater to promote scuba tourism.

A limited Edition life size bronze bust of the main figure, navigating with a sextant, is available as a commemorative of the event. It is titled “The Navigator”. US $9750.00

For images, more information, or to place an order, please see

Contact:

Simon Morris

Sculptor

www.sculptorsimonmorris.com

www.guardianofthereef.com

simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com

Hangtime cave diver sculpture by Simon Morris

Limited Edition Bronze Sculpture of a technical cave diver with twin tanks and SCUBAPRO Frameless mask and Jet fins. ¼ life scale standing approximately 30” tall on walnut base.

Edition of 25 castings signed, numbered and dated by the artist. Cast in Oregon, USA. 

US$ 3800.00 Available for immediate shipment.

Simon Morris is the creator of the Guardian of the Reef sculpture placed at Divetech in Grand Cayman in 2104, the mermaid “Amphitrite” placed at Sunset House in Grand Cayman in 2000, and the mermaid “The Emerald Princess” placed in Powell River, B.C. in 1989.

For images, more information, or to place an order, please see

http://sculptorsimonmorris.com/hangtime30-simon-morris.html

Simon Morris

Sculptor

www.sculptorsimonmorris.com

www.guardianofthereef.com

simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com

Guardian of the Reef Limited Edition Scaled Bronze sculptures by Simon Morris ready for pre-sale

 

The first of four castings of the full size 13' tall Guardian of the Reef bronze sculptures by Simon Morris was installed at Divetech's Lighthouse Point in West Bay, Grand Cayman on April 12 2014.

Simon is the creator of the well known bronze mermaids "Amphitrite" at Sunset Divers in Grand Cayman and "The Emerald Princess" in Powell River, British Columbia.

The 9' tall mermaid was recreated in three scaled limited editions in 2001, and now the Guardian of the Reef  will be released in 1/3, 1/6, and 1/12 scale bronze.

The 1/6 and 1/12 scale castings are now available for pre-order. 

 

Advanced laser digital scanning of the original 13’ tall sculpture combined with Stereo Lithography 3D reproduction technology creates accurate and detailed finished bronze sculptures that are faithful to the original.

The illustrations below are coloured renderings of the digital scan output. The 3D figures will be hand detailed by the sculptor. The bronze pillar has not been aged yet, and will have sculpted marine life – sponges, coral etc., added to the originals in each size before the mould are made for lost wax casting.

Both pieces will be mounted on a Travertine base

All dimension in inches

Item	Height	Column	Column	Column	Base	Total
	Overall	Height	Base	Diameter	Dimensions	Height
1/6 scale	26	8	6 X 6	5	5W  X 8H	34"
1/12 scale	13	4	3 X 3	2.5	3 X 5	18"

 

1/6 scale

25 castings plus 3 Artist’s Proofs signed, numbered and dated.

Foam packed and crated ready for world wide shipping.

Edition – US$ 4500.00   A/P  US$ 4995.00

1/12 scale

50 castings plus 5 Artist’s Proofs signed, numbered and dated.

Foam packed and crated ready for world wide shipping.

Edition – US$ 2700.00   A/P  US$ 2995.00

F.O.B. Joseph, Oregon, USA

To order, or for more information: contact Simon at simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com

The Emerald Princess Mermaid by Simon Morris Limited Edition Art Print

New art print of the mermaid now available

 

“The Emerald Princess”
25th Anniversary Commemorative Limited Edition Print
50 Prints and 5 Artist’s Proofs
Image Size 12” W X 24” T
100% acid free fine art paper
From the original oil painting by Bob McCarthy of the sculpture by Simon Morris
Specially Hand Remarqued, Signed, Numbered and Dated by Simon

Prints:150.00 CDN FOB Vancouver BC

Artists Proofs 200.00 CDN FOB Vancouver BC - only two remaining
Contact Simon at simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com

for purchase information

Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the sinking of the Emerald Princess on
March 11th, 1989 at Mermaid Cove, Powell River, British Columbia with this beautiful limited edition print, personally signed "The Emerald Princess 25th Anniversary" numbered and dated by Simon. Act now - there are only 50!
Bob is a well known painter based in Powell River. He asked for my permission to create this painting years ago, but we lost touch, only to meet again at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the mermaid sinking in March 2014. I had never seen the painting before and instantly fell in love with it. Bob agreed we should release this edition for her 25th birthday. Bob is now 86 years old, and is currently working on a new original painting of my latest sculpture, The Guardian of the Reef, #1 of 4 of which was installed by Divetech at Lighthouse Point, Grand Cayman on April 12th 2014.

 

Guardian of the Reef underwater sculpture by Simon Morris used for Grand Cayman Earth Day Poster

The Guardian  of the Reef by Simon Morris, sunk at Divetech's Lighthouse Reef resort on April 12th, 2014, was featured by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism as the subject for the Cayman Islands' Earth Day poster, released on April 22.
For more information contact Simon at simon@sculptorsimonmorris.com

Guardian of the Reef sculpture sinking in Grand Cayman as reported in UK Sport Diver magazine

As seen in the 17.04.14on-line version of UK Sport Diver Magazine..

Safeguarding the reef

Grand Cayman’s newest underwater attraction is a statue that symbolises the island’s commitment to marine conservation. Patricia Wuest was there to see it go down...

I’m waiting at 18m with about 30 divers and a handful of professional photographers and videographers while an 1,100lb bronze statue called Guardian of the Reef dangles above us. Divetech owner Jay Easterbrook and his crew grapple at the surface with the statue, trying to get it in position so it can be dropped down atop its concrete pedestal. I’ve come to witness the end of the Guardian’s journey to its new location about 200 yards off Grand Cayman’s Lighthouse Point Dive Resort’s dock. The statue is floating horizontally, attached to two heavy-duty lift bags, and the team is focused on getting it vertical. It looks a bit like helping a stumbling, drunken mate up off the floor.

“I first started working on The Guardian ten years ago,” says Canadian artist Simon Morris. “And it’s now travelled 4,552 miles from British Columbia to Grand Cayman.” Transporting the statue was no small feat. Earlier in the day - 12 April 12 - Simon and I watched as Jay and the Divetech crew secured the Guardian with heavy-duty webbing straps and a crane operator slowly loaded the statue - swinging but secure - onto a truck Then we hopped into Jay’s pick-up to follow behind it to George Town Harbour. At the harbour, the Guardian was again attached to the crane and two lift bags were affixed to it. Once more, the Guardian wobbled in the air as it was lifted from the truckbed down to the water, where it slipped just below the surface, held up off the bottom by the lift bags. It was then secured to a boat equipped with a crane. I think I heard Simon exhale. I know I did. After one of the boat operators dived in and checked the statue, the boat pulled away - headed back to Lighthouse Point. To say it was nerve-wracking - and emotional - is an understatement.
“It’s intense - when he was in the air, time slowed down for me a bit,” Simon admits. “But this went well,” he says as we linger to watch the statue being towed from the harbour. 

The statue is a mythological creature - half ancient warrior and half seahorse. The top half of the sculpture is a guardsman wearing Greco-Roman armour and carrying a circular shield and a staff and sphere. His helmet is a stylised seahorse head, and a dorsal fin protrudes from the back of his breastplate. At the waist, the creature morphs into a seahorse with a tail coiled around a bronze ring mounted on a one-and-a-half metre bronze column. The Guardian was placed on a tiered concrete pedestal that weighs a whopping 14,000lb. 

The night before, at the pre-sinking party celebrating the event, Nancy Easterbrook explained the impetus behind sinking the Guardian - dive site No. 240 in Grand Cayman’s Dive 365 programme. “This year Divetech is 20 years old,” she says. “I thought we should do something more permanent to celebrate the anniversary - something we could dedicate to ocean conservation and the island’s local youth. The Guardian has travelled over 4,500 miles, and now he will be looking over our reefs and symbolise our need to safeguard our reefs. And for every dive made on the Guardian, we will donate a dollar to our conservation programme for youths.” Divetech’s goal is to raise $20,000 the first year (donations are accepted).

“To quote Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, ‘what a long strange trip it’s been’,” Simon said during the party. “He just has 200 more yards to get where he needs to go tomorrow. And then he will be elevating people’s understanding of ocean conservation.”
And now Simon and I are patiently waiting on the bottom as the statue is slowly guided to its base on a sandflat about eight metres below the adjacent low-profile reef. Finally, Guardian is in place and the team works to secure the bolts. There is underwater clapping and high fives exchanged, and Nancy Easterbrook circles the base, shaking hands with her husband and the rest of the team. Camera strobes fire, one after the other, recording another moment in the island’s proud legacy as a leading beacon for marine conservation.

“The Guardian is one of four, and this one will be the only one in the Caribbean,” Simon had told me earlier.

Simon Morris also created Amphitrite, which is in Grand Cayman on Sunset Reef off Sunset House Resort, and the Emerald Princess, which is in Powell River, British Columbia.
Photographs by Ryan Canon Story by Patricia Wuest

Thanks to Ryan and Patricia for photos and article, and to UK Sport Diver for posting the article on line.

Guardian of the Reef sculpture by Simon Morris to support West Bay Eco Warriors in Grand Cayman

The West Bay Eco Warriors is a not-for-profit association dedicated to educate and dive-certify Caymanian school kids so they understand and appreciate the importance of the marine environment to the future of Cayman and Caymanians.

 

Jay and Nancy Easterbrook of Divetech, who placed the first Guardian of the Reef sculpture at the Lighthouse Point dive resort on April 12^th 2014 to promote diving and the environment, have pledged to donate one dollar to the West Bay Eco Warriors for every dive done on the Guardian in 2014.

“We don’t just teach them to swim and dive, we take them on field trips, make them do beach clean-ups, we teach them about coral,” said Nancy, “It’s about education, it’s about discipline, it’s about learning, it’s about becoming more in tune with the ocean by enjoying it, swimming in it, by snorkeling in it, by diving in it.”

You can support this worthwhile cause just by visiting the Guardian at Divetech this year!

Guardian of the Reef is a global Limited Edition of 4 signed, numbered and dated sculptures dedicated to promoting awareness of the marine environment. Number 1, placed at Divetech’s Lighthouse Point, in West Bay, Grand Cayman, will be the only one in the entire Caribbean Basin. 

Groups outside the Caribbean Sea interested in placing one of the remaining three castings of the Guardian of the Reef sculpture are invited to contact Simon at info@sculptorsimonmorris.com