Wednesday, May 13, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Wood sculptor creates Paul Bunyan
saddlestone back
on track in sisters
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
Work is getting under-
way on the SaddleStone
Development at the east end
of Black Butte Avenue in
Sisters.
Olsen Design and
Development, Inc. (www.
olsencommunities.com) of
Monmouth acquired the
85-lot property and is devel-
oping it in the manner of its
“Olsen Communities” — tra-
ditional-style neighborhoods
that emphasize front porches
and common spaces.
“We don’t just build
houses,” developer Eric
Olsen told The Nugget. “We
build neighborhoods and
communities.”
Olsen specializes in bun-
galows, Craftsman homes
and other turn-of-the-cen-
tury-inspired designs in
what they call “front-porch
communities.”
Olsen Communities ori-
ent houses toward the street,
with the front porch promi-
nent instead of a big expanse
of garage door. To de-empha-
size the garage, there are
shared driveways and garages
are accessed off alleyways.
“Walkability” and extensive
common spaces are consid-
ered vital features, and the
houses are oriented to have a
connection to the street and to
common areas.
“Architecture changes the
way we live and the way we
think,” Olsen said.
The idea, Olsen says, is
to “create a social fabric that
sometimes you lose just by
the orientation of the house.”
Metolius Property Sales
of Sisters is the exclusive
listing agent for the project.
Olsen said it was important
to have a strong local connec-
tion for the marketing of the
neighborhood.
“We interviewed six
Sisters Realtors and we were
very impressed with the pack-
age they presented,” Olsen
said. “We want to know what
people are looking for and
photo by Jim Cornelius
New development will focus on
front porches and common areas.
have that connection to the
local economy.”
Four of the lots in
SaddleStone have already
been built upon under a pre-
vious developer’s ownership.
The previous development
stalled when the recession
and the housing market crash
hit the area in 2008.
According to Olsen, prices
at SaddleStone will range
from $240,000 to $450,000.
“I think it’s going to be
an exciting project,” he said.
“It’s going to offer a really
unique neighborhood that
will complement the rest of
Sisters.”
Kimberly Gorayeb, a bro-
ker with Metolius Properties,
said, “Jeff Jones and I and
Metolius Property Sales are
very excited to be represent-
ing the builder, Eric Olsen,
in the real estate sales of
Saddlestone. Revitalizing
this neighborhood will be
good for the Sisters commu-
nity. Saddlestone is a beauti-
ful community, conveniently
located to town. There will
be several home sizes and
designs available being
offered at fair prices. Eric
Olsen builds quality homes.
We can’t wait for the specs
to start so that we have some-
thing to share.”
A mighty piece of
American woodland folk-
lore is taking shape at Sisters
Rental.
Wood sculptor Jon Stark
is carving a seven-foot-
plus statue of mythic log-
ger Paul Bunyan out of a
ponderosa log. After the
sculpture is painted it will
stand next to the door of the
business.
Stark has gotten a little
help from his father, artist
Paul Stark.
“I specialize in birds of
prey,” Jon explained. “He’s
been down here giving me
a tutorial on the human
form, which has been super
helpful.”
Stark roughed out the
sculpture from what he called
“just a beautiful piece of old-
growth pondo.” On Friday,
he was starting on the detail
work, working the wood with
a STIHL chainsaw (Sisters
Rental is a full-line STIHL
dealer). He was detailing in
suspenders and jeans on the
logger.
“We’re down to the finesse
stuff instead of just chunking
off wood,” Stark said.
The 33-year-old artist has
been working wood all his
life and has been working
on his own for the past eight
years. Some of his birds-of-
prey work can be found at
Hood Avenue Art.
Eric Spor of Sisters Rental
commissioned Stark for the
Paul Bunyan sculpture.
“It’s kind of been an icon
for logging shops,” Spor said
of the Paul Bunyan figure.
“You don’t see ’em much
anymore. We thought it
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photo by Jim Cornelius
Jon Stark is at work on a seven-foot statue of Paul Bunyan for Sisters
Rental.
would be neat to have a little the company of his big blue
Paul Bunyan. Actually, a BIG ox Babe, is featured in tall
Paul Bunyan.”
tales of superhuman work in
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