Another
dragon is in the works for the Duck Pond.
A few years ago, a dragon lurked in the Duck Pond in Oriental.
But time and winds took their toll on the dragon and piece by
piece, he disappeared.
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Gary
Gresko and the new dragon.
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Now, sculptor
Gary Gresko is crafting a new one. He says he’s doing
that because he thinks the town needs it. "It’ll
be a real attraction for town."
It’s a rare dragon. It has a keel. And a Danforth anchor.
| 
He
/ She really does have a keel.
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There’s
also that ferro-cement body and thousands of bits of glass.
Gary says he’s based it on "millions of cartoon characters.
It’s gaudy, ferocious, ridiculous -- all the characteristics
of a dragon."
Gary says he wanted the dragon to shimmer in the different angles
of light throughout the day. Enter those thousands of pieces
of colored glass give the dragon that look. The glass comes
from bottles that Gary breaks up . (Gary says he’s had
‘no problem’ finding empty bottles in Oriental.)
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Gary
uses bits of glass. You start with colorful glass...and
hit it with a mallet.
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The green
that tops the dragon’s back comes from Yeungling beer
bottles. The blue bits are from a Riesling. The light yellow
green, almost chartreuse was a Chardonnay bottle in an earlier
incarnation. Some of that glass goes toward giving the dragon
his yellow-bellied look.
The dragon has wings of copper. An elkhorn tops his head.
Gary’s been working on the dragon for several months and
in a few weeks hopes to do sea trials to make sure it holds
up out there in the duck pond. Some adjusting of the weight
may be in order.
So far Gary’s been making the dragon out of pocket and
with a few donations. More donations would be welcome. Town
Dock.net will list all the contributors on the site. Those who
give $50 will have their names listed on a patron plaque that
will be posted near the Duck Pond. Gary asks that donations
be limited ot $50.
We might also consider coming up with a name for the dragon.
Gary calls the dragon a ‘he’ but suggests it may
be "confused sexually". Then again, he says, "I
don’t know what part of the dragon to look at to tell."
You can give
a donation for the Duck Pond Dragon. Checks should be made out
to Gary Gresko. Send to:
Gary Gresko
P.O. Box 284
Oriental, NC 28571
You
can also stop by Gary's studio at 1103 Broad St. in Oriental,
across from the grocery store. He is happy to show off the dragon
as it nears completion. His number is 252-249-1762.
