Toothpick city, 34 years in the making

[Liberal_in_LA]

Toothpick sculpture re-imagines S.F.

Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Someday, Scott Weaver's living room will belong to his wife again. But for now, and the past several decades, it's living proof of what happens when toothpicks, pingpong balls and the imagination collide.

Thirty-four years ago, the Rohnert Park resident began gluing the tiny sticks together to form abstract structures. Then he started rolling pingpong balls around them. Soon he built a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, then Lombard Street.

Three thousand hours and 100,000 toothpicks later, Weaver's whim has spiraled into a massive piece-de-resistance that includes every major landmark of the city that inspired it - and then some.

"I always had a dream that I would build the world's largest toothpick sculpture," Weaver says as he climbs a step ladder and plunks a ball into Coit Tower. "It's not, but none of them have a pingpong ball that rolls through it."

Indeed, San Francisco has been crafted by artists all over, but never quite like this.

"Rolling Through the Bay" is 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide and 2 feet deep. It sports four pingpong ball tracks with more than a dozen entry points.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/20/BAK418AKS1.DTL

[lunatica]

1. I loooove it!

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Me too. Hope there are no SF quakes

[TahitiNut]

2. His dog looks like he's wearing an ...

... "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Cool dog. I guess he/she is a great dane but with dalmation coloring

[Quantess]

8. I was wondering how he could have a small puppy around a delicate toothpick sculpture.

The first thing I thought of, was how he could keep that big dog from whacking his tail against the toothpick sculpture.

No, my first thought was not, "gee I bet that took a lot of work". It was, how did the dog not destroy it yet? :D

[TahitiNut]

11. That's the Harlequin variety of Great Dane ... one of (I think) five varieties.

They're wonderful puppies, usually ... lovable, goofy, and playful.

[WinstonSmith4740]

17. My friend has one just like that.

They are great dogs, but heart-breakers 'cause they just don't live that long, somewhere around 8 years. But yes, wonderful and goofy. I'm glad to see he didn't have the ears clipped!

[TahitiNut]

20. It's truly heart-breaking when they fall prey to some maladies that Great Danes are more prone to.

My neighbor had to put his Dane down due to VERY painful congenital hip dysplasia. Molly was an incredibly adorable sweetheart. The pain (for everyone) was nearly unbearable.

[Skittles]

15. that's pretty much nails that dog's expression

yes INDEED - it's almost like he's saying, "Yeah he's an idiot but he's MY idiot." :D

[Gabi Hayes]

3. wonder if it has any

barrel monsters.....

[imdjh]

5. This is funny

Weaver, 49, grew up with a mostly absentee and alcoholic father, and it wasn't long before Weaver also turned to the bottle. But he proudly says he's been sober for more than a decade now, with help from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Seriously, my first thought was, "What I started when I quit cocaine."

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. He's only 49?

[imdjh]

10. hard life, I guess. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. been pasting the toothpicks since age 15. Amazing

[Fearless]

9. WOW!

:applause:

[BrklynLiberal]

13. He turned down $40,000 for it. A work of love as well as art.

[JI7]

14. considering the time and how nice it looks, 40k is too low for that

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. Yep. 34 years = more than 40K.

[WinstonSmith4740]

18. It's a really fantastic work...

But this guy has wa-a-a-a-y too much time on his hands!:toast:

[JI7]

19. maybe not since it took 34 years

[proteus_lives]

21. Awesome!

I love warm stories about creative people!