Rob Jung's Weeping Willow sculpture is on display at city hall until it moves to the meditation garden at Mount Pleasant cemetery. (Facebook/City of Melfort)

By Angie Rolheiser

Meditation Garden Sculpture

Melfort sculptor Rob Jung creates ‘Weeping Willow’ as part of meditation garden in the city

May 14, 2019 | 11:57 AM

After 333 hours, the ‘Weeping Willow’ sculpture to be installed at the Melfort Communities in Bloom (CIB) meditation garden is now complete.

Local welder and sculptor Rob Jung said his vision for the project started a few years ago and comes from having friends that have lost children.

When he was approached by Melfort CIB to help with the garden, he already had the idea in his head for the angel.

Jung said he hopes the sculpture will bring some closure and healing to those who visit the garden.

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“I’ve had a lot of people contact me and say that it expresses exactly how they’ve felt and thank me for making it,” Jung said. “It’s almost like I was compelled to do it all along the way.”

Jung told northeastNOW the statue’s feet was the most challenging portion to complete.

The bench that Weeping Willow sits on was made a few years ago and has a bark look to it. Jung’s 13 year-old daughter, Somer Jung, put some work into the bench as well when it was created.

The sculpture is currently on display at city hall until the space at the Mount Pleasant cemetery is ready for it. The creation is projected to cost around $30,000 with materials and the number of hours put into it.

Sculpture and welder Rob Jung with Weeping Willow. (Facebook/City of Melfort)

Jung has worked alongside Communities in Bloom with creating the ostrich planters at the end of Main Street.

The response to the project has been huge and Jung said he never thought it would be as popular as it has become. His Facebook page ‘RJ’s Metal Art and Curiosities’ has seen an increase in visits and the finalized project post has had around 340 shares so far.

City hall has already had an abundance of visitors for Weeping Willow and it is sure to be a bit of a tourist attraction to the region.

“When I was done it, I thought it wasn’t bad but the more people talk about it, yeah it’s actually turned out better than I thought it would,” Jung said.

After posting that it took 333 hours to complete, a few people pointed out to Jung that had significance.

“If you research angel 333, when you see the time 3:33, or wake up in the night and it’s 3:33 in the morning, it means your guardian angel is watching you,” Jung said. “I’ve never believed in anything like that but now I’m kinda thinking it might be meant to be.”

Communities in Bloom is still collecting donations for the meditation garden project which they hope to have completed in June. The fundraising goal for the garden is $27,000.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser