Keep Pushin'...

The classroom is closed for summer...see you in September!

Congratulations to all students in the first year of the expanded OSF program! The OSF's credit attempt/course pass rate was 93% (Sem 1=95%, Sem 2=89%) and all students who were not successful at their previous school writing the OSSLT passed the literacy test!

You can reach Craig during summer vacation at
craig.morrison@tdsb.on.ca

The OSF English class ends the year (and gets their credits!) with their writing published in CONCRETE WAVE.

Presenting...the First Skateboard High School Graduate!

SK8Boards & BBQ: End of year Art Show/Sale, Leaving Ceremony & Graduation hosted by Roarockit

Sponsor: William Jamieson Tribal Arts

Sponsor: Individual Commissions

"Blank Beauty" Brand hits the Streets this Summer!

Push to Summer...

OSF pARTnership with SOY

One of our newest OSF students collaborated on this deck design (now for sale) with James Gardner (www.soydesign.com)!

slo_skate zine 2

Inside Toronto Video (featuring Wolf, OSF Student)

Australian research on Alternative Education gives props to the OSF:

KRISTIAN WALE in the WINSTON CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP REPORT (AUSTRALIA) writes "the Oasis Skateboard Factory represents the best of educational programs to reintegrate students...It would be difficult to overstate the success and effectiveness of this brilliant program. Students are not only engaged in processes that they see as socially acceptable but where they earn highly valuable skills which equip them to participate in real-world work and
social interaction."

Skeleton (Custom Longboard)

My art is often dark and horror inspired, and this board was no different. Instead of a painted graphic to show a theme, I decided to use extra wood and carve out an abstract ribcage/spine and mount them along the underside of the board. The deck type is called a drop-through longboard which means that the trucks are installed through the top of the board and covered with a metal plate.

I actually didn’t think too much about how it would work at first. I knew I wanted to make something that would be unique, look good, and be fully functional despite its crazy shape. Looking at a regular drop-through deck inspired the shape of the ribs. I saw that the foot bed of the board (where you stand) would be a perfect fit for a ribcage. The lines created by the ribs make the board eye-catching, and because of the extra layers it has dimension. I also added cracks, grooves, and shapes to give it a bone-like texture.

As I cut out the ribs and spine pieces I felt like Dr. Frankenstein designing my own monster. Building this monster took lot of work, but it was well worth the effort! This longboard is unlike any I’ve ever seen. By creating this board I have pushed my limit and I know in the future I can create other innovative skateboard designs.

Invitation to our "SK8boards & BBQ" Event:

The Flying Eyeball

I’m new at Oasis and this is the first board I’ve completed. The graphic I’ve done has to do with this stick-on-tattoo I bought at a dollar store when I was younger. Ever since then I drew that tattoo over and over again making it my own.

I was really attracted to it because I like how there are horns and dragon wings on the eye ball making it cool, but also it has this soft simple shape to it. The two identical flames on both ends create symmetrical balance.

I built this skateboard by gluing the wood together and sanding it for hours. It makes the board mean so much more when you build it yourself than an “all I did was a graphic” kind of thing. I spray painted the background with red, orange and yellow giving it a faded effect. After that, I made a stencil of my graphic then sprayed it on.

After I made my first board I was very proud of myself and I had a sense of accomplishment that I’ve never felt before. Working with my hands has been a really rewarding experience!

TPC

I recently joined Oasis Skateboard Factory and this is the first deck I’ve made. It says TPC. My inspiration was a friend’s graffiti crew; I made this deck for him to put on his wall. The materials I used were wood, wood stain, black spray-paint and satin varnish.

I used the taping technique to create my image by taping off all the parts I did not want paint to touch while I was stencilling. The principles of design I used were balance and contrast. I only used black paint and let the colour of the wood make up the lettering. I stained the maple wood with a dark mahogany water-based wood stain. I’m not really trying to communicate anything in particular, I just wanted to make a simple graphic with bold lettering and a little bit of added detail.

I really enjoyed building and designing my first deck and can’t wait to make my next one. I’m going to remember to make sure my graphic is lined up straight next time (even though it is hard to tell, it was a tad crooked and it kind of bugged me). I am hoping to do a hand-painted deck next time. I’d like to do something that feels a little more organic. I’d also like to use a little more colour.

Komodo Dragon

I‘m in the Oasis Skateboard Factory and I like this school a lot. I am 16 years old and this is the first skateboard deck I made.

My theme for my board was a Komodo Dragon in the Amazon rain forest I couldn’t find any Komodo Dragon stencils on the internet so I thought I could be one of the first to make one, so I did this deck.

First, I made a copy of a Komodo Dragon and drew it on tracing paper. Then, I cut out a stencil with the plastic paper and tapped off all the sides of my deck that didn’t need paint and then sprayed off each layer a different colour.

I used pattern and balance by putting two palm trees at each end of my board and I used the element of lines to make an outline so I knew were to put the colours.

I’m really happy with this board I made; I really enjoyed the process of making it and worked to the best of my ability.

The Baitshop X OSF X Free Skates T-shirt now for sale!

Thanks to Free Skates for sponsoring OSF Students to collaborate with designers at The Baitshop to produce this collaborative custom T-shirt (available exclusively at The Baitshop and at our end of year art show/sale on June 18th).

OSF Pintails ready to ride at Longboard Living!

Thanks to Ryan of Longboard Living for sharing our mandate of promoting the participation of young women in skateboarding culture! Collaborations by our intern Laura and the young women in our program are for sale as completes (custom built and painted pintail board with trucks, wheels and grip) in his shop in Kensington Market (*see previous posts for more details).

Playing with the Play Dead Cult