“The competition is a fantastic opportunity for artists who would like to enter the world of outdoor sculptural art. It gave me a starting point which provided the confidence I needed to explore this avenue in my own work. I would highly recommend a site-visit when applying as it really helps you to get a feel of the space.”
Rosie Wesley
Rosie Wesley was our winner from 2020 but, for obvious reasons, we had to wait until Art in the Garden 2021 until we could show her work.
“Rosie Wesley uses burn-out casting; an adaptation of the traditional lost-wax casting process to transform natural objects into metal. Pieces of tree bark make unique components for her work and become immortalised forever in metal. Some of her pieces also feature components based on her drawings or sketches of the forest.
‘Boarhunt I & II’ have been made from tree bark collected on site and belong to the ancient oak tree that they are mounted on. The tree, which was struck by lightning has now had a chance to be re-born in a new life form. The sculpture aims to show a glimpse of time passed in the space and preserve a part of it forever.”
“Rosie Wesley is a graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham with a BA (Hons) in Metalwork. Currently based in the New Forest, Rosie works from her Lymington studio which is situated in the back room of her independent high street gallery Chalk’s.
Having lived in the New Forest for many years now, Rosie takes the majority of her inspiration from the local area, and creates her work from found natural objects. Focussing on texture and form, each of Rosie’s sculptural works and jewellery are individual, site-responsive pieces and are one of a kind.”
Rosie’s website – https://rosiewesley.com/
littleforestlandart.wordpress.com 