Spencer Howson - Bmag

Weathered urns create a focal point in traditional and romantic gardens
Cheap ideas to Create
your own garden art
• Grab a block of hebel and a rasp file to file away
the soft aerated concrete into an amoebic form
and seal, then mount onto a brick plinth
• Place some recycled hardwood sleepers
upright in a grove (rusty bolts poking out are
encouraged for effect!)
• Look for a simple terracotta shape or feature pot
and try your hand at creating a colourful mosaic
design over the top
• Carefully use rusted barbed wire to form balls
as a lawn feature by furling wire around itself
(not a job for the faint-hearted)
• Paint an old chair a bright colour like canary
yellow and sit it somewhere on its own
• Spray paint a dead branch with a lick of red
or make a grove of ghostly white branches
emerging from a dingy, colourless part of
the garden
Monte Lupo mosaic sculpture (left) and Tsubo’s sea urchin form (above)
a stately feature in the garden but should be
kept in a spot more protected from potential
damage than most other materials.
Terracotta has a more traditional look and
is often used in Italianate objects of fancy, and
it can be a budget-friendly option, particularly
in smaller objects, some already given a ‘preaged’
finish with washes or stains.
Inspiration
To get some ideas take a close look at sculpture
in public outdoor spaces and in galleries. The
jody
rigby
Author and
horticulturist
Robyn Bauer Studio Gallery at 54 Latrobe
Terrace, Paddington, presents original
contemporary artworks by Queensland artists,
and its Sculpture Garden outside shows
pieces in a garden setting specifically suitable
for outdoors, including whimsical mosaic
encrusted pieces by Monte Lupo.
The Cotton Tree Markets at Maroochydore
and beachfront markets at Broadbeach and
Coolangatta regularly feature hebel, metal
and glass sculptures by Sunshine Coast-based
company The Sculpture Garden.
Sculptor Peter Kozina turns old machinery
parts into quirky works of art available online
at www.recycledtreasures.net.au. Or, for
beautiful organic shapes and bold coloured
forms, I love the works by design house Tsubo,
from red ribbon spheres of flatbar metal to
bright oversized yellow sea urchin shapes, see
www.tsubogardens.com.au.
Jody Rigby is director of Jody Rigby Horticultural Services.
Read Brisbane’s Best I bmag.com.au 35