Sculpture in the Paddock ends Sunday
Wind Riders by Roger Buckman
A closer look at Wind Riders
Now in its 5th year, Sculpture in the Paddock is a popular event in Yass in New South Wales, and not far from Canberra. I’ve been able to go most of those years and I figured it was about time for me to share some of the amazing artworks on display this year.
Sculpture in the Paddock is staged in the beautiful surrounds of the National Trust property ‘Cooma Cottage’, once home of the famous Australian-born colonial explorer Hamilton Hume. The show closes this Sunday, but is open all of the next three days from 10am to 4pm.
Rhythms of My Heart by Naomi Royds
I’m predicting my favourite, the whimsical Wind Riders by Roger Buckman, will take out the People’s Choice award. I’ll let you know. It’s a collection of five cyclists. They’re all wearing real shoes and the spokes are fitted with plastic blades that let the wheels turn with the wind.
Robert Barnstone won the main prize with his work Cleft. As it turned out, I missed getting a photo of it. It’s low-slung and, while it was very interesting to walk around, it was hard to capture in a pic.
Moulds by Brian Evans
Genessee II by Rhonda Castle
Other winners were:
Naomi Royds, Rhythms of My Heart, based on the graphics put out by EKG machines, Yass Soldiers Club Encouragement Award; Brian Evans, Mould, a two-sided, two-faced sculpture, ANU School of Art Prize; and Rhonda Castle, Genessee II, a white bird, Tuggeranong Arts Centre Prize.
There are 31 sculptures in all, employing all sorts of materials. One even features used pet food cans. Another three that I quite liked are shown below. Do you have a favourite here?
Hope you enjoy the photos and if you’re anywhere near Yass, do try to visit.
Bird’s Nest by Leanne Kelly
Life Wasn’t Meant to Be Easy by Roger Buckman
Magpie, Warble and Song by Heidi McGrath
Where to next? 
This show is a great idea! Wind Riders is a blast, that’s very clever to put wind vanes on the spokes. Hope it finds a permanent home somewhere, kids and grownups would both enjoy it. The cube in your last shot, “Magpie” is handsome, like those “Scherenschnitte” pictures where people cut designs into paper
“Life Wasn’t Meant to be Easy” is also great, that forlorn little figure, reminds me of when a stray thought gets lost in the tangle of my brain! 🙂
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‘Life Wasn’t Meant to Be Easy’ is a much larger tangle of wire with all sorts of forlorn little figures and their uphill ladders running through it. I had to show a close-up so you could get the idea. Glad you like the other two, and you’ve described them well—a blast and handsome.
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The birds nest!! When a tree came down in a storm last year I pulled a nest out of the top branches. It was made from old pieces of fencing wire, just like your photographed one.
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The bird’s nest looks so realistic. I think the eggs are made of pumice.
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Very cool indeed!!
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Great stuff! I like the bike riders best. They look like they’re on an adventure.
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Definitely on an adventure.
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Too far for me this month, but thanks to you I’ve been able to enjoy it. Sculptures are among my fave things, thanks Peggy, such a great way to showcase sculpture like that.
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Maybe next year. It starts in the third weekend of September each year.
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Good to know, I’ll make a note
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I love to see sculpture in this sort of wide open air setting. I loved the big face, very moody.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The other side of the face is more smiley. 🙂
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This is so cool! Thanks for sharing!
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You are most welcome.
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What fantasic sculptures! Particularly liked the Wind Riders 😊
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Me too!
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Amazing and very interesting! Wind Riders’ sculptures are fantastic 😀
Thanks for sharing!
Ciao
Sid
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My pleasure.
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Thank you for sharing these wonderful sculptures. Such a fantastic variety.
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You are most welcome.
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My dad taught welding sculpture back in the 60s. Glad to see it still flourishes. Should be a permanent exhib!
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I should go back and show some of the sculptures from previous years—maybe in the lead up to next year’s display. The show has always been extremely well curated.
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What a neat show that must be to attend! Great photos by you too, classmate.
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Thanks Mike. It’s a great show that takes about an hour to walk around it.
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Amazing sculptures. I can’t pick a favourite! xxx
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I know, it’s hard. Sorry but there weren’t any donkeys! 🙂
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That is the one thing missing! Otherwise it’s amazing. 🙂 xxx
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This is new to me, even though I’ve been in and out of Canberra quite a lot over the past 5 years. It looks pretty interesting. Love wind riders.
Alison
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It always opens on the third Friday of September and goes for three or four weeks. Maybe next year. Let me know and I’ll take you there.
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All of these are quite fun, but I have a personal fondness for “Life Wasn’t Meant to Be Easy”. Thanks for sharing this!
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That sculpture is actually a large tangle of wire with quite a few forlorn figures and various ladders. Definitely not easy.
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Sculptures are always at their best in the open air. Loved the bicycles best, especially the last female rider with hair blowing in the wind.
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I agree completely, the blowing hair is a wonderful touch.
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It’s a fabulous idea … my mother’s village in Oxfordshire had something similar a couple of years ago and it was massively attended giving great exposure to the artists and an opportunity for many who would not normally venture into a gallery or exhibition to spend time appreciating (or not) oeuvre. I won’t pick a favourite amongst your pics but just say they are wonderfully diverse and evocative
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The diversity is wonderful. I wish I captured all 31 sculptures, but then people might have thought they didn’t need to go. .
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So cool…just love the bikes …
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I saw them again this morning.
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Lucky you, I think they are so cool
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Like everyone else, I love the Wind Riders! So many of these pieces are great, though. It seems like the art community worldwide is on an outdoor kick, which I happen to love. Of course, there have always been sculpture gardens and the like, but now it seems every time I turn around, there’s more art bursting out from the grass, trees, rocks, etc.!
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You remind me that I should do a post on the sculpture garden at the Australia National Gallery. It’s wonderful. Could even do one on the many not-nearly-as-exciting sculptures in our own garden.
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I just love open air sculpture that we can all enjoy and my favorite is the bird on the post with the fantastic shadow!
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Glad you noticed the shadow. I didn’t when I took the pic—only saw it after I downloaded from the camera.
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The shadow makes the shot. 📸
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Beautiful. This reminds me eerily of my visit to Griffis Sculpture Park in 2008: https://norberthaupt.com/2008/11/01/griffis-sculpture-park/
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Thanks for the link. Those sculptures are amazing.
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Yes, Wind Riders. I could definitely see that in a park near a leisure cycle track.
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I wish we had a bigger yard so we could put them there! 🙂
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Oh how neat! I love the cyclist creator’s use of the elements to put his art in motion and make it alive. It’s also cool to see how the different artists took different approaches–some with nature, some with the abstract. I can’t wait to find out who won! xxxxxxxx
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The cyclists are one of the cleverest sculptures I’ve seen in recent times. I just love them. I’ll try to find out who won the People’s Choice.
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What a wonderful idea. I love the variety, but the wind riders win my vote.
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Mine too.
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Magpie bears a strong resemblance to William Morris! The modern Gennessee was great and the humor in the bicycles is something often missing from modern sculptors. I love a good sculpture / nature expo. Thanks!
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So glad you enjoyed it. I loved the whimsy of the bicycles. The Magpie has a solar panel and lights up at night, but I never saw that.
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For some reason, Life Wasn’t Meant to be Easy was my favourite. I love outdoor exhibits. It just makes it better.
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It’s important to have a close look at Life Wasn’t Meant to be Easy to really get the message. And, yes, I love outdoor exhibits too.
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I zoomed in on that and had a good look at it. I found I kept scrolling back to it. I’d probably grab a sandwich and sit next to it in real life.
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Love the sculptures, especially the Head.
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The head is great. I wish I’d photographed the other side of it.
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What was on the other side?
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A grey face with a slightly different expression and a very different nose.
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Great pieces. And set in a sprawling space which I think also adds to the effect.
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You’re right. The space greatly adds to the overall effect.
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Wow.. love this!
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So glad you’ve enjoyed it.
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I really enjoy art set in natural places, each work stating its premise as well as making a comment on the locale and of course often on culture or history. Forces viewers to pay attention. You caught great images of the artwork.
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Thanks Sharon. I’ve enjoyed four of the five Sculpture in the Paddock exhibitions. I should post some favourites from previous years.
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Thank you for share !
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My pleasure. Glad you like the sculptures.
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Super cool art!
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We loved it too.
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These are amazing
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So glad you like them.
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