Often gardens need something unusual to make them unique, yet low maintenance. Metal garden sculptures are a very low maintenance way of getting the look you want for low effort and moderate costs.
Sculpture has been used for centuries to enhance a garden's natural beauty. Every garden would have a little spot which could be better highlighted using an unusual sculpture, a bird bath or water feature rather than just another plant.
Careful positioning of these sorts of things has traditionally been used in garden feng shui to bring all the elements into the garden. Any size garden can be enhanced with sculpture as it draws the eye to a focal point as you walk around the garden.
Metal sculpture is often chosen due to its durability to withstand the variances of weather and the uniqueness that the artist can create. It is often heavier and more stable with the ability to be pegged to the ground which is important in strong winds. With the correct coating outdoor sculpture should last for years in the garden.
One sculptor who is creating uniquely Australian garden sculpture is Peter Kozina of Brisbane's bayside. Peter's works are made completely from recycled steel hence he goes by the business name "Recycled Treasures". He is often inspired in his work by what he sees in a discarded piece of scrap metal whether it be a piece from an old plough, a brush hook or railway spike from days gone by. He immediately sees an emu, eagle or perhaps a person's stance in a shape he discovers buried in the scrap heaps of Queensland.
Recycling has long been a passion of Peter's and he likes nothing better than making something worthwhile out of supposed "junk". He was featured in a segment on Channel Nine's Brisbane Extra last year which highlighted the benefits of recycling in the Brisbane area.
Peter also makes a series of garden ornaments which feature terracotta pots which can be planted up as an added feature in the home garden. Old pushbike wheels have been transformed into penny farthings which look really colourful when the 3 pots are planted with your favourite annuals.
He turns a rusty wheelbarrow into a real talking point complete with a huge central terracotta bowl and 4 smaller pots surrounding it enhanced with scrollwork. Another popular item is his unique birdbaths. No two are the same as he builds the stand out of an old car or truck spring which leads up to the bath encased in a discarded basketball hoop with 2 feeders on either side.
Water features are popular in modern garden design. Peter makes his uniquely Australian by using farm posts with an old brass tap attached. It flows into a bucket so for the water saving folk it uses only a small amount of water to get that soothing sound of running water.
Peter is aware of the difficulty metal features have in being able to withstand the weather. All his garden ornaments have been coated with a high quality etch primer followed by an enamel exterior paint. His individual sculptures have been specially treated with a formula he has created to allow the natural look of rusted metal to be maintained without rusting any further.
All the purchaser has to do is spray it occasionally with clear lacquer if it is in direct sunlight and the sculpture once again has that wonderful lustre. Peter's motto has always been : "Bringing the past to life in sculpture".
