Geelong Sculptors will hold their first ever Surf Coast exhibition – Summer Sculpture – in Anglesea this month.
Anglesea husband and wife team Rowan and Cinnamon Stephens will be among the 20 sculptors exhibiting.
Cinnamon, 47, has been sculpting metal full time for most of her working life.
“I’ve been living off my sculpture since the only ’90s,” she said.
Rowan, 60, has helped Cinnamon in her metalwork studio for ten of the eleven years they have been together.
“In the last few years he’s become a sculptor himself which is fantastic,” she said.
“Now we’re working together full time. It’s enabled me to do a lot more with my art – having someone to help.”
Together they create metal dragon flies, sea dragons, gates, screen and “everything in between”.
“It’s different every day,” Cinnamon said.
“I love that we can bring a client’s vague ideas into reality. It’s never what they imagine – it’s always something more and they’re pleased to have something so unique.”
The couple went to Italy last May for Cinnamon’s 10-day artist in residency and together they created two “major” sculptures that remain in Umbria.
“This was a very exciting time for us, and it really consolidated our studio partnership,” Cinnamon said.
Previously Rowan ran a scrap metal business, which the couple integrated into their sculpture.
He said there was a beauty in “bringing something back to life that’s useful to people.”
Rowan was looking forward to seeing the variety of sculptures on display this month.
“It’s amazing how many talented people there are down on the Surf Coast,” he said.
“It’s always interesting setting up the exhibition and seeing what people have created.”
Summer Sculpture will feature jewellery, pottery, metal work, furniture and even sculptures made from hardened seaweed.
The exhibition opens at 5pm tonight at the Surf Coast Art Space and runs until 29 January.
