This Anzac Day weekend we are hosting a sculpture show at our place: 98 works from 12 local artists. I love how an ordinary hamlet of about 1500 people can give rise to such creativity: small pieces of near genius; whimsical pieces that bring joy; large assemblages of recycled, reclaimed and found materials; creative metal work with elegant flourishes of copper and steel; highly imaginative weaving projects, birds and animals formed from exotic woods.

The somewhat brisk, intermittently sunny, autumnal weather allowed the locals to exult in the wonderful environment they have chosen to call home. In fact this seemed the most frequent topic of conversation apart from the artworks themselves. As I wandered around snapping pics with my little point-and-click, I overheard such phrases as ‘magnificent sea today’, ‘gnarly contorted trees’, ‘magic place’, ‘we are so lucky’, ‘truly blessed to live here’.

After all this self-congratulation (in which I confess I was deeply implicated), it was refreshing to hear a counter theme from a couple of the younger denizens of the coastal area: ‘just so dead’, ‘G.I., Geographically Impossible’, ‘nothing to do but play my music and have the odd surf’, ‘try to get up to Melb’n as often as I can’. You would never guess that Aireys Inlet is home to several music and literary festivals through the year or that it is only a 90 minute drive to the centre of Melbourne.

Boab by Kathy Harry; Bower Basket by Cinnamon Stephens

House Boat by Bill Jackman

Lighthouse by Bill Jackman; Fred’s Day Out by Darren Matthews

Koi by Cinnamon and Rowan Stephens

Owl by Bill Jackman

Infinity by Carolyn McKinnon

Dou Kanji Totem by Rowan Stephens; Bird Bath by Cinnamon Stephens

Fred’s Post House by Darren Matthews; Spiral w/ Birthday Cake by Paul Angeloni

Shark III by Peter Day

Various Works by Weaver Birds

All Afloat by Carolyn McKinnon

Click here to see more of the show posted on Flickr.