‘Regeneration’ in the Garden!

Published 29th October 2021. Written by Maddison O’Brien

What a treat Sculptures in the Garden will be this year! Kicking off from the 6th November, a vast array of exciting and intriguing sculptures will be on display, the perfect day out in our beautiful landscape. We are incredibly excited for the annual occasion this time around because we have been fortunate enough to receive an artwork donation from the renowned Mudgee sculptor, Michael Ferris. The artwork is titled ‘Regeneration‘ and will be making an appearance at the much-anticipated event.

Michael had approached the Landcare Nursery to purchase native plants for a revegetation project at his place, and we struck an exchange for one of his unique artworks! What a pleasant surprise when we saw the finished work. I caught up with the artist to find out why he thought planting natives was an important goal, and why supporting Landcare was worthwhile:

“My Partner and I have always been keen advocates of regeneration. We believe there is a huge opportunity for our generation to give back to the land, and what better way to do this than with natives. Our goal for our property is to plant a full range of companion native plants that work together to create an ecosystem that will encourage local and endangered species. We have an aim to push the boundaries as to what Australian natives can achieve within permaculture and edible flora to educate our visitors to the benefits.”

Michael Ferris is a Sculptor and painter based in Mudgee, here he is crafting one of his latest works ‘Regeneration’

Michael was inspired to share this motive and created a sculpture that would resonate with other landcarers; “This piece embodies the harmony of regenerating Australian native ecosystems by employing repetition together with a simplistic shape to allow you to focus on the empty space created. This ’empty space’ is the land in which Watershed Landcare aims to heal. It is a call to revitalise Australia’s flora and fauna whose habitat is disappearing. This piece makes a strong statement for the need for environmental education and protection of our natural ecosystems for future generations.”

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Michael Ferris for his generous contribution and for creating such a poignant, thought-provoking sculpture.

“There are so many amazingly innovative people within our community; the Landcare Volunteers are one of those groups that are giving so much back to our region. Their support for local agriculture, education and sustainability encourage others like us to push to the boundaries of what regeneration means.”

Get tickets to Sculptures in the Garden to admire the artwork on show before the exhibit wraps up on 21st November 2021. ‘Regeneration’ by Michael Ferris will be for sale, with proceeds going back into the Watershed Landcare community and nursery.

‘Regeneration’ embodies the harmony of Australian native ecosystems by employing simple repetition to allow the viewer to focus on the empty space; the land in need of healing