Joanna O'Toole Sculpture

Sculpture has fluid appeal

IN just two years emerging Marks Point sculptor Joanna O'Toole has won several awards for her work. Now the mother of three is bringing one of her prized works home to the Hunter Valley for the Sculpture in the Vineyards Exhibition.

O'Toole's sculpture Sou Westerly, a steel and hardwood piece, was a finalist in The Montalto Sculpture Prize, worth $20,000, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

The artist, who grew up in Melbourne, moved to Newcastle four years ago and began studying sculpture two years ago at Hunter TAFE.

She said Sou Westerly portrayed spending summers on the Mornington Peninsula as a child and living on Lake Macquarie as an adult.

"It portrays my life through sculpture," she said. "It's a fluid shape capturing the wind as well as kite surfing and water skiing."

More than 60 artists selected from 100 applicants nationally will exhibit their work in Sculpture in the Vineyards.

Large sculptures will be set among vineyards on the Wollombi Valley wine trail.

The exhibition opens on Sunday, October 2, at 4.30pm at Noyce Brother Wines and will run until January 22.

The exhibition will also feature the work of Hamilton South sculptor Peter Tilley.