Jarrah and Mild Steel

57cmH x 45cmW x 46cmD 

This sculpture represents the artists love for the natural beauty of Australia’s Southwest, and the delicate environmental balance existing withing the region.  This piece shows a black cockatoo flying “over” and mounted onto a steel rod, representing plants. Even from a distance, the acrobatic “style of flight” is quite distinctive for Black Cockatoos. Alan's challenge when constructing this sculpture was to create the typical black cockatoo appearance - without over-working the piece. Mounted on a base of Jarrah Wood, his is not just any piece of wood. The weather station that exists at the Cape Leewin Lighthouse was restored and the wooden fence was replaced. This is a piece of wood from the original fence from the 1940s. 

The Jarrah body of the cockatoo is made from decking off-cuts from the historic Cape Naturalist Lighthouse precinct. The wings and head cut from an old oil drum found on a local farm. The entire piece is comprised of recycled components - every component has a story! 

Tips for transport & installation: 
For ease of transport this installation can be broken down into 5 parts, wings (un-screwed from bodies), body, steel rod and then the base. The piece can therefore be packaged and moved more conveniently.

Care for sculpture
The steel and timber components are treated with a simple coating of linseed oil and turpentine in 50/50 mixture - lightly brushed on. One can put the sculpture outside on a hot day – this allows the oil to penetrate and leave a thin, even film of oil.  This coating can be applied as regularly as every 6 months – this is recommended if the piece is outdoors and exposed to the elements. If indoors, the process can be repeated every few years. Any commercially available furniture oil, such as tung oil, can be used for this application. Penetrol is used for outdoor settings and offers higher levels of protection and should be applied every 6 months to 1 year or if any rust starts to develop.  this care and  treatment will significantly prolong the life of your sculpture.