Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, has chosen Cardigan sculptor Paul Clarke to create an ambitious new public art installation at their most recent woodland acquisition in Neath, South Wales.
The £30k artistic feature will form part of a £2.2m project at Brynau, the largest woodland creation project ever to be undertaken by the charity in Wales.
Aberporth-based sculptor Paul Clarke, who in his own words has “lived almost 50 years in Wales surrounded by woods, farming countryside and the sea,” had his unique and ambitious design chosen by a panel of seven Coed Cadw staff and volunteers.
His idea encompasses a large-scale flying barn owl, with a massive 11.2 metre wingspan – a nod to Brynau’s resident barn owl who is often featured on Coed Cadw’s social media – but also in reference to the site’s agricultural past, as barn owls on hill farms would have been a very common sight during harvest time at Brynau.
When complete, the body and wing structure of the owl will be created with ground works, repurposing soil from path construction elsewhere on the site. The owl’s face will be cast in striking bronze, and the leading edge of her wings will be made from enormous, reclaimed bridge timbers, or reclaimed oak. Reclaimed Welsh slate will complete the owl’s vertical tail feathers.
Of his idea, Paul said,
“My vision for the sculpture at Brynau links Welsh folklore – the princess Blodauwedd who turns into an owl being a key character of the Mabinogion – with natural history and a sense of place. It also uses the rear of the tail sculpture to acknowledge and point the viewer to places of interest from its fabulous viewpoint.
I am thrilled to be working on this project, and my hope is that the scale of this sculpture will raise the site’s profile and draw people to meet ‘at the owl on the hill’ – where they can enjoy the views and feel inspired by the beauty of this stunning natural environment.”
Maggie Elsey-Cox, Engagement and Communications Officer for Coed Cadw said:
“We were keen to hear from local artists who have a passion for Wales’ natural habitats, and a desire to use materials which align with our ethos and mission. We loved Paul’s ideas, as he has really thought about how to make the piece as sustainable and as user-friendly as possible – as well as giving it a strong Welsh identity which celebrates this unique place, but also has echoes of Welsh folklore, too.
Paul’s sculpture will take centre stage at a site that is held dear to the local community who have cherished its wild, green spaces for generations.”
Situated among Welsh rolling hills and stunning scenery, Brynau encompasses 235 acres of wildlife-friendly space in the industrial heartland of Wales. In easy reach of 530,000 people, it provides an opportunity to connect much of the Welsh population with nature and create a peaceful oasis above Neath’s urban sprawl.
This wood was secured for the future thanks to public response to an urgent appeal, and once completed, new woodland added to the site will be the size of some 100 rugby pitches. Brynau is also designated as a Plant! site, meaning there is a tree planted for every child born or adopted in Wales as part of a scheme introduced by the Welsh Government.
Ground works for Paul’s sculpture will begin in early 2023, with hope that it will be completed in time for a grand unveiling when the site opens to the public in May 2023.
