Art and sculpture—adding a personal touch
The decorating choices we make in our homes and gardens reflect our personality and creative selves.
By arranging forms, colours, sounds and movement we are producing an arrangement that resonates with us and makes us feel good.
Whether you’re creating a garden gallery or simply placing a couple of personally chosen items, the beauty of art is that the value is in the eye of the beholder, not in the hip pocket. You might find the perfect piece at your local market, or even in your own home. For me, the thrill of the search for that ‘really special piece’ is just as satisfying as that sense of completion when it finds its final resting place in the garden.
Every element in the garden, including the functional fixtures, can be seen as an object of art—weather vanes, bowls, wind chimes, fountains and bird baths. Art can be embedded within existing elements of the garden: a pattern in the paving, a mosaic or a mural. Even the paint or render that finishes a wall can be an artistic statement. And let's not forget the plants themselves, you can infuse a huge variety of art and form into every living combination of plants.
An important point to remember is to choose objects to suit the style of your garden and be disciplined about sticking with one design scheme—such as terracotta pots in a Tuscan garden, smiling Buddhas in a Balinese garden, and classical urns in a formal garden. It’s the overall design that makes a garden Japanese, not just whacking in the odd granite lantern.
There are so many ways to get decorative touches into your outdoor space, the
main challenge is to identify and embrace what really expresses you as
creator and caretaker. Some ideas include:
• Bowls, urns, pots and planters
• Figures and sculptures
• Lanterns
• Decorative lighting
• Water features
• Vertical gardens
• Mosaic
• Wood carvings
• Totem poles
• Artworks on water-proof canvas
• Ornaments
• For more ideas and images see my book
The Source Book Second Edition
The
Patio by Jamie Durie range also includes a variety of decorative wall hangings, ornaments, lanterns and sculptural pieces.
