Ama Menec

The Female Buzzard sculpture catches a moment impossible to see with the naked eye, of a raptor who had been relaxed and her wings slightly open, when something to her left has caught her attention and her head has snapped around, her left side tightened up and alert. It is this moment between being relaxed and alert that drew me to this pose, a moment over in the blink of an eye. Buzzards have successfully reintroduced themselves across the whole of the UK after their persecution and poisoning stopped in the 1970’s. This piece sold well at the RA Summer Open and is now nearing the end of its limited edition.

I work in patinated foundry bronze, cast by Castle Fine Art Foundry in Stroud, as this material liberates the form from gravity and liberates me artistically. The quality of the patination is second to none, making each piece thoroughly life like, and is the reason I use this foundry. Working closely with their Patinator I get precisely the look I’m after.

Hypnia is a feminised version of Hypnos, the Greek God of Sleep. Her wings are those of a tawny owl, patinated to be those of one from the Eastern Mediterranean. Place her over your bed to aid peaceful sleep, perfect for insomniacs.

I exhibit my bronzes mostly at the Royal Academy, Mall Galleries, Ulster Royal Academy and I ship my sculptures to customers internationally. My studio, The Happy Crab Gallery, is 20A Gloucester street, Weymouth, DT4 7AW