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Former Mahurangi resident Michelle Tyrrell has started a business that combines her two loves – gardening and sculpture.
She is importing stone sculptures from Zimbabwe that range in size from easy to carry pieces to large artworks that are up to 1.7 metres high.
“I first fell in love with these sculptures when I was visiting Zimbabwe in 2015,” she says. “At the time, I lamented that I could not fit the bigger ones in my suitcase but I did bring home lots of the smaller sculptures.”
She says a garden sculpture can create a focal point in a garden as well as a certain mood if it is works in harmony with the plantings.
“What I love about these sculptures is the beauty of the natural serpentine stone they are made from.
The colour of the stone is amazing and so varied.
“Each piece is hand carved into something unique.”
The artists create the sculptures using hammers and chisels, raspers and even electric grinders, and then finish them with sandpaper. The final stage is the heating and waxing to reveal the beautiful colour of the stone.
“I travelled to Zimbabwe and met the artists and hand selected each piece. I bought what I loved. It was wonderful to see the happy faces of the talented artists after each purchase. The country is poor so the income these artists make from these sales is very important to them.”
Michelle, who attended Mahurangi College, says she is planning to move back to the area in the next couple of years.
