Weymouth's Ama Menec's sculptures in prestigious exhibition

Three of Dorset wildlife artist Ama Menec's bronze sculptures have been accepted to the Society of Wildlife Artists, ‘Natural Eye 2023' Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, starting on November 2.

Her studio gallery which she shares with Dorset-born potter and printmaker Lea Phillips, is in Weymouth, 20A Gloucester Street, and called the Happy Crab Gallery.

Ama Menec said: "I submitted three patinated foundry bronzes, a life-sized badger, a life-size kingfisher and a quarter-sized fox, but I never thought all three would get accepted. I'm really thrilled.

"Our studio gallery is a two-minute walk from the seafront, and we are both Cancerians, so we are very Happy Crabs indeed to be able to work so close to the sea".

Ms Menec, who often exhibits at three of the UK's four Royal Academies, currently also has a stretching yawning vixen sculpture at the Royal Ulster Academy in Belfast.

Ama Menec’s style, which is inspired by Art Deco stone carving, and from woodblock prints, is of a streamlined naturalism. She uses a west country foundry to cast her bronzes so that she is able to go and oversee every step of the patination process, to give a precise and life-like colouring to every piece, whilst also keeping to the pared-back look of art deco.

In addition to sculpting wildlife in life-like patinated foundry bronze, Ama also sculpts wildlife and ancient goddesses in stoneware clay. She makes everything from table centrepieces to large garden sculpture, and has some of her ceramic garden sculptures currently on display, at the ‘Into The Wild Exhibition’ at Compton Acres Garden in Poole.

On Thursday, October 26 she will be an Artist in Residence at Compton Acres, where she will be working on her next bronze and chatting to the public about her artwork. She shall also be showing some of her smaller wildlife wall-hanging ceramic sculptures, with ten percent of sales on the day going to the Dorset Wildlife Trust. The exhibition, ‘Into The Wild’ finishes on October 31.

The Mall Galleries Natural Eye 2023 exhibition runs from November 2 to 11. Preview invitations for November 1 can be obtained from the artist directly.