Summer-long Sculpture Exhibition at Compton Acres, Poole, with 9 sculptures to be discovered among the flora of this magnificent garden setting.

The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, used the word ‘inscape’ to describe the various characteristics that give each thing its uniqueness. The term could be used to describe Marjan Wouda’s animal sculptures. Marjan is able to capture in clay, bronze or steel the essence of an animal’s character, how it moves, its structure and the bones beneath the creature’s fur, hair or feathers.

The sculpture that was originally called "Bowland Hare" was meant to start its tour here, back in 2020, in this uniquely hare-country, in the heart of the Forest of Bowland. Covid put a stop to that. But here he is now, on his final hop before coming to his ultimate, permanent location, looking like he belongs.....

Inside Gallery I Marjan takes you by the hand and leads you into her story-world. She allows you to discover the processes by which she develops her ideas from tiny sketches and paper maquettes to large charcoal drawings and test pieces in cardboard.

Also on show is much of the work that went into the creation of two books that celebrate her favourite two stories, set in the landscapes that gave rise to them.

Through her work Marjan compels us to examine our familiarity with animals, our combined history on this earth and how we share this landscape around us.

An exhibition of sculpture and drawings by Marjan Wouda, inspired by Lancashire’s story lore and landscape.

Fascinated by the animal characters which populate local stories, Marjan re-imagines them in paper, clay and steel. She prefers to place them big and bold in the environment, where the material changes with the time of day and the seasons and where we can experience them in all dimensions. Here, in front of the lovely Whitaker Museum, is your chance to get up close and as personal as you like with “Dandy” (a two meter supernatural dog inspired by the history of the Pendle Witches), “The Dun Cow of Parlick” (a bovine giantess who gave too much of herself) and “Sir Hare”, the largest sculpture at 3.6 meter in gorgeous rusty Corten steel.

From 23 Febrary the exhibition of outdoor works will be added to with an indoor exhibition of drawings, sketchbooks, maquettes and sculptures.

A solo exhibition of a selection of works in a range of media and a range of scales from cast bronze to welded steel. Displayed all summer long in the glorious sculpture garden of this historic location.

The exhibition includes three new pieces in sheet metal: a large hare in Corten, a 2m. dog in Stainless steel (patinated black) and a Cow in Mild Steel, left to develop a vibrant, rusty colour. Their designs - started in the form of small paper sculptures - were developed using Computer Animated technology allowing infinate changes in scale and easy communication with the local steel cutting industry.

These new pieces are part of a project bringing the characters from Lancashire folklore back to the places that inspired them. Castle Fine Art Foundry and Steel Dynamics supported the making of "Bowland Hare", while "Dandy" (a 2 meter sculpture inspired by the story of the Pendle Witches and one of their "familiars") and the Dun Cow were created with an Arts Council England Award.