Tree trunks and branches line the walls of Ralph Tikerpae's studio, where they sit for years waiting to reveal their stories.
One plank of wood has been whittled into a wide-eyed girl swimming, another has become a child clutching a backyard chicken and others find new lives as mermaids.
Tikerpae, a sculptor and painter based in Wyalong in the NSW Riverina, salvages wood otherwise destined for landfill and lets nature guide his hand.
"If I'm too pushy with the wood, if I have drawings and force them on the wood, it doesn't work," he told AAP.
"I just notch bits and pieces out with the chainsaw and carve, then it gives you a little bit of input.
"They just come to life."
With Baltic heritage and a Sydney upbringing, Tikerpae feels an irresistible pull towards the ocean from his main street studio about 500km from the closest beach.
Many of his sculptures are of childlike figures swimming and exploring, their hair flowing behind them like seaweed.
"There's something about capturing childhood and naivety and optimism," Tikerpae said.
"But when you're in the ocean there's that fear element and the fascination as well.
"Part of you is exploring but part of you has full respect for the ocean."
Three of his figures will be on display at Sculptures in the Garden in Mudgee, regional Australia's answer to Sydney and Perth's feted Sculpture by the Sea.
The sculpture show in central western NSW is in its 14th year, featuring 250 works by artists from across the country with a major acquisitive prize of $30,000.
Curator Kay Norton-Knight said sculpture has become increasingly accessible outside the cities, as regional communities discover the value of public art.
The exhibition is also an opportunity for country artists to connect, with many spending long periods alone.
"It's quite a lonely thing because they're in these sheds filing away and welding away," Norton-Knight said.
"A lot of the artists ... are big, deep thinkers and they put those thoughts into their works.
"There might be a history of death, sadness or anxiety, so this is art therapy for a lot of them."
The 16-day show aims to showcase local works and promote unknown artists.
"You have to give them a go, they need to be exhibited and they need to be encouraged," Norton-Knight said.
"They're the next generation of artists, so we have to help them."
Tikerpae embraces the space and time afforded him by rural living, complete with an enormous vegetable garden, a flock of chickens and two studios.
"There's something nice about being isolated from trends and whatever is happening in the art world; you form a totally different voice in trying to be true to yourself.
"You've got to find your own heart."
Sculptures in the Garden will be at Rosby Wines in Mudgee until Sunday, October 27.
