Felicity Cavanough sculpts wire drawings. Sometimes the lines are more simplistic like a single line drawing and recently Felicity has explored weaving with wire inspired by preparatory sketches of her drawings done with a sanguine pencil.

“A lot of emotion goes into my work. I always create with feeling, often finding inspiration in everyday moments with my 3 children. I observe connections and similarities between all humans and I aim to draw you in, hoping that my work becomes part of the viewer’s story just as much as it tells mine”

Illustrations in books were some of my first journeys into the world of art, to me, the pictures sometimes explained more than the words did. As a child I would pursue anything crafty. If I was creating something with my hands I was happy.

It took 20 years after completing a Degree in Fine arts at COFA UNSW to realise that Art was definitely my career path! I arrived at that decision in a very roundabout way. There were lots of things that got in the way but my imagination persisted, and I always felt that I wasn’t living a full life unless I was being creative and pushing the bounds of what I could do.

I love wire, it’s so versatile, especially copper with all its varying shades and patinas. I mostly use recycled copper as re-use, re-purposing and how we view waste is important to me. For weaving, I love the really fine wire, it reminds me of thread and takes me back to my teenage years when I sewed a lot of my own clothes.

I’ve always been intrigued by light and how it influences the way we see, inspired by the impressionists as they captured light as it plays on the surface of their subject matter. Copper inspires me in the same way, it looks so different in varying light.

Drawing and preparatory sketches are a vital step in creating my work. I teach painting and majored in painting at Uni but drawing has always been my favourite expressive medium and I’ve found a way to combine my love of sculpting with drawing. Pursuing those two elements together is my favourite way to express myself as an artist. I’ve always found incredible inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci’s work, especially his ‘study of hands’ drawings. I am absolutely fascinated how body parts can express so much meaning.

Excerpts from ARTS ZINE MAY 2023 by Robyn Werkhoven from Felicity Cavanough’s words

Prizes

2023 Winner Unearthed Art Prize, judged by Wendy Sharpe
2022 Top 40 People’s Choice on Bluethumb
2022-2023 Judge at the Sydney Royal easter Show
2021 Public Art piece commission Mudgee hospital
2021 Bluethumb Art prize finalist (Top 400 out of 16,000 Artists)
2021 Winner Indoor Prize Sculptures on the Farm
2020 ADFAS certificate in honour of Art education with children
2020 Winner Sculpture Festival Wellington
2018 Winner People’s Choice Sculpture on the Farm
2018 Winner People’s Choice The York Festival W.A.
2017 Winner Artist’s Choice Just Art exhibition, Gauge Gallery