Bermagui sculptor Edward Willson is one of 23 artists around Australia whose work was selected for this year's prestigious Montalto Sculpture Prize.
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It was the first competition that Mr Willson had entered.
"I was surprised to get in because it is very exclusive," he said.
The 20-year old national sculpture prize is run by John and Wendy Mitchell, who own and run vineyards and olive groves on Montalto estate in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
Each year the winner of the prize gets $50,000 and the winning piece is added to their renowned sculpture trail.
The sculptures of the other finalists are displayed along the trail for about four months and are for sale to the public.
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Inspiration from music
Mr Willson moved to Bermagui from Canberra about 12 years ago.
He has been making sculptures since he was 11 years old and "seriously" for the last 10 years.
He said he pretty much worked on sculpture every day, while working part-time to keep things going.
The sculpture selected for the prize was called Modern Lovers.
"Modern Lovers is the name of a band, my friend gave me the album," Mr Willson said.
He often gets inspiration for his sculptures from music and song lyrics.
The sculpture represents two lovers, one of whom is carrying the other as they adapt and evolve with the times, carrying and supporting each other through thick and thin.
A love affair
It was made from granite and corten steel.
"I was playing around with metal, clay and papier mache until I found a love of stone, mostly granite," Mr Willson said.
"You put so much work into the sculptures that you want them to last.
"It is the most durable and long-lasting material on earth but it is very hard to work with," he said.
Mr Willson mostly used power tools and chisels in the early stages but he was very attuned to the stone.
"You have an idea for the sculpture but sometimes the stone will want to go another way.
"It is a love affair because after months taking the outer layers away finally something that has been locked in a boulder reveals itself and you are the first person to see it.
"It is definitely a thrill," Mr Willson.
He finishes the sculptures by hand-sanding them with water and progressively finer grades of sandpaper until they are shiny and reflective, a process he described as "almost therapeutic".
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