THE wildlife of the North York Moors National Park worked in wire and willow, cast in bronze and portrayed in watercolours is the subject of the exhibition at the Inspired by… gallery at The Moors National Park Centre, Danby.

Spirited Wildlife features the work of three Yorkshire artists – sculptors Emma Stothard and Stef Ottevanger and watercolourist Andy Broderick.

Emma Stothard lives and works in Whitby. Her life-sized sculptures range in scale from a bumblebee to a horse and are worked in willow, or bronze, galvanised or, for smaller pieces, sterling silver wire.

Her bronze wire sculptures, Mob of Meerkats, Doe & Fawn and Watchful Hare, were seen at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

She currently has sculptures displayed on the Orchard Lawns at the Highgrove Estate, in Gloucestershire, at the invitation of HRH The Prince of Wales. Boxing Hares, Truffling Pigs and Limousin Bull can be seen in the gardens of Raymond Blanc’s Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

Emma said: “Through weaving willow withies or wire, I try to capture a snapshot in time, an unexpected moment.

“Each strand is meticulously woven to suggest muscle, form and movement – three-dimensional drawings that capture the spirit of my subject.”

Stef Ottevanger is based at the Reeth National Park Centre, in the Yorkshire Dales. She has been fascinated by the artistic possibilities presented by animals since childhood, and has depicted them in many media, including charcoal, oils, watercolours, ink, clay, plaster and resin.

After a fine arts course at Harrogate School of Art, and a teaching career, she started making clay sculptures of domestic animals in the 1980s.

Her current work, which Stef calls “animals with attitude”, comprises sculptures which she originates in clay, and casts in bronzed resin to retain the tactile nature of the original.

Stef said: “In my work, I have tried to get the essence of the animal subject, in particular its character, typical movement, stance and attitude.

“I don’t want my work to be a scale model or an ornament, but more an impression of the animal.”

Andy Broderick lives and works in Saltburn.

His art is based on the use of natural or alternative materials to convey certain aspects of the spirit of the subject matter.

Andy’s current body of work is influenced by the Arte Povera movement in Italy and by Japanese Zen painting.

The principle focus is on simplicity, purity, and honesty, creating a sense of slowing down and connecting with the subject: a sort of meditation.

“I choose to draw from living creatures – animals and human figures,” Andy said.

“I am very interested in the feeling of animation and the sense of being alive that lines and marks can convey when portraying these subjects. The key elements in my drawings are spirit and process.”

Spirited Wildlife can be seen at the Centre’s Inspired by… gallery daily until Tuesday, September 16, from 9.30am to 5.30pm (August) and 10am to 5pm (September). Entry is free.

For more information on the North York Moors National Park and forthcoming exhibitions and events, go to www.northyorkmoors.org.uk