From a young age, the Mudgee artist has had a knack for the creative side of life, and with a "mixed bag" of skills, she's undeniably talented.

During her university years, oil canvases of nude women were Ms Cavanough's style, but since moving to Mudgee, her paintings have typically featured landscapes, while her wire sculptures are of a human nature.

"I love bright colours but in saying that, I'm a wire artist who creates monotone kinds of work. I love diversity," she said.

"I've always tried to do work that nobody has seen before, and I find as an artist, that's a really difficult thing to do but that's what I strive for."

Ms Cavanough discovered wire sculpting eight years ago and has since had several displays at the annual Sculptures in the Garden event, including three works this year that are part of her domestic abuse series.

"For me, I identify the most when I see a sculpture that's based on something figurative. I want my general audience, who don't consider themselves to be arty, to be able to identify and connect with my works," she said.

"When we create pieces that people immediately understand, the general public then engages. It's important to me that people appreciate art and that they find a connection.

"When I receive letters from my buyers or potential collectors as to why they want a commission or piece of my work, it makes my heart sing because my art has created a connection with another human being and I think that's a really important thing."

Some take weeks, others months, but the sculptures are what have given Ms Cavanough's platform a boost in recent times with her artwork, 'Held', selected in the top 400 of 6,500 entries for the Bluethumb Art Prize 2021.

'Held', which recently won the Indoor Sculpture Prize at Sculpture on the Farm, is inspired by the grief Ms Cavanough experienced following the passing of her father in August 2020, and is made from different grades, shades and tones of copper wire to give the impression of a pencil sketch.

"The hands that are almost touching are about connection, they're about pain really," she said.

"It was inspired by my friends who just sat in silence and were a wonderful support for me after my lovely dad passed away. I felt incredible grief about that.

"Holding space for someone else's pain...it's being available and present, and just being there.

Should Ms Cavanough's piece be selected as a category winner, "I hope it would lead to more sales, art and teaching because it is my livelihood. It would be lovely to be noticed".

"Sometimes as a creative you have to grow a thicker skin because you can get so many rejections. But it would be nice to get my work out there more because I love what I do, I just want more people to see it."

Ms Cavanough hosts regular Art By You workshops for every type of skill level, offering others a chance to appreciate and understand the bliss of creativity.

"If you haven't picked up a paint brush for four decades, that's ok. I make it easy so those step by step classes are for anyone, even those who don't think they have an artistic bone in their body," Ms Cavanough said.

"Which I would disagree with because innately, we're all creative. We all start off as children being creative so it's somewhere along the line we lose it but it offers such a great time out.

"I've had people who have been in chronic pain come to my classes and they've said whilst they're painting, they're not feeling or thinking about it."

Sculptures in the Garden are on display until November 21. Tickets for the daily event can be purchased here.

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