Artist Statement for Boobook – Sue Smales I have been using Eucalyptus bark for Australian bird and animal sculptures since I started sculpting in 2015. I chose bark because as a material it is in abundance to pick up off the ground and it lends itself to the overall concept of birds and feathers and their association with trees. I first completed Boobook in 2020 but was never fully satisfied with its original beak. I worked on it again in 2023 changing its facial appearance completely.