We have concluded another successful year of Opal Sculpture exhibitions at both the Yowah and Lightning Ridge Opal Festivals. We extend our sincere appreciation for your continued support, encouragement, and inspiration throughout the season.

As we return to the field, our focus shifts once again to the search for bright, high‑quality opal. For Michael, each discovery is a true treasure hunt — from locating the rough material underground to revealing its colour and natural freeform contours through careful hand‑carving.

Once a sculpture is completed, it is presented on a distinctive Australian timber stand, ready to be showcased wherever it is placed.

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing additional Opal Sculptures, and we hope you find as much enjoyment in viewing them as we have in discovering and creating them.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

"Smiley Beach"

 

"Smiley Beach" FF529 is carved from Queensland boulder opal, a material that often hides entire landscapes within its ironstone shell. When this piece was opened, it revealed a scene that immediately reminded the artist of a quiet, forgotten coastline — a shoreline captured in miniature. Soft transitions of colour suggest sand meeting water, while pale blues and gentle creams settle like waves rolling toward land.

The natural curve of the opal forms a subtle, uplifting arc, giving the sculpture its name: Smiley Beach. It carries the warmth of a simple gesture, as though the stone itself remembers the coastline it resembles. Though not quite a picture stone, it comes remarkably close, offering a vivid, almost narrative glimpse into a beach preserved by time and geology.

Stone measurement: 21cm x 8cm x 8.5cm and presented on a Coolabah timber stand.

We hope you have a joyful day everyone!

Thank you Lightning Ridge Opal Festival