Ros's Hand-Painted Garden Bird Bath

A small, hand-painted bird bath from Castlemaine sculptor Ros Whitcombe – carved by hand, cast in high-quality resin and painted coat by coat.

For more than ten years Ros only sold her bird baths locally – at the Saturday market and to people who turned up at her gate. This summer she's putting what's left in her shed online, once. When it's gone, there won't be another sale.

Every design gives the small birds in your garden a shallow, safe place to drink and bathe through the Australian summer, when fresh water matters more than food.

Choose your design

• The Hedgehog This summerHolds a green leaf bowl over his head – a bit of shade for him, a bit of water for them.
• The Golden RetrieverA sitting golden with his pup peeking over a timber-look bowl.
• The Raccoon StumpTwo cheeky raccoons in a hollow stump, bark-edged bowl on top.
• Rooster & HenA proud pair under a wide, shallow bowl – for anyone who keeps chooks.
• The FoxA sleepy, smiling fox balancing a timber-look bowl on his head.

How each one is made

1. The master carving. Ros carves the original by knife and gouge from a single block of timber, leaving every facet visible.
2. The mould. A silicone mould picks up every cut – leaf veins, fur, spines.
3. Cast in high-quality resin. Keeps the carved detail, but won't crack, rot or split in the heat the way timber would.
4. Hand-painted. Several layers – base colour, darker washes worked into the cuts – finished with a clear outdoor coat. No two come out exactly alike.

"A wren is not going to stand in water up to its chest. They want to wade." – Ros

Why birds like it

• Shallow bowl – small birds can wade and drink without getting out of their depth
• Textured surface – carved detail gives little feet something to grip
• Small footprint – at about 25 cm it fits into any garden bed, balcony pot corner or on a stump or flat stone
• Weather-tough resin – made for an Australian summer outdoors

Details