WILDLIFE artist Celia Smith is staging an exhibition of sculptures and prints of birds at No 19 Corsham High Street from Saturday .

The exhibition 'Feather & Fin' runs until Sunday, October 31 from 11am to 6pm and includes 'end of day' glass fish, mostly from Murano in Italy.

Celia’s intricate sculptures of birds are full of life and energy. She uses wire as other artists use a pencil, collected and gathered wherever she finds it from the side of the road to scrapyards.

Her work will be on display with Willow Bicknell’s personal collection of nearly 100 'end of day' fish collected during lockdown.

Celia said: "Willow no longer has any room left on the shelves at home so it’s time for them to find new admirers.

“I have always loved birds and had a fascination with them. As a child I found a very young sparrow that had fallen from its nest - I hand reared it and eventually it fledged.

"Birds came into my work a little by accident. I started off making wire hens - they were featured in a magazine and it launched me into self-employment.

"After a couple of years I became tired of making hens and went travelling in New Zealand, while I was there I started making and sketching the new and colourful birds I came across.

"When I came back to the UK I started going out drawing birds and suddenly realised that we have a wealth of amazing birds in this country too.

"I think the wire suits the birds and so feel no need to make any other species as I am continually inspired by what I see.

"I discovered wire when I was a school - our art teacher took us to see Sophie Ryder’s studio and I was hooked!

"I see wire as drawing material so to me it the perfect middle ground between sculpture and drawing.”

Celia’s sculptures and prints will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition with prints from £150 and sculptures from £550. The glass fish will be on sale with prices from £30 - £100.

All art works will be available to purchase from the gallery only for the first week of the exhibition to encourage people to visit the gallery and other businesses in town. They will then also be available online.