Garden angel

The garden angel has been a common fixture in landscaping and garden design for many, many centuries now. They have been featured prominently throughout the history of Europe, as well as many other cultures as well. Today, they are just as popular as ever and can be seen in suburban yards and gardens all over the world. For some they are a reminder of a higher power, while for others they are simply artistic decoration. Whatever the case may be, tens of thousands of sold throughout the world each and every year.

Traditionally, garden angel statues were almost exclusively hand-carved from stone, such as marble or granite. The nature of this process meant that a sculptor often had to work for many months just to complete one statue, which had the result of making them exceptionally expensive and relatively hard to find. Because of this, such statues were almost always out of the reach of all but the richest families and institutions such as the church or crown. This also meant that they were most often considered valuable pieces of artwork, with many now residing in museums and private art collections.

For those of us living in today’s age, obtaining a garden angel statue is not nearly as difficult and rarely requires the need to commission a sculptor. Modern technology and materials have allowed statues to be made in mass quantities, not only making them much less expensive, but also making them easy to find in just about any location across the country. Take a stroll through just about any home improvement or garden retailer and one will undoubtedly run across at least a few examples, and in some cases there are dozens of options from which to choose. These same manufacturing techniques have also allowed for reproductions of famous masterpieces to be easily made and distributed to the public. So now having a famous piece of artwork in your garden can be as easy as driving to the store.

The materials and casting techniques used to make today’s garden statues are also very advantageous. First and foremost, they are a much less expensive option than trying to create the same images from actual stone. Secondly, they are most often materials that are designed to be extremely durable and weather resistant, allowing them to be placed outside, in any weather condition, for decades without any adverse effects on the form. Lastly, unlike marble or granite, these modern materials are exceptionally lightweight. This means that a statue can be moved from one place to the next without having to hire a forklift and a moving crew. In most instances they can be simply picked up and moved by a single person.

Because of their inexpensive nature and widespread appeal, the garden angel continues to be one of the most common garden accessories in the world. They are readily available through local and online dealers, they are inexpensive, and they can be a great addition to nearly any landscaping or garden design.