AN artist from Bratton Clovelly is holding her latest solo show after months of work in Africa.

Nick Mackman constructs one-off animal sculptures. Her work has been widely exhibited and features in international collections.

She has accepted commissions from British Airways and the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which she has been associated with for 15 years.

She has also had past success at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's Wildlife Artist of the Year and finished as overall runner-up in the 2012 competition.

Her latest solo show, running from November 17 to December 23 in Bath, is the result of months of work both in the studio and time spent observing animals in the wild in Africa and Madagascar.

Nick said: 'I love to imagine what's going on in an animal's life at one moment in time and convey its reaction to that event. I am always exploring how animals communicate through the subtleties of gesture and expression.

'Something as simple as a tilt of the head can make all the difference. I try to capture the beauty of each animal, which might be revealed in the shape of the body or some seemingly minor detail, such as the curve of a hoof.

'In this exhibition I have taken the opportunity to show large groups of animals and how they interact with one another. This is something that is rarely possible with individual pieces or commissions. It's very satisfying to be able to explore the group dynamic.

'For example, my family of baby warthogs includes several animals peacefully dozing and another who is more cautious, tail and mane raised in anxiety. I hope that all the animal sculptures in this exhibition, from the largest ceramic elephant sculpture to the smallest bronze lion cub sculpture, capture some of the energy and excitement of our planet's extraordinary wildlife. I know I've succeeded when my animal sculptures elicit an emotional response from the viewer.'

The exhibition takes place in the Beaux Arts Gallery in Bath. For more information on Nick Mackman, visit nickmackmansculpture