This goldfinch sculpture stands up on his own, ready to adorn your bookshelf or mantlepiece. He is made from hand printed papers in mostly white and gold, with black and yellow wings and a red face. His beak is gold, with a tiny love heart shaped grey tip. His legs are paper wrapped steel, which makes him very sturdy on his feet.

I use 300 gsm recycled watercolour paper to make my sculptures, which is a very heavy card. His body is covered with hand cut paper feathers and he is varnished with a UV protective lacquer, which protects him from harsh sunlight.

In folklore, goldfinches are meant to represent the importance of looking on the bright side and embracing optimism and I love that they are our little cheerleaders, spreading hope and glee.

One of Britain’s favourite garden visitors, the Goldfinch is a very sociable bird, and makes delightful twittering sounds to their flock mates. They’re a firm favourite in my garden! Their scientific name is Carduelis carduelis, derived from the Latin word Carduus, which means ‘thistle’ - one of their favourite foods!