Outdoor Sculptures May 25 2025, 0 Comments
By Kimberly Nicoletti
Designing the interior of a home can become so all-encompassing that, at times, people forget about crafting an artistic exterior. But fine art isn’t limited to the inside of a home; sculptures act as powerful focal points within landscape.
When you place sculpture outside, it makes a big statement,” says Brian Raitman.
Exuberant Nature by Gilberto Romero
While brightly painted sculptures add a whimsical feel to a garden, and ultra-modern steel pieces deliver an urban-like sleekness, our mountain environment tends to call for more natural-looking pieces, such as bronzes. Raitman Art Galleries leans toward the latter because bronzes fit into any environment seamlessly, be it a city dwelling or home in the Rocky Mountains.
Some people think “natural” strictly translates into depictions of wildlife — or even more traditional Western art, such as cowboys or horses. It is true that a well-placed bronze fox or bear always brings a smile to guests when they walk outside and encounter it. But that’s only one way to go when choosing an outdoor sculpture.
Gilberto Romero’s contemporary bronzes, with their flowing curves and swirls, convey a sense of freedom, playfulness and even sensuality, while still remaining very grounded in nature. His sculptures reflect the serenity of nature, partially because he spends so much time outdoors soaking up its beauty and envisioning how he might transform the shapes and interactions he witnesses within the environment into contemporary bronze forms. For instance, the way a specific tree grows around a boulder or how a river bends around an established tree or rock outcropping might inspire certain curvatures within his bronze creations.
Likewise, large stones he collects often speak to him, urging him to incorporate them as bases for either his curved pieces, or those that showcase his bronze birds.
He encourages collectors to install sculptures where they can view them from a window inside their homes, as well as when they step outside. Such placement brings the outdoors inside, enhancing one of the lifestyles we love so much in Colorado: Indoor/outdoor living. Another key area to showcase outdoor sculpture is near the entryway of a home or along an often-walked pathway. As he points out: Location is everything.
Scale also matters. Yes, nature supports large sculptures, since they stand amidst many other grand elements, including tall trees. But if a sculpture is too large for, say, a smaller backyard or manicured space, it can look awkward, like it’s taking up the entire area, “where you can’t enjoy anything else but the sculpture,” Romero says.
Up Swing by Gilberto Romero - 96" tall by 27" wide
Conversely, if it’s too small, nature’s splendor can overshadow it. Still, there are plenty of ways to work with smaller sculptures, including displaying them as centerpieces on outdoor tables or installing them upon pedestals so they sit at eye level. Romero has even flattened tops of boulders to showcase sculptures within gardens and other landscapes.
For commissions, he prefers to view the site because it often influences the end result, both in size and design.
“A foot or two can make a huge, huge difference,” he says, adding that he prefers sculptures that blend in with the natural environment — though not so much that they disappear. He says they should act as a centerpiece, but they shouldn’t look like someone put them there haphazardly. “For me, less is more. I like the site to look pretty natural.”
Becoming One by Gilberto Romero - 83" tall by 40" wide
Landscaping, including water features, require maintenance, but bronze sculptures — and the boulders he sometimes incorporates into them — don’t require nearly as much, which is another beautiful aspect of showcasing sculptures outdoors.
“Bronze is durable, but it still has a warm, natural feeling,” he says.
Artists like Romero work with the finest materials both inside and outside the sculpture.
Spring Rhapsody by Gilberto Romero
“It’s very important that whatever infrastructure in there is just as durable as the bronze, so sometimes we’ll use marine-grade stainless, or we’ll continue the infrastructure with bronze,” he says, as opposed to using lower-grade stainless steel or mild steel hardware, which will eventually fail. “Paying attention to detail is really important for longevity.”
Subtle Lean by Gilberto Romero - 29" tall by 23" wide
Just as paintings and sculptures add personality, dimension and inspiration to interior design, outdoor sculptures greatly enhance landscaping. But, unlike indoor art, outdoor sculptures are often unexpected, so they bring a whole new level of delight to guests, as well as to homeowners who gaze at the landscape, enjoying the ways in which an artist’s expression complements the wonders of nature.