Fran Wachtel

Fran Wachtel is a Murrurundi-based sculptor who has spent over 40 years working across clay, bronze, oils and drawing, with sculpture becoming her primary focus over the past two decades.

What sets her work apart is a commitment to upcycling: she transforms old sheds, corrugated iron roofing and tin cans - sourced from places like Murrurundi Bodyworks, old caravans and roofing offcuts - into whimsical animals, landscapes and one-off sculptural pieces.

Her creative partnership with fellow artist Charlotte Drake-Brockman began around 1979-80, when the two met while working as census takers in the town - a collaboration that has now spanned more than four decades.

Together they co-founded Chicken in the Window, a gallery and studio in Murrurundi dedicated to recycled tin work, now a well-known local attraction in its own right.

Her corten steel sculpture at Murrurundi’s northern gateway depicts two farmers sitting on a fence, looking out over the surrounding farmland.

Together with Drake-Brockman, she also crafted the corten steel sign at Murrurundi’s southern gateway, depicting sheep leaping over the town name while being herded by a cattle dog.

The pair have collaborated on numerous exhibitions over the decades, including a corrugated-iron mural at the Visitor Centre in Merriwa celebrating the district’s agricultural history.

Wachtel has also been an artist in residence at LiddellWORKS, and her recent work features in the group exhibition "Up the Garden Path" at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, running through March 2026.