A DUGANDAN couple who entered their two metre high kangaroo in the Brisbane Sculpture Festival, were overjoyed when it was announced as the winner of the Sirromet prize for the Best Outdoor Sculpture.

The annual Festival is run by Sculptors Queensland and was launched on Friday night. This year, the entries are showcased in the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens - the indoor sculptures in the Auditorium and the outdoor sculptures along a garden trail.

Wendy and Robert Badke from Dugandan are 'first-timers' at the Festival.

Their award winning entry, Rusty the Roo, is around three times the size of the average kangaroo.

Wendy said she became interested in sculpting around three years ago and prior to that she’d not been involved in the Arts.

When her creativity led her to use heavy, cumbersome elements, her husband stepped in to help.

Wendy now has completed other large sculptures but Rusty tops the list as her biggest.

The impressive roo is made from weathering steel called corten.

“Over time it develops its own patina which actually protects the steel, giving it a lifetime of up to 30 years,” Wendy said.

The sculpture is made from 271 pieces using large interlocking polygons to give it its modern, abstract look.

“When constructing him, each polygon had to be curved in a particular way, there was a lot of refitting and re-working during the assembling process,” she said.

“Its ear positions were thought out because they are able to rotate them depending on which direction they want to focus on hearing.

“Rusty’s hindlegs look large and powerful as does his long tail, representing this in geometric form captures the essence of the animal while adding a contemporary twist.”

Rusty has pride of place in the gardens and will be on display for the next three months.