Artist 'fleeces' ancient building

The fleeces will wrap the 13th Century building outside Newtown, Powys

A total of 300 Welsh sheep fleeces will be used to decorate a 13th Century building for an art project.

The project, Clad, which opens on 21 November for two weeks, has been created by artist Steve Messam for the Oriel Davies Gallery in Newtown, Powys.

Fleeces from 300 locally-bred Kerry Hill and Black Welsh Mountain sheep will be wrapped around a traditional timber-framed building.

It aims to celebrate the area's cultural and industrial heritage.

The temporary artwork is being sited in the rural environment, visible from Newtown.

...to encourage visitors to consider the role of local agriculture, architecture and aesthetics on the familiar environment Artist Steve Messam on his intentions

Mr Messam was selected from 134 applicants who proposed work for a project for the Beyond Pattern exhibition.

Steve Messam said that he "hopes to encourage visitors to consider the role of local agriculture, architecture and aesthetics on the familiar environment".

Beyond Pattern plans to bring together artists from Wales and other parts of the UK to explore and celebrate textile pattern.

The exhibition aims to celebrate the success of Newtown's past and present textile industry.

The gallery has commissioned two other artists, Catherine Bertola and Angharad Pearce-Jones, to produce work for the exhibition.

The exhibition Beyond Pattern will be showing at Oriel Davies Gallery from 21 November to January, while Clad will run from then until 6 December.