He became intrigued by the bizarre combinations that could be achieved by fitting together pipes of ­various types.

So he set to work, creating a sculpture that won him first prize of $600 in the Maitland Region Society of Artists annual exhibition recently.

His wife Julie is an artist and she encouraged his ideas.

“I am in the building trade and I have always been fascinated by combinations of pipes and tubes,”  Shoebridge said.

“I work with left over materials and I carried on my theme, but I have never entered an art ­competition before.

“I saw a lot of fittings that could be screwed together and it was most enjoyable work.

“Throughout the process I had no idea how things would finally come ­together, but I like creative work and it all began to happen.”

Shoebridge even found some items that would hook up to make a fan.

He doesn’t know what to call his creation, but said it could resemble a creature from outer space to some people.

But the competition judge was very complimentary and his work is now on display at an exhibition in Nundle in NSW.

“You could have blown me over with a feather when I won first prize,” Shoebridge said.

“So now I am thinking of my next project.”