High country: Omeo artist makes sweet cycling sculptures

Omeo local Martin ‘Arty Marty’ Devries has constructed a sweet, wacky way to celebrate cycling in the High Country. See the pictures.

Riding along the Omeo bike trail, you might do a double take at the peloton of riders, hunched over their handlebars, snaking their way along.

These aren’t your ordinary Lycra-clad athletes or weekend warriors. These cyclists are the creation of Omeo local Martin Devries, who used recycled materials to make his own artistic peloton of about 60 riders.

His wife, Florence, said he was known casually as “Arty Marty” after his first foray into sculpture art.

Originally from Holland, Omeo’s Martin Devries has created a peloton of riders using recycled materials. Pictures: Zoe Phillips

“Martin did all the work,” Florence said.

Originally from Holland, Martin immigrated to Australia in the 1960s before training as a bricklayer.

“We’ve both been here for 30 years in Omeo,” Florence said.

The couple ran Snug as a Bug motel in town until 2020.

Despite always being the artistic type, Martin only recently turned his skills in construction to sculpture during the Covid-19 pandemic, Florence said.

Omeo artist Martin Devries’s bike trail stretches along the length of his property.

A reclining statue, the efforts of Martin ‘Arty Marty’ Devries of Omeo.

The sculptural cyclists have garnered so much attention since their installation, they were even mentioned during SBS radio’s coverage of the Tour de France.

But for the Devries family, the real joy comes not from international recognition, but from the small gasps of appreciation from passers-by.

“People do stop and look,” Florence said.

People walking past Florence and Martin Devries’ home can’t help but comment on the eclectic collection of statues.

“They’re just simply there to make people happy, and they do make people happy. We hear the comments on our veranda, people walking past, and sometimes people like to stop and talk to us about them.”