The steel assemblage art piece is on its way to the South Australian Museum to take its place as a finalist in the prestigious Waterhouse Art Prize.

The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize runs annually and offers a prize of $50,000 to the overall winner.

The competition, now in its sixth year, had a record 693 entries for 2008, submitted by artists from throughout Australia and overseas.

Only 102 finalists were selected across the categories, which will be displayed at the museum from August 2 until September 7.

Mr Weight was short listed for the 2007 competition, also in the sculpture section.

As a full time artist, Mr Weight lives in Riverton, working in his home studio, shared by partner, also an award winning artist, Lise Temple.

Mr Weight often works on community arts projects, together with sculptor Marcus Possingham, and the pair have just completed an almost 7m tall installation at Parndana on Kangaroo Island – a fabulous entrance sign to the town.

Studying sculpture at North Adelaide School of Art and Sydney College of the Arts, teaching painting at the Mintaro Institute and Riverton High School, Mr Possingham decided not to specialise, preferring to keep his art practice as diverse as possible.

As well as having a presence at Art Logic in Adelaide, leasing artworks and exhibiting throughout the State, Mr Weight will again be involved in the SA Living Artists Festival, with work on show at the soon to be opened Riverton Light Gallery owned by Robert (Alf) Hannaford, as well as at Pikes Wines.

“Art is a sensible investment – something like an oil painting will last for generations and only cost two or three thousand dollars, while a motor vehicle costs many thousands more and rapidly depreciates,” Mr Weight said.

Mr Weight will be taking his short-listed exhibit “Mosquito Assemblage” to Adelaide this month for final judging and it will then form part of the public exhibition.