shirleyjean's Profile

Bio

Graduate of the University of California at Long Beach with a degree in art. I specialized in jewelry and silver smithing.I owned and ran a dental lab for many years. I really want to get back to my roots in art full time. I still make jewelry but really enjoy sculpture. Its nice to work on a bigger scale.
My other passion is the environment. Recycling and keeping stuff out of landfills has always been a priority. Extruded Polystyrene packing material( the big stuff around, t.v.s etc.) (styrofoam) is a problem for landfills but really great as an art medium. It has so many different shapes. Further manipulating it opens up lots of new design possibilities. I only use a hand saw to cut it. When using a saw it creates what I call styrofoam sawdust. I mix this with glue to form a mortar to incorporate into my work. Variations of paint and glue not only hold the piece together but also work as a resist to protect the styrofoam from spray paint propellant . This is the part I like best about the medium--it always surprises you.

Female, Born on September 15

Favorite Materials

styrofoam, glue, paint, recycled, materials