"One man's trash is another man's treasure!"
I have always been interested in making something from nothing. I was a big Blue Peter "maker" fan, but never had the double sided sticky tape! This continued at college in Exeter, where I found art materials for projects by scouring skips.
These days I settle for smaller every-day throw-away materials that I think have potential. I recycle/upcycle anything from pie tin cases to fruit nets. I love the challenge of transforming discarded materials into something with a new purpose or value. Empty pie tins become fairy wings, wellies or cases, newspaper is made into paper pulp, sweet wrappers, used gift wrap and teacake wrappers are made into clothes,sails for boats and fabrics for curtains and used metal scouring pads make great mad or bad hair day styles and smoke for chimneys!!!
I also enjoy creating and painting characters who are based on people I have met or imagined and incorporating them into humorous scenes; examples can be seen on my greeting cards. Once I have decided what or who the materials are going to become, I start to add colour with acrylic paints and layer the different textures together, giving them a 3D appearance.
By the end of this process, all the used and neglected materials are given a lick of varnish and are then fit for a new life, or like Cinderella are ready for the ball!
