
Announcement
Creating my Insect Sculptures is a long process, from finding and dismantling the electronics and computer gadgets to re-assembling them and adding the artistic touches to create something transformed and re-purposed offering a socio-political discourse and attempting to reclaim waste into the beauty of art. Planned obsolescence: the absurd practice of designing products purposely to have a limited life span in order to maximize profits based on the false notion that infinite economic growth can be balanced by the finite resources of the Earth....this is the major inspiration for my work. I wanted to find a way to bring the theoretical concepts involved into an art form which makes sense in the era in which we live and which relates to current environmental issues. Researching further and seeing the shocking Greenpeace images of computer landfills in natural places I wondered about the creatures that lived at ground level where these things are dumped and I imagined what creatures might survive and evolve centuries from now. It is not all negative though. My art celebrates the beauty of nature along side the ingenuity of mankind and computer technology...even the beauty of circuit boards. There is a constant interaction between digital methods of creativity and traditional practices throughout the making process. I start with hand painting the insect wings in the time consuming and meticulous style of illustrations found in old natural history reference books. Then my paintings are scanned into a computer and I can add some bright bursts of colour, spots and splashes by simply using the basic ‘Paint’ program. Then using the more advance digital design technology such as the ‘Illustrator’ program I can create circuit board patterns which I can change the size of without changing the image quality. These patterns can then be superimposed over my wing paintings...then printed out onto (reused) transparent acetate. Other ‘artistic touches come in the form of hand painting straight onto the Bugs, metal leafing, sculptural manipulation by hand of various components such as wire for the antennae and also sometimes adding little pieces of old jewelry such as glass stones. The display of my Insects involves incorporating both the Victorian entomologist’s wooden display case and diorama ideas with a modern contemporary twist.
My Etsy shop is open and my Bugs and Butterflies are ready to fly. Lots more to come..... Bright and warm wishes.
Announcement
Creating my Insect Sculptures is a long process, from finding and dismantling the electronics and computer gadgets to re-assembling them and adding the artistic touches to create something transformed and re-purposed offering a socio-political discourse and attempting to reclaim waste into the beauty of art. Planned obsolescence: the absurd practice of designing products purposely to have a limited life span in order to maximize profits based on the false notion that infinite economic growth can be balanced by the finite resources of the Earth....this is the major inspiration for my work. I wanted to find a way to bring the theoretical concepts involved into an art form which makes sense in the era in which we live and which relates to current environmental issues. Researching further and seeing the shocking Greenpeace images of computer landfills in natural places I wondered about the creatures that lived at ground level where these things are dumped and I imagined what creatures might survive and evolve centuries from now. It is not all negative though. My art celebrates the beauty of nature along side the ingenuity of mankind and computer technology...even the beauty of circuit boards. There is a constant interaction between digital methods of creativity and traditional practices throughout the making process. I start with hand painting the insect wings in the time consuming and meticulous style of illustrations found in old natural history reference books. Then my paintings are scanned into a computer and I can add some bright bursts of colour, spots and splashes by simply using the basic ‘Paint’ program. Then using the more advance digital design technology such as the ‘Illustrator’ program I can create circuit board patterns which I can change the size of without changing the image quality. These patterns can then be superimposed over my wing paintings...then printed out onto (reused) transparent acetate. Other ‘artistic touches come in the form of hand painting straight onto the Bugs, metal leafing, sculptural manipulation by hand of various components such as wire for the antennae and also sometimes adding little pieces of old jewelry such as glass stones. The display of my Insects involves incorporating both the Victorian entomologist’s wooden display case and diorama ideas with a modern contemporary twist.
My Etsy shop is open and my Bugs and Butterflies are ready to fly. Lots more to come..... Bright and warm wishes.
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Reviews
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marksellick on Jan 18, 2021
5 out of 5 starsIt's perfect, thanks! Extremely well packaged and dispatched quickly too.
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Sugarjets13 on Jan 10, 2021
5 out of 5 starsI bought this item as a gift for a friend, and it was shipped directly to her from Julie - so I can't comment personally on the item itself, other than to quote what my friend said to me once she received it : "It’s gorgeous. And connects my nature, tech, & creative sides. Seriously, I’m crying down here. It's prettier than the pictures!"
Of course I ordered this at the time the USPS went off the rails with the holidays and COVID issues, so once this package reached the States, it dropped into The Dark Void for 2 weeks with no updates. Julie was so kind and great at keeping tabs on the package and keeping me calm in the process. Top notch, would give more stars if I could. Beautiful pieces, wonderful human! -
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Elizabeth on Dec 19, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis is a beautiful piece of art! Everything is perfect, from the beetle to the frame. It was packaged well and arrived safely, including the glass. It’s a Christmas present for my wife and I think she is going to love it!
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cavers2 on Nov 23, 2020
5 out of 5 starsAmazing wonderful and lovely! So much attention to detail!! Thank you for this unique art! We love it!!
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cavers2 on Nov 23, 2020
5 out of 5 starsAmazing wonderful and lovely! So much attention to detail!! Thank you for this unique art! We love it!!
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Roberta on Nov 19, 2020
5 out of 5 starsVery nice. Super carefully packed and cery fast delivery.
Was a long time I wanted one and finally managed -
Sarah on Sep 30, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis is even more beautiful in real life than it is in the pictures!! I am so in love with my computer bug!! Can’t wait to buy more. Thank you for your amazing artwork!!!
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Lona on Sep 7, 2020
5 out of 5 starsThis pretty bug flew into my apartment and it's just as pretty in person as it was in the photo! Thank you so much for another beautiful piece, I absolutely love her!
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