Projects

I work with two kinds of common materials for the sculptural work featured on this site - everyday materials and garbage (including discarded natural materials).  

Everyday Materials

I am an obsessive collector of materials that I feel have potential for artistic transformation - anything that could make people look more closely at their world and find value in things that are often overlooked or discarded. My recycled bird series is made largely from paper and cardboard that hasn't made it into the recycle bin yet - toilet paper rolls and wrappers, and newspaper. The nets for the Bycatch series often incorporate strips of recycled clothing which I also use to make braided necklaces. My fused plastic quilts and jewelry rescue used plastic bags.

Garbage

I am drawn to the random beauty of discarded objects - squashed bits of metal in the street, washed up plastic on the beach. Sometimes I take photos of these deteriorating still lives in situ. Other times I gather the pieces and rearrange them into compositions, as in the fish series I have been making as part of the Bycatch project, each collage comprising trash found on one beach on one day. I also started a blog a few years ago that investigates creative ways to use discarded materials, both through my own projects and through links to other artists' related work.