tickle the imagination | issue 01

Page 140

I source my materials from op shops, garage sales, trash & treasure markets and the side of the road…

inspiration… The idea of found object sculpture had been floating around in my head for a while due to various fabulous artists here in Australia and around the globe (particularly Jean Tinguely, renowned Swiss sculptor, and American, Brian

It’s not something I do often but every now and then I get out the sewing machine and enjoy making things. As a mother there are always crafty things that I do with the kids with all manner of junk (a la Play School and Mister Maker) and I love making unique, themed

Marshall found object sculptor).

birthday cakes twice a year.

how it all began…

tools + materials…

My children’s school was preparing an art show and made requests for donations to auction off. I decided that if I didn’t make use of the opportunity to make something, and see how my work would be received by the public, then I probably would never ‘have a go’. I had started to collect various bits from op shops and garage sales and in fiddling with them put together my first owl using a stainless steel tooth brush holder lid, washers and springs.

other creative passions…

I can’t work without my trusty flat-nosed and pointy-nosed pliers, hammer and block of wood. As far as materials go, apart from various gauges of wire, it all depends on my imagination and what I can find. A gleaner (a more PC form of the word scrounger) from way back I love repurposing things and source my materials from op shops, garage sales, trash and treasure markets and the side of the road. I use metal objects as a preference and anything round (as long as it

Macro photography is my other main interest

has a pair) for eyes, oval, round or diamond

and I sell a range of photographic images in

shapes for bodies, springs for claws and a stick

the form of high quality, blank art cards, framed

for a perch. Picking up, inspecting and keeping

and unframed prints, and, at the right time of

or discarding sticks in a park brings with it any

year, calendars. My ‘Kitchen Owls’ calendar,

number of strange looks but they have to be

featuring two owls per month and loads of

just right: interesting, not too bumpy and not

space for planning, was a huge hit last year so

recently broken off. That’s not fussy, is it? Just

I’ll definitely be producing one for 2012 around

particular.

October this year. An engraver to permanently mark each piece A year or so ago, when my daughter started

with his/her name, Kitchen Owl number, my

learning, I started playing piano again after a

signature and the year.

break of about 15 years. I love singing along as

Oh, and of course, my camera to photograph

I play anything from Billy Joel to Schubert.

the final product as a keepsake – each piece is

140 tickletheimagination.com.au


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