Page 74 - The Digital Cloth Holiday issue 2

(for example one of the chickens) is a bit What is the inspiration behind
more complicated, I will make a very basic your work?
armature from wire netting but will keep the The main source of inspiration
form very fluid as I don’t really know how the behind my work are animals
pose of the piece will be at the onset. I then themselves, the pleasure I have
make a total mess of my work surface when from just watching my lovely
I lay out hundreds of bits and pieces of scrap lurcher enjoying himself on his
metal from windscreen wipers to dog leads, walk to seeing birds feeding in
keys, cupboard handles etc. I will then select my garden. This is not in any way
some of these pieces and offer them up to being sentimental, it is more about
the armature to see if I like them in certain a very positive feeling of respect
places, if I do, I’ll attach them with old for the huge diversity of life on our
electrical copper wire. This does take a long wonderful planet and the
time! knowledge that Life itself will
Where do you find your materials? always be there. Animals just
I find a lot of my materials by keeping my symbolise that for me in an
eyes open when out walking the dog, I’ll uncomplicated and direct approach
always have a quick look in any skip, and a lot as there is no human element to
of pieces are just lying on the ground, jumble confuse the issue.
sales and charity shops are also good. I do
have a lot of friends who know what I might
be able to use and save things for me along
with a whole band of my mother-in-law’s
friends who seem to find loads of old biscuit
tins for me!
What are common materials you use when
creating a piece?
The materials I use can be almost anything as
long as it’s safe, durable, nontoxic and I think
it’s got possibilities. A list would include food
cans, old spanners, metal clips, costume
jewellery, clock and watch pieces, copper
electrical wire and plastic.
Is there any specialist equipment you use?
The only equipment I use are several sizes of
pliers, tin snips and a soldering iron.
I’m sure this largely varies on size, but
how long does it roughly take to create a
sculpture?
This is always the most common question
and is also one of the most difficult to answer.
It all depends on how well something is going
and knowing when I think it’s finished; I could
spend days on a constructed piece and then
decide I don’t like it and dissemble it to start
all over again or it might just flow and give
me no major problems.
What sizes do they range from?
The sizes I have worked on up to now range
from life size Wrens to a Red Deer Stag.