Q: Much of your work gives discarded things a second life. What do you hope people think or feel when they see waste turned into something beautiful?
A: I love to share my work with others, and I love to watch and hear their reaction when they discover what I have used in each of my sculptures. It’s important that my work provokes inspiration and ideas about how we can rethink resources, and offer new ways of using materials. Society moves so quickly and uses far too many ‘throw away’ items. Think about fast fashion, single use plastics, outdated technology, all considered ‘waste’ and headed for landfill. Some of my best works have once been considered ‘landfill’ and are now in private collections. This brings me so much joy.
Q: You teach workshops as well as exhibiting. What do you love about teaching, and what do students most often discover about themselves?
A: I love to be able to share weaving with others. It offers a calming and creative outlet that requires very little monetary outlay. It’s something that is easy to pick up and put down, free of mess, you can weave absolutely anywhere. Participants really enjoy the opportunity to spend time away doing something different, while their focus is taken away from rushing about or getting through their to do list. They also surprise themselves with what they can create, and I love to see how proud they are once they finish the workshop having acquired a new skill, or made something unique.
