Creative Projects

Photography

I am originally from a small town close to Niagara Falls and returned to the area for a nostalgic visit. One of my creative pursuits is photography and I enjoy capturing architectural details, street art and nature. I enjoyed the contrast between the iconic retro imagery of the tourist area with the beautiful evening sky. The sunset pictures were taken from a moving car and no filter was used to alter the colour.

Digital Art

I like to create art via the digital reconfiguration of photographs. Sometimes, I digitally alter my own work and other times I use copyright free imagery. These pieces were all created from my own photos. 

Synchronic Collage

I practice an art form which I refer to as synchronic collage. It is a  photographic technique which is reliant on light, reflection and synchronicity to form a multilayered photo. While the images appear to be edited, they are superimposed as a product of chance.  

Repurposed Clothing

While the term upcycling is quite popular, I prefer to describe my work as repurposed. The word upcycling implies that you are improving an item, when sometimes you are merely transforming it. I made these three skirts from a combination of vintage prom dresses, aprons and house dresses spanning the 1950s to the 1980s.  While I try to source everything from pre-existing garments, I do sometimes buy ribbon or trim  to add interesting details.

Repurposed Jewellery

I  make repurposed jewellery from thrift store finds or items I have left over from other projects. The ring was made from a pre-exisiting ring that was two sizes too small. The resizing adversely affected its appearance so I attached a broken clip-on earring which diverted focus. The necklace was created from the bottom of a Tshirt that I had customised, which was threaded through a hair bobble. 

Workspace

A cheery and colourful workspace brightens my mood and helps me to remain organised and creative. I belong to several buy nothing groups where people post free items on social media which are collected via contact free pickups on porches or in apartment lobbies. The picture and my desk lamp were sourced from the group and I found the chair on the street. The desk was in the house when I moved in, but it was peeling and neglected. I covered it with drawer liner which instantly renewed it. Hearts from a felt placemat add cheer and cover up marks on the wall.

My Next Project

Sometimes you can repurpose an item without altering it at all, simply by using it for a different function. I sourced these two fabulous floral lampshades through the buy nothing group and will suspend them from the ceiling like floating art installations.

My Biggest Project

My biggest project was probably running a weekend popup cafe out of a repurposed shipping container. The project was nonprofit and sold mostly fair trade items. Beer and cake were the main menu items (although there were other choices) as these are two of my favourite things.

Tasty Creations

Speaking of treats, I made a batch of vegan truffles earlier today. They are dark chocolate. pomegranate and raspberry, rolled in coconut. Creative work can be so rewarding!