Wallop!

Posts Tagged ‘eco art’

A ‘Rubbish’ Fairy Princess

30 January 2013

Having a child off school ill is always a tricky situation, but one of the many times that I count my blessings I mostly work from home and can be flexible around this kind of life hiccup. Yesterday, it actually worked in my favour as my main task of the day was to complete a ‘Rubbish Picture’. A commission for a second artwork to match another produced a couple of years ago for the same family. This, as the first was to be created entirely out of the wrappings and bits and pieces of sentimental ‘rubbish’ squirrelled away at the birth of a new baby girl.

..and so my day was spent under the critical eye of my youngest apprentice, in between calpol doses and quick rounds of Snakes and Ladders, creating and completing a Rubbish Fairy Princess from ribbons, wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift tags and a novelty nylon flower bouquet. My apprentice thinks we’ve done a good job, fingers crossed the young lady who will be taking delivery of this picture for her nursery wall, will approve as well.

The plight of the British Bumble Bee is just….Rubbish

28 November 2010

On Monday, I taught an art workshop to a class of year 5 (age 9-10 years) artists. It was the first in my week of workshops in the school on the theme of ‘recycling’ and so it was important to start as I meant to go on and create an impact. The subject for this class was the plight of the British Bumble Bee. This class of children had recently been on a week long residential trip where they had found out all about bee keeping so it was lucky coincidence that I could continue this theme with them.
We created a colossal picture – over 12 ft wide and 4 ft tall, made up in separate panels. The rules of the piece were that it was to be created out of collaged materials and that these materials were to be recycled domestic rubbish, similar to my own Rubbish Pictures. I wanted to show the children that art could be made out of anything. They were  enthusiastic but a little doubtful at first – it soon became apparent however, that this piece was going to be colourful, and vibrant and even the staunchest of doubters was soon converted.

32 ‘assistants’ is a lot of children to keep an eye on, fortunately I had a squad of lovely helpful parent helpers and classroom assistants on board so I was able to split the group into teams. Whilst one team was working on collaging a background of green and blue food packaging, another was creating a ‘hive’ out of used brown packaging cardboard, another was creating a swarm of bees out of squashed drinks casn and bubble wrap, and the last team was making flowers and shrubs, again out of squashed tin cans.

The air of excitement and fun in the room was just lovely to be a part of and whilst it may have appeared somewhat chaotic, as the picture came together, the children became more focused, determined to finish and totally enthused about the project they were all a part of.

Once complete and hung in the hall to be the first exhibit of many that would be created during the week, this piece drew many appreciative comments and looks simply wonderful. I’m very, very proud of all the artist involved, they did a fantastic job. Lucky Bumble Bees to have them on their side.

Eco Street. A green Directory.

04 November 2010

Today I added my Rubbish Pictures information to a green thinking web directory I stumbled across, called Eco Street. I liked that in their blurb they say:

‘We’re shouting the green consciousness message from the PV-clad rooftops.Can you hear us?’

Well, yes I can. So I’m going to give them a whirl, listing my artwork and see what happens.

Churning out more rubbish…

03 August 2010

I’ve been quiet on the Rubbish Pictures front recently and my Folksy shop, it has to be said, is looking a little bare with only 2 pictures currently for sale… so it’s been nice to have been recently asked to contribute some ‘Rubbish Art’ for a new UK Crafts / Gallery  style shop which will be opening this September in York. Besides giving me a good incentive to crack on and create some more pictures out of completely recycled discarded household materials, this has been a good opportunity for me to research ideal subjects and likely target audiences… For the first time I’ll be targeting tourists and so I’m going to have some fun with some ‘Great Britain’ cliche’s and see what happens…. Watch this space for more info as the series of pictures which will be winging their way up to York next month, progress’s…

Latest ‘Rubbish Pictures’ off to their new home

24 May 2010

Today I finished a commission for a ‘rubbish picture’ to go in a waiting room of a children’s health centre. I was delighted to be asked and have thoroughly enjoyed putting together the bee on pink flower, made up entirely of all sorts of household rubbish from used postage stamps, food packaging and bubble wrap.

The bee will be joining “Moon Rabbit”, another rubbish picture, purchased by the same customer and I hope will be received well in it’s new home.

A Rubbish Mermaid

09 July 2009

I’ve had a rubbish mermaid propped up behind my desk for far too long while I’ve been getting around to adding her to the shop over at Folksy. I’ve added her today, where she sits in all her glory next to a rubbish giraffe and a rubbish nice cup of tea :-)
Mermaids have proved popular characters for my rubbish pictures, one has even swam as far afield as New Zealand. There have only been a few made to date though because of the amount of time involved in cutting out all the individual scales on the tail: A detail which I think makes a big difference in the final outcome of the picture, but which also makes me cross eyed, sticks my fingers together with pva and basically sends me to the brink of insanity…

Running dogs

21 April 2009


I have a very dull dog. Don’t get me wrong he’s beautiful, he’s friendly, he’s quiet, he’s great with kids and is very low maintenance. I love him to bits and in most ways, he is the perfect pet in fact. But in the interest stakes…. he’d rate pretty low.
He sleeps a lot does our Ned. You give him a ball, he might raise one eyebrow at you briefly, you give him a chewy, he’ll bury it for later….when he’s less tired.
My dog does….nothing. Official. He sleeps for approximately 23.5 hours of the day.
So why is it I wonder that Ned has his very own fan club of adoring friends and neighbours? Why do complete strangers chat to me every single morning whilst we’re out on a daily walk (The 0.5 hour of the day not accounted for above)
It’s because Ned is a whippet that’s why. People, I have discovered, just love whippets (or maybe people actually love greyhounds and a whippet is just a mini me greyhound so it kind of counts). These dogs have something about them that makes folk go ‘awwwww’.

Testament to that is the new range of Rubbish Pictures I am making up at the moment to restock my Folksy shop. Folksy allows you to manage your items. Once you have added an item you can see how many hits it has had. Within minutes of this latest rubbish picture entitled ‘running whippet’, Seven people had checked it out and one had even been so kind as to make it one of their favourite items. More than one per minute?! How very lovely and it proves my theory , you just gotta love a whippet.
The first few of the new series of pictures will focus on the running variety as that is when they’re at their most impressive, but I think I may have to add at least one or two at some point, of their natural state which is illustrated by Ned right now. Spark out. With a big doggy smile on his chops.

‘Rubbish artists’

09 April 2009


Tim Noble and Sue Webster are just the first of many amazing British artists who I have come across whilst stumbling around on the web looking for….rubbish.
Their apparent heaps of debris collected from London Streets becomes something magical and gobsmackingly real as a silhouette from a strategically positioned light.
Their work is just stunning and completely inspirational for a fellow rubbish artist.

Teapots, bunnys, mermaids… what next?

04 March 2009

Todays ponderings have come about through cabin fever mostly… My young apprentice is centre of attention again this week after a day in hospital on Monday having her adenoids removed. She was such a brave girl and has well deserved her entire week off school being pampered and cossetted. But, maaaaan a week is a long time when you’re 7 with a sore throat and it’s an even longer time when you’re the one kept firmly inside away from germs and sources of infection with a boooored 7 year old. (actually…. on reflection, with 2 siblings in the house there’s probably more chance of infection inside these walls than out…. but hey, I’m sticking to what it says in the leaflet!)

So…. to spare my sanity after the first 7 loops of High School Musical 3, (plus obligatory bloopers and behind the scenes hilarity), I’ve snuck into my den and have been creating away like a crazy lady, making the most of this enforced at home time to fulfil a new order of rubbish pictures for next week. But then here comes the dilema…
What exactly to create? An ‘open order’ is a wondrous thing. A customer who would like ’some pictures’, similar to the last batch, but the subject can be ‘whatever I fancy’. Wow. After years as ‘Wallop’ – illustrating for children’s publishing in it’s various forms, I have become very used to being dictated to exactly what is required. In this pc world we live in, each project generally requires a child of each gender, colour, height, weight, you name it and so artwork briefs are notoriously precise. When they’re not, it inevitably means a reworking and so it’s become ingrained to try to understand exactly the clients requirements first before ever setting pen to paper or mouse to…erm…. table.
So now I’m all of a wobble. Teetering on the edge of an ‘artists block’? Dithering over the possibilities…. So far the Rubbish pictures portfolio has been pretty diverse featuring mermaids, dragons, dogs, cats all sorts… but how to know what will be a best seller? What should I do next, now that I can do….anything? I’d love to know – suggestions on a postcard please…. (or just in a comment would do and would save a stamp :-) )
In the meantime – I’m trying hard not to be distracted by the warblings of the delectable Troy Bolton and concentrating on a few more pre easter bunnys and pre mothers day teacups. Just to be safe.

©2013 Wallop Commercial Art & Design Ltd. All Rights Reserved.