There is something Lily believes to suffer from which seems to be both a blessing and a curse...
Utilising recycled materials, ranging from 150-year- old pieces of slate to small ornamental skulls, Lily employs the art of assemblage and decoupage (gluing images to an object and coating them with layers of varnish, which can be very difficult to do depending on the shape of the piece) to create an array of everyday goods. Though, there is something Lily believes to suffer from which seems to be both a blessing and a curse.
Lily explains to me that whilst she uses art as a form of expression, she also utilises it as a source of calm and a means by which to escape from her busy mind. ‘Although I am not diagnosed officially with ADHD, I get bored very easily and my mind flits from one thing to another. None of my works are ever planned and almost always happen by accident... I must get the task done there and then when the inspiration hits, otherwise I forget about it and the thought is lost forever. Yet my busy mind allows me to be very good at problem solving and when I’m in full swing doing something, my mind begins to focus, and calm comes back to me,’ says Lily.
‘It is also fair to say that my upbringing continues to have an impact upon how I create. I always wanted to reuse wasted and unwanted items, especially homely stuff. I grew up with my dad, so my home was a bit masculine. Though, he would constantly find unwanted things through work. These items were going to be scrapped yet he saw potential in them... but aside from that his artistic flair is non-existent,’ Lily laughs.
‘From a young age, and at school, my favourite medium was collage. I really enjoyed cutting out dresses and putting them on people from magazines and making pictures up in a similar way. Looking back, I can see now why this led me to decoupage later on,’ Lily adds.
Observing her works here, we can see a variety of paintings and ornaments but also things that have a practical use, like plates and coasters. In that regard, in terms of definitions, we might consider Lily to be somewhat of a crafter. Indeed, online sources certainly seem to consider decoupage a craft. Yet unlike building, say, a table, decoupage does not involve the physical construction of something functional; nor does it involve typical artistic embellishments, like a painting; so it is hard to say exactly what it is. Moreover, it begs the question - what exactly is a crafter?
Well, as we have observed earlier in this issue and in Issue 12, it could be said that an artist creates something purely for aesthetic purposes, whilst artisans and crafters create something that has a function. Yet such a distinction is not always so clear cut, especially when it comes to the likes of collage and decoupage, where the work of both the artist and the crafter frequently blends through the moulding action of the hand, and the decorative skill that is applied to the finished piece. Sculptures are created by hand and are embellished with details. Yet, whilst these works may have a purpose, such as to represent a significant figure, just like paintings and photographs, they do not have a function. The sculpture is there to be admired, not to be used in a practical way, such as to dry clothes on for example (well in theory anyway, I actually witnessed this in Spain once). This meticulous use of 3D materials, and the sculpture’s lack of functionality, makes sculpting a work of art.
Like a sculpture, a plate can be physically shaped and cut by hand. Indeed, centuries ago nearly all of our utensils were created in such a way by artisans, to the extent that these people became a social class in their own right. Though the difference here is that the plate has a function and does not require a plethora of decorations. It does not exist to be closely observed and appreciated but simply as an object upon which to place food.
If animals need to use an object, they do not consider how it is decorated. Some monkeys are known to use rocks to break open hard-shelled nuts for instance, but it is almost certain that they care very little about whether that rock has something painted on it (‘oh I’m not using that rock George, it doesn't have a banana on it!’). On the other hand, as demonstrated throughout history, humans like to look at, and possess, pretty things, regardless of whether they are for practical or ornamental purposes.
From the tombs of Ancient Egypt to the items we purchase from Home Bargains, the functional objects we humans use in our daily lives, from sand dials and chairs, to kitchen utensils and doors, are very often decorated. What is remarkable however, is that whilst we homo sapiens inherently love to stamp our thoughts on to just about anything, we also enjoy observing the expressions of others – particularly when they’re aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Enter the crafter, who is seemingly both an artist and an artisan. For here is someone who typically creates something by hand, like a hat or a table, and decorates it, often through the act of carving or painting, using a great deal of skill.
For many crafters it also matters not whether this object has a function. After all, the likes of David Hockney and Hokusai have been considered crafters simply because they have shaped something by hand, regardless of whether it can be used. Sculptors seem to be the only exception to this rule. Although sculptors produce by hand objects that have no function, they
are not considered to be crafters but Fine Artists. (One argument for this is that sculpting takes such a long time as well as a great deal of skill – but this is a discussion for another time).
The definition of a crafter can also extend to those who do not produce things, functional or otherwise, from scratch but still work with physical materials as opposed to a canvas. Lily’s skull for instance, has no function, nor has she moulded it together through the act of carving or sculpting. Yet she has still worked with an array of materials to curate its image through paint and decoupage. As she says:
‘An example of my work is the Skull: I sourced him at a local car boot sale for just £5... I had him for some time until the inspiration came to me as to what to do. This strong Tiger Toucan and floral print came to me and that’s when I knew. So, I carefully cut the patterns out to make sure there was strong continuity throughout. Then I used adhesive and applied the paper; the trickiest part due to all the angles and changes of directions on the skull, whilst taking care to not damage the paper. Once cured throughout then came the next layer, which was to guild,
this gives texture and a luxurious appearance to something that most would find odd. Then I applied two coats of finishing low voc varnish throughout to make sure it will last a lifetime or more. I remember the second fair I took it to and it sold. The chap wanted something for his office space.
I think that’s my client market. Sometimes people don’t know they want something different until they see it.’ ‘Another of my works is the mannequin torso. For this I used a patterned napkin with which I had to individually cut all the leaves and peacocks out and strategically place them to create the body. I then used various paints, textures and gold leaf [an extremely thin sheet of gold applied to surfaces] to create the illusion that it was one whole piece’.
Does this then imply that a crafter is anyone who expresses themselves using physical materials, regardless of their functionality? It is difficult to say. What is easy to say however, is how interesting Lily’s works are. So, without further ado, let us continue to find out more about them.
‘I believe art is for everyone. Although I did enjoy and take art as a qualification at secondary school, my grades didn’t reflect that I was any good. But if you enjoy it, feel it and are proud of it, then I feel you have created a work of art, regardless of what others may say,’ Lily informs me.
After school, Lily began to focus more upon less conventional art and craft forms, such as assemblage, and from that has managed to develop her own small business.‘We try our hardest to reclaim a variety of materials, be it second hand, unwanted, or saved from the skip. There is so much waste in the world, so we want to refurbish and refinish [to remove the coating on the surface of something and put on a new coating] anything that does still, or might, hold value... I have always wanted to do decoupage but never had the opportunity. But one Valentine’s Day I decided to make my husband a table coaster with the words ‘all you need is love’ inscribed on it, and from there our ideas have continued to flourish,’ says Lily.
‘Regarding the business side, we do struggle having two children with additional needs, although they are amazing. Time to work is very restrictive due to home life, so to invest time in the business is hard. Yet slowly but surely, between me and my husband, we are getting to grips and hope to generate a business that one day our children may get involved in,’ Lily adds.
When it comes to repurposing old materials, Lily likes to restyle them using textures that represent African flora and fauna. ‘My whole life I have had a great appreciation for African wildlife, particularly the wild cats and botanicals that exist there. I also imbue my pieces with elements of William Morris’ style*. I also like to introduce sands and grains into my works,’ says Lily.
*William Morris was a nineteenth century textile designer who mixed medieval and natural elements to create a style of home decoration. It became so popular
that it quickly began to feature upon all kinds of textures, from curtains and wallpapers to tablecloths and cushions. From the mid-nineteenth to the mid- twentieth century this kind of style was prevalent in people’s homes across the UK (maybe you grew up with it, remember it in a relative’s home – or if, like me, you like vintage goods, still have remnants of it in
your home today). Indeed, arguably nothing has influenced home deco for a longer period of time than William Morris’ style.
Whilst elements of William Morris and African wildlife are easily apparent within Lily’s works, the predominant theme is centred upon the methodology that underlies them.
‘My passion is to create works that are produced sustainably, for our objective is to reuse, not ‘refuse’, materials. By doing this I hope that we can sway more people into thinking more sustainably about the things they use. By up-cycling these materials, I also believe that it brings a sense of individuality to the items instead of them simply presenting a trend,’ says Lily.
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