Experiments with Paint and Junk, part 1

Deidre Ogilvie describes the joy of playing with junk

As part of the Creativity Cluster group’s joint experimental works, I spent one afternoon with Nancy Lane at River Studios. We worked with her junk (found objects) and Pébéo Deco paints that I had recently won in an Eckersley’s Art & Craft competition.

Deidre Ogilvie at River Studios, working on a related project for Creativity Cluster

Aladdin’s cave

Nancy’s studio is like an Aladdin’s cave of ‘things’ that have come from our Melbourne city streets.

I selected as my bases a metal piece of junk (no idea of its original use) and a piece of glass which had been a window cover for something (again, no idea what).

Some of the street junk in Nancy’s studio

Objet Trouvé Garden

Firstly, what I have called Objet Trouvé Garden was the piece of glass, on which I painted a public garden. It could be any one of our beautiful city gardens.

To this I added parts of a broken bracelet as flowers, and several pieces of junk to represent sculptures, statues and ornaments. These can also be found all over our city gardens.

A garden painted on glass with flowers, sculptures and other junk features

The Pumpkin Patch

Secondly, on the piece of metal I painted Pumpkin Patch in yellow and orange. I am sure somebody has a roof top garden and grows pumpkins in our city.

To this I added metal brush bristles, pebbles, timber chips and other bits. Collectively, these represent a garden fence. I am not sure it would keep out the local possums, but who knows?

On both works I sprayed a glaze. This was to give them a sheen and to enhance the colours.

Painted on a piece of metal discarded from who know what. A junk fence keeps out pumpkin patch pests.

A dangly good luck brooch

Thirdly, there was a small brooch.

Good luck charms come in all shapes and sizes. This one emerged from Nancy’s junk as a fun piece of jewellery. It may not be obvious, but it’s to be worn on the days you just need a little extra luck.