The art of being inspired by necessity | Mixed Media Artist

My work with rag paper, oil pastels and boot polish had an unusual start, it was a method developed in a political and economic crisis, when we couldn’t get our hands on traditional art supplies.

We had no paper for our students taking their public examinations in Zimbabwe.

There was a severe shortage of many goods in a struggling nation ravaged by drought and economic difficulties.

We found a way to make paper and a way for local villagers to make a sustainable living.

We bought all the old overalls from industrial workers and distributed them to rural villagers, who were shown how to bleach and mulch the material using a machine made from bicycle parts.

The resulting paper was not suitable for water-based paint, but great for drawing with oil pastels and boot polish.

Thanks to this ingenious method, us teachers had paper for our students to take their exams and we could send their work across to the UK to be marked.

And of course I loved working on this paper with my own art. It is completely unique and still one of my favourite papers to work with.

Would you like to purchase a painting on rag paper? Contact me to enquire about prices for the paintings you see here, or commission a unique piece of work of your own.