There’s something irresistible about the charming bird sculptures of Naomi Beevers, which often spring to life from reclaimed kitchen items. Janet Donin visits her Guildford studio

Great British Life: Naomi Beevers at her Guildford studioNaomi Beevers at her Guildford studio (Image: Naomi Beevers)

Originally published in Surrey Life magazine September 2015

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Tell us a bit about your designs…

I work largely with reclaimed items, such as fabrics and traditional kitchenware, transforming them into beautiful objects, from 3D birds to pictures. However, as I value their original workmanship, many of the items used look familiar, which I hope will spark memories of the past.

What is it that fascinates you about kitchenalia?

I love the memories these items spark; of happy times spent with my granny and my mum in the kitchen as a child. I’ll acquire pieces from the family or pick things up at car boot sales. Then I will turn a whisk into a birdcage, sugar tongs into bird’s legs or cover teacups with vintage fabric to become decorative items.

So did you train as an artist?

I have a degree in textiles but it’s only lately, as my children have grown up, that I have had the time to create. I did a City and Guilds course at Guildford College and from there went on to study at Windsor College. This year, I was awarded a distinction as a New Licentiate at the Society of Designer Craftsmen.

Where do you find the inspiration for your work?

Much of my inspiration is in my subconscious – memories of childhood – but also the beautiful birds that inhabit my garden and the lovely countryside around Guildford. As well as textiles, I also love cooking, so acquiring an old kitchen gadget will often spark a new piece of work.

What is your preferred medium to work with?

I love natural fabrics and haberdashery, particularly vintage items with a history. For instance, I acquired some World War Two uniform fabric, which was perfect for my needle-felted swallows (incidentally, ‘Swallow’ was also the name of a training glider used in the war). And old towels or blankets when dyed make marvellous rag-rug wall art.

So talk us through the creative process; how does it start?

I’m creating a collection of birds at the moment and recently saw some starlings in the garden – a bird we’ve never seen before here – so that set me off making a line of starlings sitting on a vintage garden fork. So I’ll start off by drawing the bird, before creating a pattern and then choosing the fabric and materials I’m going to make it from. And I love finishing off with hand-stitched details to give character.

Most of your pieces seem to have a fun element, don’t they?

Yes, that’s all part of the creative enjoyment. I’m so pleased when I see people laughing and chatting about my work – like the blue tits, which often peck at milk bottles, so I’ve perched them on Milk of Magnesia bottles.

Do you have a favourite piece?

I have one particular piece, which holds so many memories for me. It’s made from a sardine tin that I bought while on holiday in Paris. I transformed it into a picture with a collage of old Paris maps as a background and 3D sardines made from silk, which I then patterned with silk- screen images resting inside.

And the silk-screen printing is a relatively new development?

Yes, it’s my latest thing actually, as I recently took a course at the Ochre Print Studio in Guildford, which was fantastic. I wanted a way of transferring images to a variety of fabrics with precision.

Is there anything else new on the horizon?

My latest work comes from some 1950s fabric, from which I am creating a series of pictures with hand and machine-stitched details. The To Kill a Mockingbird book cover inspires one.

Finally, what is your favourite thing about living in Surrey?

I love living in Guildford, with its beautiful abundance of green spaces and stunning countryside with pretty villages surrounding us. I think we’re really lucky to have some fantastic local galleries too.

• Naomi Beevers can be contacted on 07947 073524 or e-mail naomi.beevers@ntlworld.com. You can also see her work on show at the New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, from Friday October 9 to Saturday November 14. See newashgate.org.uk