Functional Art for the Wall
from Salvaged Materials
We all need places to gather the things we use everyday. The objects we choose for this purpose should be more than just useful. They should provide interest, even inspiration. I create pieces for this purpose using vintage and salvaged materials because of the history these materials carry and the stories they can inspire. All Had Matter Art is handmade by me in my studio.
This video was made in 2009 while I was living in my old house in MD
About
I design and build every piece myself, giving careful attention to construction and detail, and often bringing new life to old materials. My aim is to create objects with a sense of narrative—pieces that invite curiosity and spark imagination, whether functional, decorative, or both. I believe the things we live with should engage us, draw us in for a closer look, and add a sense of wonder to the everyday.
Background
I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. When I was in grade school, my mom told me she wouldn’t buy any more stuffed animals—but she would teach me how to make one. Together we sewed a green corduroy dolphin from a store-bought pattern. Before long i was creating my own patterns for imaginary creatures. Fabric became my first medium and often appeared in my sculptures throughout school.
After college, while managing a used bookstore in Chicago, I began a small business creating stuffed animals from old coats. A move to the DC area led me to an old house full of potential projects. Renovating it taught me carpentry and other construction skills. My creative interests moved from fabric to wood, from soft forms to constructed ones. Local flea markets and yard sales became treasure hunts, places where I could dig through piles of forgotten objects and imagine new lives for them. Those discoveries became my raw materials, and over time a wood shop replaced my sewing machine.
I started selling my work as Had Matter in 2004 at Eastern Market, a weekly crafts market in Washington, DC. I started with mirrors built from flea market finds and vintage images, eventually expanding into key holders, mail holders, spice racks, and a growing line of functional, imaginative pieces. After eighteen years of creating and selling in DC, I moved to Maine in February 2022.
With more space and fresh surroundings, my work has continued to evolve in new directions.
