Stickybeaking Robots – Handmade brooch

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I hadn’t heard the word ‘stickybeaking’ until I arrived in Australia. Now I’ve even named a brooch after it — in particular, applying it to these three ‘robots’ who are peeping over the neighbour’s fence to see what’s going on. In the U.S., they’d be nosey busybodies!

I created this one-of-a-kind handmade brooch, called Stickybeaking Robots, from a bent rod with screw-like threads, three end pieces from some sort of electronic equipment, and a piece of driftwood. It is 3x10cm. I found all the bits and bobs to make it on the streets and beaches of Melbourne.

I normally create wall sculptures and 3D sculptures from the wood, metal, tiles and plastic I find on the streets. However, through Instagram I met handmade jewellery designer Lynn Powers from New Orleans. She encouraged me to try making jewellery from the objects I found on the street, but I never had.

Then I saw that the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria was holding its annual brooch exhibition. I entered–and found that making brooches is great fun. Five of my pieces were on display in the 2019 Australian National Brooch Show. In 2020, fourteen of my brooches appeared in the Wearable Art exhibition at The Old Auction House in Kyneton. Now my brooches are always available through Incube8r Gallery in their shops in Fitzroy and Prahran, as well as online.