We are all recycled: Crafters Sunday

Miggy Maidment

I am inspired by my surroundings, emotions and mostly by the little world inside my head. I love creating and then casting in clear water resin to ensure I am able to capture moments in time. My art is my therapy.

I have created a collection of my own and have been fortunate enough to create many wonderful and unique commissioned pieces of jewellery, paperweights, framed images and wall hangings. Photography is important to me and has allowed me to extend the presentation of my work and allows me to capture my resin pieces in various ways.

I am excited about the path I am on and I hope I can continue to be creative for a long time to come.

Questions for Miggy Maidment

1 – What inspired you to start making your creations?

It all started a couple of years ago when I went back to finish my degree in Applied Art & Design at Bournemouth University. I was working on a project Inspired by water and emotions and researching into the works of Dr Emoto (emotions frozen into water). I had chosen to specialise in ceramics at the time but literally one morning out of the blue I awoke with the thought that I should try working with resin. From there I instantly feel in love with this medium and it allowed me to produce the perfect frozen/watery effect I needed to create for the heartfelt pieces.

2 – Which is your most memorable piece so far?

I have a couple of memorable pieces. One contained a photo of my grandparents along with my Nan’s wedding ring. They have both passed away and it was a real moment of nostalgia. The piece was for my Dad, to ensure he can keep his memories safe and to display at home. A keepsake that he can then hand down.

The second was a small paperweight piece that had a heart locket containing the ashes of a dog with a lock of the dogs fur wrapped around the heart.

When you are dealing with such sentimental objects/ belongings, it’s actually a little nerve racking! Casting with resin is never 100% guaranteed and the mould might not come out how you want due to risks of bubbles, objects moving or sometimes the resin reacts. Thankfully there haven’t been any real disasters yet.

3 – You link photography and your creations beautifully, did you expect your creations to be so touching and atmospheric?

No not at all. I was really excited about my initial creations and I was blown away with my tutors and fellow student’s feedback and reactions. However I felt I wasn’t doing the pieces enough justice when it came down to displaying my work. I took a walk into the woods near my local beach to hang my framed piece from a tree and just took a few photos on my iPhone and did the same with a paperweight down at the beach. I was delighted with results and quickly realised that this was the direction I wanted my work to go in.

4 – What sort of request would interest or challenge you most?

I have done some really interesting private commissions but I would really love the opportunity to do some kind of public art project/commission piece. Most of my work is inspired by my surroundings, I love where I live it is so beautiful. It would be great to invest my time and energy into something that could be a part of the community or natural surroundings.

5 – What advice would you give anyone that’s starting out in crafting & wanting to make a success of it?

Ha, I am not sure I am in a position to give advice yet!! I would say you need to believe in yourself and what you’re creating and insure you stay focused and positive. Don’t be afraid to push yourself and experiment with your work. I’ve worked with a whole range of arts and crafts throughout the years, it has taken a long time for me to discover resin. I always put a bit of my heart and soul into my creations, whatever they may be.