In this course I'm going to show you how to upcycle an empty wine bottle and turn it into a faux stone finish creature. Let me show you how to make a giraffe sculpture as well as a cat doorstop. We'll cover various techniques including making your own eyes, sculpting with tinfoil and wire, mixing various Paverpol products to achieve different effects as well as dry brushing paint techniques.

In the bonus class, I'll show how to transform an instant coffee bottle into a beautiful owl container. There will be additional techniques taught in this section too including working with lace.

Brenda Helfrich

I have been an artist for my whole life. For just over eighteen years, I forgot this and became a Mechanical Engineer. This could sound like a long time, but I’m as old as the hills and so it was just a brief meander along that path. It wasn’t really as big a diversion as most people are inclined to think. It is a very creative field too.

Luckily, after too many years in corporate, I was retrenched and I got the chance to devote my time to art once more (that is, when I wasn’t busy home schooling my two gorgeous children and taking care of my menagerie of four snooty rescue cats, a fluffy chinchilla, a cheeky bunny and a cloud like labradoodle). Finally, I was in my element.

Over the years, I have spent countless hours drawing and painting but I realised early on that my real love is for 3 dimensional arts. I have dabbled in cement art, ceramics, woodwork, soft toy making, polymer clay and most recently, textile sculpting. Basically, I think I’m like most creatives. We simply have to try every craft there is and turn it into art.

At the moment, I spend most days grinning from ear to ear and up to my elbows in sticky textile hardener. I make armatures from electrical wire, tinfoil and masking tape. I then use natural fabric saturated with the product and create sculptures. But that’s not all…… There are so many associated products that the possibilities for different finishes and effects are absolutely endless. These sculptures can withstand the weather and spend years in the garden.

I have always loved reading fantasy and it would appear that it translates into much of my art. I have been told on many occasions that my work is very whimsical and that my sense of humour tends to show through. What can I say? What I do makes me happy and I want my art to make you happy too.