For a pair of Priddis area artists rummaging through garbage and recycling is for the birds.
Jeri and Steve Kerluke have been making birdhouses from material they have gathered at the salvage centre at the Foothills landfill for a number of years. In fact, they have practically a zero-buy policy in regards to their artwork.
“We make everything we can make from not buying anything,” Jeri explained with a laugh. “We have taken stuff from local barns and fences that have been torn down in the local communities. We also go to the local recycling centre — which we have for years — and we will pick up anything that people don’t want to build our birdhouses.”
Off-the-wall ideas are just par for the course when it comes to their birdhouses.
“We did one for golfing,” she said. “We picked up some old golf balls, a nine-iron and some golf bags and built a birdhouse.”
They also built a birdhouse even Tool Time Tim would find macho enough to hang at his house.
“We picked up some old hammers and other tools and did one based on tools,” Jeri said. “We did one for fishing with old rods and reels. There was one for locksmiths with a bunch of keys and locks on it.
“It’s just stuff from the recycling centre that has sparked our interest.”
If you don’t have a bird for your birdhouse or even Christmas tree, the Kerlukes can supply a fine-feathered friend.
“I make felted birds — nuthatches, woodpeckers, hummingbirds — from raw wool right off the sheep,” she said. “I dye the wool to match the colours.”
She got the wool from Tradio, a show on AM 1140 in which used items are sold.
“I tell you it’s the best show to find anything you need,” she said. “Someone will say: ‘I have been shearing my sheep and I have some wool.’
“You just phone and make a request and you can find anything you need.”
She recently was able to get old doilies through her searches through Tradio and used stores and the salvage centre to make coats
“Grandmas used to spend hours in front of fire and crochet these beautiful doilies — they were beautiful pieces of artwork, now people look at them and say: ‘Oh doilies, who wants this?’” she said. “I was able to make the most beautiful coats from the doilies.”
Maybe too beautiful. She’s too attached to sell them.
“I’m just not ready to sell them, but I will someday.”
While the doily coats are beautiful a rusted warrior might be the wackiest thing she has created from salvaged goods.
“The most unique thing we ever made was this old warrior that we made out of old farm equipment,” Jeri said. “We picked up old farm parts for a few years and welded them together. We got a shovel for his body and farm parts for his feet.”
A large part of their material comes from the world’s greatest artist — Mother Nature.
“We use a lot of stuff from outside — a lot of pussy willows, diamond willow — my husband and I spend a lot of time in the ditches picking up things,” she said. “A lot of the stuff we use is right in front of us. We use all the moss and mushrooms and things that grow in nature that people don’t even know are out there until they see them on our birdhouses.”
The Kerlukes’ artwork is all part of their lifestyle.
“I am very environmentally sensitive,” said Jeri. “I really don’t shop in stores other than groceries. Everything else is what we can find… I get everything I need second hand.”
The Kerlukes’ work was on display at the Bragg Creek Christmas Craft Sale on Nov. 19-20.
For more information on the Kerlukes’ art go to www.braggcreekartisans.com/jeristeve.html
