Eclectic Creatures by Michele

Texas Native Michele Petrucci has had a life-long passion for other people’s trash.  When she was a kid Michele and her mom dove into dumpsters and investigated piles of junk on the side of the road, and she was always surprised to discover things that were still beautiful and purposeful. Her mom regularly took home pieces and re-used them, including furniture and hardware. Throughout her life Michele has continued to hunt, collect, and appreciate these treasures, gravitating toward rusted, ornate pieces and labyrinthine electronics and circuit boards.

The COVID pandemic brought Michele face-to-face with her collection: Without really noticing, she had amassed a volume of over 300 gallons of door knobs, drawer pulls, ceiling fan hubs, keys, window cranks, plumbing fixtures and boat parts – as well as prized electrical components. Knowing that there was another life in all those parts, Michele constructed a She Shed and started working. Her process begins with the selection of a single piece of found lumber – a blank canvas; she then plays with various pieces until the identity of the collection coalesces into something recognizable. When all the parts for a piece are assembled the fastening begins – with repurposed metal screws and a little glue.

Michele’s creations are mostly animals but beauty is in the eye of the beholder: she never argues with people who find new interpretations of her work, and imaginative viewing is encouraged! Most of her pieces are 12” to 18” tall and made to hang on the wall. She avoids plastics and often receives gifts from estate sales or demolished houses. She continues to hunt for treasures at garage sales, dumpsters, landfills, and on the ever-fruitful Heavy Trash Day. Unused or exhausted pieces are recycled, as Michele’s diligent efforts keep refuse away from the landfill one creature at a time