Shoreham artist who sold to Fat Boy Slim uses his beautiful art to expose horrors of plastic waste

Dom, who has been exhibiting at Neighbourhood Shop in Shoreham Significant Street, explained: “I have struggled with Bipolar Ailment and social stress and anxiety for most of my lifetime. Likely outside was a genuine wrestle and talking to strangers was nearly difficult. I located going for walks on the seashore was calming and would allow my brain relaxation. Whilst walking on the beach front, I applied to uncover the odd little bit of rubbish which I would acquire as I walked, and far more and far more rubbish would surface alongside the tide line. I commenced to realise there was so a lot plastic combined in just the seashore and I could make a difference by gathering it and disposing of it. I discovered I could get outside the house much more when cleansing the seaside and made a decision to do it as frequently as feasible.

“Although cleaning I would locate fascinating styles and colored parts of plastics and wished to do one thing with them relatively than throwing them in the bin and sending them off to landfill. That is when I had the plan to make artwork from the plastic squander I was locating. I desired to take something ugly and discarded and switch it in to something stunning. The more I cleaned the beaches and even the nearby streets, the additional persons would arrive up and inquire what I was doing or thank me for accomplishing it. This helped massively with my anxiousness. Just a single person indicating, ‘good morning’, ‘thank you’, or even a smile was plenty of to make me experience calmer about staying outside the house. Once I began producing artwork from the garbage, I started to discuss to men and women about it on my seaside-cleans, this manufactured it easier for me to deal with the anxiousness and gave me self confidence. I’d like to thank any individual who spoke to me, nonetheless briefly, when I was cleaning as it aided me so a lot.

“Then Luna came into our life. A little whippet with a big coronary heart who just cherished operating on the seaside and encouraging come across garbage (mostly to eat). She has aided me so a lot with acquiring outside much more and speaking to people (about her awesomeness). You may recognise her as the whippet with the vibrant coats.

“As soon as I had produced some artwork, I needed somewhere to display screen it. With encouragement from my lovely spouse Amy, I began hunting for somewhere and which is the place The Neighbourhood Retailer arrived in. Emma and Gary have supported me so significantly above the past number of decades and have given me so a lot faith in my abilities, devoid of them I would under no circumstances be showing persons my artwork. With their assist I have produced commissioned pet portraits, helter-skelters, and even offered a piece to Unwanted fat Boy Slim!

“Two years of seaside cleaning later on and I was diagnosed with CFS (persistent fatigue syndrome) and found likely out and cleansing substantially more difficult, so I appeared for other methods to remove waste from likely to landfill. The charity store Bought has been donating plastics that they can’t sell and would generally go to landfill for me to use in my artwork. I also pay a visit to The Scrap Place, which is an wonderful place the place I have located so many plastics which have been saved from landfill.

“I want people to look at my art and see the dilemma of plastic squander, how a lot we are consuming and throwing away, but also see that we can all make a distinction no issue how modest. Reusing anything somewhat than throwing it out or making a little something new from some thing old. Kindness to our planet and every other is at the coronary heart of my operate and if just a person man or woman stops some rubbish from going to landfill for the reason that of my artwork then I’ll see that as a get.”