amjamin

Thomas Alva Edison’s saying, “a genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration”, could fit Arthur Harriott, who is turning metal from its rustic form to subtle and intricate pieces of furniture and objects of daily use. From bar stools, mirror frames, patio sets, tables and chairs, Harriott cuts, bends and lets his creative sparks fly as he welds pieces of metal together. A self-taught designer, he learnt the trade as a teenager. “I used to save money to buy (the) latest tools,” he said. Growing up in Bull Bay, Harriott did welding as a vocational subject, graduated in 1992, and found a job at a fabricating workshop to hone his skills. “I used to do evening classes at Kingston Technical and also got a certification from HEART in welding,” Harriott said. Necessity is the mother of all invention, it is said, and in 1997, his position was made redundant. Instead of searching for another job, he decided to start his own venture and began his journey of met...

Paperboy JA staff Jason McKenzie  hands over gifts of clothing, books and toys to Glenhope Nursery Manager Maxine Smith.  Looking on are Child Development Agency’s Training Officer Sophia Walters and a DHL representative The pitter-platter of the small feet of children trying to make the best of their circumstances - most of them in worn out shoes and no toys to play with, touched Geoff Lewis of Paperboy JA. “I have visited children’s facilities on more than one occasion and I felt that if we could help give these kids a sense of self-worth, and brighten their outlook on life, many of them could begin to rise above their harsh beginnings,” Lewis said. Armed with the zeal to do something for these needy children, Lewis started garnering materials to donate. “I wasn’t in a position to help financially,” he said. “So I decided to reach out and collect clothes and books.” “I felt that a good place to start would be to provide the children with toys of their own to p...

Tea boxes by Charl Baker The idiom 'One man's junk is an other man's treasure' fits perfectly on artists Charl Baker and Mazola Ma Mwashighadi, who are transforming discarded items into artefacts and pieces for everyday use. What does a broken light pole, copper wires, discarded packaging material or a rusting flywheel of a bicycle mean to most of us ... junk? Creations by Charl Baker Baker and Mwashighadi, like farmers sifting through mud to reap the most beautiful foliage or the sweetest smelling flowers, have managed to transform them into a photo frame, vanity boxes and a wall hanging. "I use different kinds of wood, used in construction, I go to woodwork shops and pick up discarded wood, or pieces of metal from the garage," Mwashighadi said. "As a child, I used to draw and sketch, and was always fascinated by baskets and rings from coloured wires," Baker recounts. "Everything can be something, things that people throw a...