AN artist gets back to nature to find all the materials she uses to create a range of magical woodland scenes.
Verity Terry, 34, from Thorngate, in Barnard Castle, has won praise for her creations that range from flower infused paper lanterns to elaborate, but magical diorama table decorations, which were on display at a recent vintage fair.
The mother-of-one, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, takes inspiration from the items she finds while on walks with her three-year-old daughter Jemimah.
She said: “I have always liked making stuff. I can’t draw or paint but I like to make things. I have been making seasonal wreaths and doing workshops for about eight years.”
She branched out, crafting more ethereal creations following the birth of her daughter.
Ms Terry said: “I had set about trying to make a scene to hang above her cot and it started from there.
“I do a mix of artificial and natural things and I find it really therapeutic to forage for the things as it really helps me to relax and slow down.
“I find the same thing when I’m crafting. It transports me back to the woodland and I find it helps me just take time out.”
She added: “When I’m making these little scenes, it is a little bit of quiet and calm for a few minutes.”
Items included in her work are collected during jaunts out into the countryside, when she goes armed with a backpack.
She said: “I only pick up things that would just rot and disappear, like bits of bark with lichen on them or acorn caps and sprigs of ivy and moss.
“I have a whole stack of teazels, they’re just such great shapes.”
One creation she is particularly proud of are her dragonfly ornaments, crafted using sycamore seed pods.
She added: “I just love dragonflies and I like to think they are really fairies.
“They’re just beautiful. I have lots of them hung up at home.”
As well as table decorations featuring repurposed acorn caps as mushrooms, Ms Terry crafts unique paper lanterns fused with fronds from ferns, ivy and pressed flowers.
She said: “I had a flower press when I was a child, but recently my mum got me another one and I have been experimenting with different flowers to see what effects I can get.
“I post photographs on Facebook and I have looked at selling through Etsy but it’s too fast paced for me.
“I probably will be doing more craft fairs when I can, but I’ll be looking into getting some kind of online presence.”
