³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

An owl with bright gleaming eyes made from discarded CDs with an old school compass for a beak and a striking waistcoat with buttons fashioned from plastic spoons are just two head-turning items which will go on show at a new art exhibition.

Artist Jessica Perry, from Blickling near Aylsham, has been delving into her recycling boxes to cultivate bits of rubbish and turn them into works of art for a show at Sheringham Little Theatre called Recycle.

The seaside exhibition, which will run from 3 March to 5 April, 2008, is to feature up to 20 pieces which Jessica hopes will prove thought-provoking for visitors.

Shanghai children contributed to Traffic Jam

It is the Norwich School Of Art And Design graduate's first show since her collaborative exhibition at Withers Gallery in Itteringham in 2006.

The International Traffic Jam consisted of four collages crafted together by Jessica, each made up of around 250 drawings from children across the world to highlight cultural differences in travel.

3D centrepiece

The centrepiece of the Sheringham show will involve local school children and theatre-goers, who will be invited to explore the meanings of house and home.

Visitors are being asked to draw pictures and write about what home means to them on squares of recycled maps which will then be rolled into cones and placed together to make two 3D hemispheres.

"I want to focus on the idea of home and experiences and issues people have had of housing crisis and places they'd love to live in," said Jessica, who runs school workshops and works at Norwich's renowned Sainsbury Centre as an artist consultant.

"It's about gathering ideas about home and the world and our place in it.

"I want to take people's descriptions and draw a fantasy street.

"I like to collaborate and get lots of ideas and translate them in a visual way. It's a development of everything I've done before," she added.

The Wastecoat with its pegs and spoons

Concerned about rubbish

Jessica plumped to work in recycled materials as an extension of projects she has produced with pupils and also because she is concerned about the amount of waste each person produces.

"I've used recycled goods because they surround us," she said. "I have my own family - the four of us - and we alone amass a full grey bin of plastics so it seemed a shame not to use it."

It's hoped the works in the gallery will appeal to the many school children due to visit the town's theatre over the Easter holidays to watch youth productions.

As the artist who has crafted each piece, all the creations are close to Jessica's heart but one of the works which she is most fond of is the Wise Owl.

"The sculpture of the Wise Owl combines the thoughtful aspect with second-hand materials. The owl is made out of CDs and encompasses paperclips to do with the world of academia."

Recycle runs at Sheringham Little Theatre, Station Road, from 3 March to 5 April, 2008.