Mixed media sculptor Barbara Franc works with recycled and discarded materials to create incredibly lifelike birds and animals, and I’m in love with them all. Though many of her sculptures employ found metal objects, It’s her recycled fabric creatures I’d like to explore today. There’s something so soulful and genuine and lovable about these guys, I just can’t resist them!
Assembled using a wildly-creative combination of buttons, windshield wiper blades, frayed edges, embroidered scenes, and other soft materials, Franc’s recycled sculptures have an incredibly appealing look and volume to them. They seem like they could truly come to life.
The artist gathers her materials from innocuous sources like yard sales, thrift shops, industrial dumpsters, and, well, garbage cans. It’s amazing to think that from such humble beginnings come amazing animals worthy of a museum or gallery.
You can see all of Barbara Franc’s inspired work on her website and on Instagram and Facebook.
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My OBT 
May 3, 2022 at 6:12 am
While these are too “scruffy” to be my personal aesthetic but I very much appreciate the skill of constructing critters with such personality and sense of movement in them. I also really like that the artist uses found fabrics.
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May 4, 2022 at 6:32 pm
I think they’re adorable, but I’m also not into collecting things that collect extra dust. I do find them adorable, though. So there we are.
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May 3, 2022 at 7:45 am
These are very cute! You had me at ‘dog.’
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May 4, 2022 at 6:33 pm
Same!
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May 3, 2022 at 8:11 am
Another… you never know where talent will take you. These are delightful.
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May 4, 2022 at 6:33 pm
I’m blown away by the amount of personality the artist can convey with such simple material!
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May 3, 2022 at 8:25 am
So cute! Taking ‘renew, reuse, recycle’ to a whole new wonderful level.
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May 4, 2022 at 6:34 pm
I love anything that reuses materials, so I extra loved these!
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May 3, 2022 at 9:18 am
She is wonderfully creative. I want to hug all of her critters!
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May 4, 2022 at 6:34 pm
They do look cuddly!
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May 3, 2022 at 10:19 am
Maybe I am way too much of an animal person but being honest, they are cute but I don’t like any of them. I am home – Hal
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May 4, 2022 at 6:35 pm
My friend, you don’t have to like everything!
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May 3, 2022 at 5:22 pm
Love, love, LOVE! Especially the cat. 😀
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May 4, 2022 at 6:35 pm
The cat is fantastic!
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May 5, 2022 at 4:45 pm
Sooooo expressive. 🙂
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