Thomas Graham
I have always liked tin. I have a memory from age five or so of trying to (unsuccessfully) wheedle my mother out of the typewriter ribbon tin which she kept her pins in. As an adult I found myself collecting old tobacco tins.
Hurricane Fran in 1994 came right through my neighborhood. Despite having two giant pine trees on my roof, the damage wasn't a big enough job for any roofers to take on. After I finished repairs I had a pig piece of galvanized metal that I started playing with. A friend told me of tinsmithing classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School where I hlearned some traditional tinsmithing techniques. Five years later I returned there and took Tin Can Art from the inimitable Bobby Hansson (who actually wrote the book "The Fine Art of the Tin Can").
Tin can collages are one of the topics in Bobby's book and ten years ago when I found out that Robert Villamagna was teaching a tin can collage class at Pocosin Arts, I jumped at the change. I have been making tin can collages ever since, several hundred at least. My work tends to either be figurative pieces of birds or abstract pieces inspired by the images and colors on the tin.
I have been teaching tin can collage classes for the last five years. I regularly exhibit at the Fearrington Folk Art Show and the Saxapahaw Holiday Market and usually have some work at Firefly in Carrboro, NC and at the Randolph Arts Guild in Asheboro, NC. If my work brings a smile to your face I consider it a success.