Breathing new life into older art pieces, local artist Trudy Kungold Ammann received an Award of Honour during the Cowichan Valley Arts Council’s 41st Fine Art Show, earlier this month.
The piece of art that won her the award is a unique one; a cast paper and textile pillow.
The pillow is decorative, and not for use, though a local cat didn’t know this and crawled over it, damaging it in advance of the Fine Art Show.
“I had it put together all nicely, but a cat got in the box and flattened it,” Ammann said.
“It’s a pillow that you can’t use. It’s a sculpture piece.”
With some ribbon work, she was able to mend the now award-winning piece.
Work on the pillow began years ago, when she made the original tiles and molds, of locally-found wild flowers.
“I’m very interested in botanicals, and they were the sole inspiration,” she said.
After taking a recent paper casting course, she found a new use for the molds.
During the Fine Arts Show, local artist Dave Thompson’s life-sized wood carving of an owl, titled Hunting, was sold.
Local sculptor Sonia Galbraith also received an Award of Honour for her stone sculpture Galatea.
Ammann’s pillow will be featured alongside other local artists’ works during the Kaatza Art Group’s 41st Show, May 20 to 22 in the Lower Centennial Hall.