OREM — Penny Jones has a place in her heart for the old, the odd, the mismatched, the shiny and the quirky bit of something others might toss in the trash.

She takes what she finds and creates something she calls "Found Art": sculpture and wall art and dioaramas from lids, feathers, bells, corkscrews, kitchen utensils, chains, flashlight cases, corrugated cardboard, watch faces, beads, jewelry, pop can tabs, keys, sewing machine parts, nuts and bolts, and tools of all kinds.

The result is a collection of unique pieces that intrigue, not only because they are literally created in the garage and outside the box, but because one can spend a good deal of time just trying to see what Jones used to create it.

"I think I'm kind of a thrifty, frugal person with an art background," said Jones, a local resident and mother of eight who is presenting her second eclectic art show for the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem. "I'm working on keeping my brain active."

Jones credits her mother, who lived through the Great Depression, for instilling in her a love of practicality. She hates throwing anything away that could become a part of something fun.

"I have 120 different things in my current show. Some are interactive, some the kids can come up and bang on, other things are more fragile," she said. "I think (the art) is different than most things. It's basically creative."

"Found Art" includes amusing wood pieces (a farmer's cart with a "thatched" roof of corrugated cardboard), toy art, shadow boxes, wall masks, a large colorful mural, fractured fairy tale scenes, a “Creation of the Earth” series, standing metal characters and a variety of steam punk vehicles.

Her metal characters — of which there are more than 40 new characters this year — are each a foot tall, each with their own personality, including a baby in a carriage, a gardener, a Victorian lady, a king and queen, an archer, a musician, a court jester, a warrior, a mom, robots and a duckling.

Her steam punk vehicles include "fantastical but amazing" planes, trains, a flying saucer, a dragon and all sorts of futuristic machines, all powered by bits of this and that.

One of her favorite pieces comes from an old piano she pulled apart and used to create "Rhapsody in Blue," a kind of sculpture built with 2-foot piano keys and outfitted with a fan and ribbons.

Jones is a former BYU, Utah Valley University and Columbus College of Georgia art student. She has painted for the Utah Pageant of the Arts, Ballet Classics, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Hale Center Theater, the SCERA and area schools.

She is retired with grown children. Her ultimate goal is to make enough money with her art that she can stay at home and create more. (She sells pieces to people who can prove her work will go to a good home.)

While she enjoy exhibiting, she prefers the creative process in her garage workshop.

"It is a lot of fun. There's no stress like when you're doing a painting for somebody. It's just pure fun," she said.

Adam Robertson, CEO of the SCERA, said Jones's exhibit is "full of grand creativity, very imaginative, colorful and something the whole family would enjoy."

She welcomes input of any sort of interesting pieces she can add to her stash in the garage for future use. Her phone number is 801-226-1718.

If you go:

What: "Found Art" exhibit (Artist reception July 22, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.)

View Comments

Where: SCERA Center for the Arts Gallery 101, 745 S. State, Orem

When: Noon to 9 p.m., Monday - Saturday, through Aug. 30

Cost: free

Sharon Haddock is a professional writer with 30 years experience, 17 at the Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com. Email: haddoc@desnews.com

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.