16 WBM october 2014 Gaynor will contribute 25 of her handcrafted birdhouses to the show. She started making birdhouses from recycled materials by experimenting with tools at home. “My husband is a former shop teacher,” Gaynor says. “In our garage, we have some really awe-some tools.” In hopes of finding a piece of scrap metal or wood to use, Gaynor says she takes a different route to and from her home each day, picking up pieces of torn-down fence posts. “Sometimes it’s got some gorgeous old paint on it,” she says. Gaynor is also inspired by her natural surroundings; she often uses uniquely shaped driftwood and tree branches in her work. Although Gaynor has been creating birdhouses for more than 40 years, she never makes duplicates of her artwork. Each house has a different shape and some are decorated with seashells. “They’re all funky. They’re all one-of- a-kind,” Gaynor says. “They don’t look like anything you see in the bird store.” Despite the variety, Gaynor says she doesn’t design her pieces with specific species in mind. “They’re for whoever wants to climb in,” she says. Gaynor encourages everyone in the Wilmington community to visit Art in the Arboretum and celebrate the garden’s 25th anniversary. “Just to look through the grounds is unbelievable,” she says. A special silent auction begins Saturday, October 4, at 10 am, ending during the Friends of the Arboretum party at 6:45 pm. Last year’s show raised more than $24,000 and this year’s show is expected to be even more successful. Hours are 10 am until 4 pm, and admission is $5 per person.
October 2014
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