Ask Texas native Michele Petrucci what her favorite day is and you may be surprised: It’s heavy trash day! 

When she was a kid, Michele and her mom dove into dumpsters and investigated piles of junk on the side of the road where they discovered things that were still beautiful and purposeful. Her mom regularly took home pieces and re-used them, including furniture and hardware. Throughout her life Michele has continued to hunt, collect and appreciate these treasures, gravitating toward rusted ornate pieces, electronics and circuit boards.

The COVID pendamic brought Michele face-to-face with her collection. Without noticing, she had amassed thousands of items including lighting, hardware, plumbing, jewelry, electronics, appliances, tools, and other household gadgets. Everything but the kitchensink… which she might use next time!

Michele constructed a “she shed” in her backyard, where her process begins with a single piece of reclaimed wood; a blank canvas. She shapes what’s in front of her, assembling a core figure and visualizing what it could become. When all the parts are assembled she fastens the piece together with donated hardware.

Michele’s creations represent both authentic and fantasy creatures, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, where one viewer perceives a Siamese cat, another may see a robot. She loves new interpretations of her work. Pieces range from 6″ to 3-4′ in length and most are meant to hang on the wall.

Michele avoids plastics and upcycles found or donated materials. Most of her stock is gifted to her or culled from estate sales and demolished houses. In our culture of disposable goods, Michele recycles what she can’t use, keeping refuse out of the landfill one creature at a time.