Ardfern
ARDFERN artist Hannah Tofts has launched a crowdfunding campaign to reduce plastic trash in the ocean.
Swapping city living to return home to the head of Loch Craignish, Hannah was shocked at the amount of rubbish she found washed up on a beach near her house every day.
She started collecting the rubbish to transform into artworks to teach local children about this global issue on their doorstep and to help motivate the community to do more.
‘I’d always dreamed of living by the sea,’ she explained. ‘I ended up living at the head of a loch beside a beach. I found masses of plastic rubbish washed up every day. It was shocking.
‘I got involved in local beach cleans and started collecting and documenting. My studio is full seven years on. My plastic sea trash creations grew.
‘The project grew and was part of a mobile exhibition of plastic creations to creatively map the coastline while working with children. It then toured cities to show what happens in our seas.’ Her collection, entitled Plastic Sea, was published in a book and animated.
Now, using her collection of plastic sea trash, she has designed a collection of beach clean sarongs to help raise awareness and money for the marine pollution community.
She said: ‘Every sarong you buy will raise money and awareness for the marine pollution community. We have 42 days to reach our target of £15,000 which will enable a cost- effective print run of sarongs.’
Find Hannah's Kickstarter campaign at www.letsgotothebeach.org