Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk wanted science fiction for her Christmas wreaths.
She had her heart set on old tin robots but found antique toy ornaments were too expensive.
So, being an award-winning professional magazine illustrator and cartoonist for 30 years, she started to tinker on her own, using recycled metal.
"It was so much fun," she said of her creative adventure that started two years ago.
Using upcycled parts from garage sales and flea markets - and a few donated from her friends - Fahnestalk built robot sculptures and displayed them in the 2012 art show at VCON, Vancouver's science fiction, fantasy and games convention.
They flew off the shelves.The same thing happened last year.
Now, the Vancouver resident is exhibiting her phenomenally popular 'bots in her first gallery show since 1990.
Fahnestalk has 17 pieces on display at the Port Moody Arts Centre, which will mark the opening of A Rivet of Robots with a reception tomorrow (Thursday).
Fahnestalk- a two-time recipient of the prestigious Canadian Aurora Award for Artistic Achievement - stressed her "3D cartoons" are not toys "but they are whimsical," she said. "What I have found with these 'bots is they they appeal to everybody across the board."
While scavenging, a vendor will inevitably ask what she's digging for and their eyes light up when she tells them the subject matter.
It's at that point they head to their basement or the back of their garage to rummage through leftovers to help with her art project, Fahnestalk said.
And the treasures she uncovers can be magical: A 1950s dome used to heat eggs; a metal shoe tree; old oil cans; a pair of antique silver tongs. These can be converted into feet, a hat or a flying saucer, for example.
An inventory co-ordinator for Raincoast Books, Fahnestalk sells her 'bots for up to $250, depending on their complexity.
All but one in her PMAC show will be for sale. "I want people to buy them and enjoy them," she said.
As for her PMAC exhibit, her artist/writer husband Steve Fahnestalk has made two stop-motion animated films showcasing her 'bots (both can be seen via YouTube).
The opening reception for A Rivet of Robots is on Thursday, May 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Port Moody Arts Centre (2425 St. John's St.). Also launching that night is P. Thomas Wood's Theatre of the Abstruse. The exhibitions run to June 12. The gallery is open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Call 604-931-2008 or visit pomoarts.ca.
