Art,  England,  Lens-Artists,  Washington State

Creativity meets eccentricity

June 29, 2025 / 52 Comments

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and the pupil are located in the same individual.

Arthur Koestler

I like to find an apposite quotation to open some of my posts; today I was spoiled for choice! Very many people have had their say about what constitutes creativity. Most focus on a degree of rule-breaking and risk-taking:

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.

Ed Bono

The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.

Pablo Picasso

This week Ann-Christine introduces a new Lens Artists challenge series, looking back at past themes, starting with Creativity. Her original challenge on this theme was posted in April 2019, more than a year before I started blogging, so this is a great opportunity for me to catch up.

In the spirit of looking back, I want to share some of the creative people I’ve featured in earlier posts, bringing examples of their fascinating and unusual work together into this single post.

Recycled Spirits of Iron

Dan Klennert is on a one-man crusade against today’s throwaway society, creating beauty out of objects others have rejected. He works with junk metal and driftwood to create amazing and fantastical sculptures. We visited his sculpture park, Ex Nihilo, in Washington State (near Mount Rainier National Park). It’s a treasure trove of amazing pieces. He calls his creations ‘Recycled Spirits of Iron’.

Since our visit Dan has moved away from the area and a new artist, Jay Bechtold, has taken up residence. He is now adding to the gallery that Dan first created in his garden, with a similar style and approach. I read that the pair hope to collaborate on a future piece together, a 60-foot seahorse. That I would love to see!

Shanti Arts

Some may consider Dan a little eccentric. Certainly Tom Newstead (in my featured photo) could fit that description. He hails from the coastal town of Seaton Sluice in north east England, and has returned there after travelling the world to set up a wood-carving studio in an old shed. His creations may not be to everyone’s taste, perhaps. But in the right setting (out of doors, informal) they have a certain appeal.  

On one of our visits to Seaton Sluice we were fortunate enough to meet Tom, who was at work just outside his shed, and enjoyed chatting with him for a while. An interesting man, he trained as a boat builder, before joining the Merchant Navy as a carpenter. The enabled him to travel the world, finding inspiration for his art. After leaving the navy he continued to travel, working in various places: building boats in Bermuda, teaching yoga in India. Back home he took up violin lessons and, unable to pay his teacher, instead made him a violin and case from silver birch wood. In doing this he rediscovered his love of art and now spends his time here carving his idiosyncratic creations.

The Chewing Gum Man

And here’s another rather eccentric and definitely creative artist, Ben Wilson, aka the Chewing Gum Man. While he has produced many other artworks, it is his minute and detailed creations on discarded blobs of chewing gum that have brought him fame. And one of the best places to see them is on London’s Millennium Bridge.

Ben’s technique involves using a blowtorch to harden the gum, before applying layers of acrylic paint and lacquer to create these miniature works of art waiting to be discovered under our feet. By painting only on to the gum he ensures that his work can’t be regarded as vandalism. No public property is damaged through his intervention; it is the original discarder of the gum who is the vandal.

There are many other creative people I could have included, some shared previously and others yet to be featured. But there’s a sense of fun about all three of these artists that is hard to resist, whatever you make of their creations. And we could all use an extra dose of fun right now!

I have shared just a few favourite pieces by each artist, so do visit my original posts (all linked above) if you’d like to see, and read, more.

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