Jess Liddy, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

And Moonta Bay’s Bev Dry sees beauty in almost everything and anything in order to create magical pieces of artwork. 

From searching the region’s beaches and landscapes for natural fibres such as seaweed, shells and grasses, to picking up knick-knacks in second-hand shops, Mrs Dry has a vision when it comes to her art that she likes to call “perfectly imperfect”. 

“I’m constantly scanning the environment wherever I go,” she says. 

“I definitely began my art journey with a focus on acrylic painting, but as of late, I have really delved into natural fibres and the repurposing of things I find. 

“I think there is such beauty in the imperfect, and what we can create just using foraged finds from the environment, which is where I draw so much of my inspiration from. 

“Things like grasses and snotty gobble, which is a golden dodder that grows from trees around the area, are all very inspiring.” 

She says she never really has a set idea of what she is looking for, but when she’s out and about and picks something up, she starts to get ideas on how to use it in certain and unique ways. 

“I may not use them straight away, it maybe months or years later before I even look at them again,” she says. 

To add to her list of repurposing feats, Mrs Dry has recently begun drying tea bags to dabble in papier maché and making her own paint from clay sourced from the region. 

“I’ve found beautiful clay from the cliffs at Simms Cove in Moonta Bay, Moonta Mines and Balgowan,” she says. 

“I grind the clay down, adding seawater and use a binding agent. 

“To see the colours they create is magnificent.” 

Mrs Dry’s creations are all one-of-a-kind pieces. 

“I love to make big statement pieces, try new things, experiment. 

“It’s all trial and error but I love the challenge,” she says. 

She says she finds it hard to put a price tag on “art you pour your heart and soul into”. 

Mrs Dry has always had an artistic flare, for which she thanks her dad, a talented person who could do just about anything. 

“Art was my favourite subject in school and I credit a lot of my love for it to my teacher Marie Parsons at Minlaton,” she says. 

“As life went on my art took a back seat, I took a few workshops here and there, but I have really reignited that passion since retiring and opening Salty Art Studio from my house. 

“I’ve always wanted to have my own space to showcase what I do. 

“It’s been challenging, but a dream come true at the same time.” 

Follow Salty Art Studio on Instagram to see Bev’s work and her studio opening times.

This article appeared in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 9 July 2024.