Art – By Gum! (Sep, 1953)

Art – By Gum!

MRS. Faye Garriott of Gardena, California, has chewing gum all over her walls but she doesn’t mind. She put it there herself. She makes gum pictures.

She began using gum some 25 years ago to patch furniture and picture frames by molding it to fill chipped surfaces. Then she began making pictures themselves.

The drawings are penciled on a canvas or straw mat. The gum then is melted in warm water, kneaded to the consistency of taffy, rolled into long strands and wound upon the drawing. Details like eyebrows are made separately and pushed into place, then worked over with an orangewood stick, her basic tool. When firm, the sculptured gum is painted, framed and hung.

Oh yes, Mrs. Garriott chews gum, too!