A college lecturer has found unexpected success turning discarded drinks cans into portraits of pop culture icons
Mark Haining, 43, from Alexandria, began using aluminium cans to create artwork when he grew frustrated by the amount of classroom litter left behind by students
What started as a creative experiment has now grown into a fully-fledged art business called markyboyart.com, with prints of his work proving popular and a debut exhibition on the horizon
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Mark, a horticulture lecturer technician at Ayr College, said: “The best ideas are often created by necessity, and this is one of those occasions
“I never set out to do something creative with a bunch of old ginger cans
“One minute I was moaning about the litter in my classroom and now I have built a whole new career out of it
“I’m just taking each day as it comes, seeing what colours land on my workbench, and trying to enjoy the ride.”
The idea took shape during lockdown, when Mark began experimenting with materials at home
At the urging of his wife Laura, who grew tired of the clutter on the kitchen table, he converted their garden shed into a studio
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He said: “Somebody gave me a big plywood board and I just started thinking, what about stapling, and I began to do that
“Then I saw Monster cans and Rockstar cans, and all these colourful things in the classroom, and I thought ‘that’s a waste of them going in the bins.'”
Using cans of Irn Bru, Fanta, Coke and Sprite, Mark cuts strips of aluminium to create portraits of figures like Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Debbie Harry and Dolly Parton
His practice of making works of art from things that people leave behind has earned him the nickname “Womble” from students
After approaching the Scottish Design Exchange (SDX) for support, Mark secured a spot at their Glasgow store, where prints of his work are now among the most popular items sold at the SDX’s Sauchiehall Street branch
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He is set to exhibit 10 original works next month at the Burgh Yard in Helensburgh
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Che Guevara (Image: SDX)
Mark said: “I use lots of different brands, it just depends on what kind of colours I need
“As well as doing portraits of icons, I have also started to do cartoon characters, including Snoopy, Betty Boop and Kermit the Frog
“I would like to go down that route because I don’t see anybody else doing it
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“People keep saying to me they have never seen anything like it before, so I think I have hit on something truly original.”
Mark’s unusual sideline has also caught the attention of his students
He said: “They come in and say, ‘What did you do this weekend?’
“So that’s what I do – I work six, seven days a week usually.”
Lynzi Leroy, chief executive of SDX, said Mark’s creativity and entrepreneurialism were the sort of qualities that SDX was established to identify, nurture and support
She said: “He saw waste, saw possibility, and built an entirely original practice from sheer ingenuity and determination
“Mark’s work has found a dedicated audience, not just because it is visually stunning – it also tells a story of reinvention, resilience, and authentic Scottish grit.”
