I originally became interested in creating art using Stanley blades over twenty years ago whilst visiting our fitters on site who used hundreds of blades every week to cut materials for their work. They very kindly saved the old blades for me to use. 
Laid flat, they can be interlocked and used to create some interesting patterns and designs. Later on, i started to use the blades 'standing up' to give a more interesting three dimensional feel to the piece. It's a painstaking slow process where each individual blade is propped up at the required angle whilst the adhesive sets. 
The three dimensional pieces are set onto the back board of box frames which has been painted before assembly of the design. 
For some designs, the blades are painted and varnished depending on the theme of the design. 
A few years ago, i started using Cornish slate in my work. The stone is Devonian slate which has come away in cliff falls over the years. This stone can be broken up and fragmented quite easily to give me smaller useable pieces that i can put together in the same way as the three dimensional stanley blade pieces. Again, i may paint and varnish the stone before assembly depending on the theme. I try however to keep the stone as natural looking as possible as some of the Devonian slate has some beautiful natural colours including green purple and red hues. 
I also use Yorkshire stone that was acquired from our basement conversion. The stone was originally used as laundry or food preparation blocks and was part of the cellar for over a hundred years. 
Again, the art work using stone is set onto the back board of the box frame. 
I also create acrylic on canvas abstract art, (see gallery) and occasionally use stone fragments within the work to create depth and texture. 

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