By Chris Cornford
A mosaic artwork of a butterfly, containing more than 1,000 pieces, has been created by an autistic Totland man.
James Burroughs, 28, has spent the last five months making the work during his weekly sessions at Kingfishers Arts and Crafts in Freshwater Bay, which is run by Boris Moscoff.
James has attended the sessions with Boris since 2011 and explained: “Originally, I used to visit Haylands Farm where I helped with the animals, and collected eggs and did some planting, but I found it too noisy for me and didn’t really enjoy it. So, with Tracey Horton, my personal assistant, we decided to try somewhere quieter.”
James started attending sessions at Seahorses in Victoria Road, which Boris ran for 20 years before he moved up the road to start Kingfishers. Over the years, he has tried his hand at a variety of arts including painting.
Tracey said: “James is meticulous and very particular when he is making something, so this really suited his needs. He chose the butterfly so it’s something he can put it in his garden and see it from his window.”
As for his next project, James added: “I’m very pleased with the way this has worked out. I will probably work on something with fused glass over the next few weeks, so it is ready in time for Christmas.”
Boris said: “It’s an incredible effort by James and I’m very proud of him.”
For more information on Boris’ courses email: seahorsesiow@gmail.com.
Press Release