A 40-year-old boat has been transformed into a symbol of sustainability.
Artist Jenny Steele has given new life to a handmade hardwood vessel from the 1980s, turning it into a floating artwork named Charon.
The boat, which was purchased by Ms Steele from its original maker, has been adorned with plant life and recycled textiles, all sourced from Walney Island.
The project involved the collaboration of a diverse group of people from Barrow, ranging in age from 12 to their 70s.
They worked together to create a large woven structure on top of the boat.
The revamped Charon will make its debut on the wildlife pond at Allotment Soup, a community-growing space on Walney Island, on Saturday, September 21.
The mahogany dinghy, hand-built in Lincolnshire around the same time as Ms Steele was born, has been given a new purpose.
The project not only raises awareness about sustainability but also serves as a platform for teaching new skills.
Over two weeks of workshops held at the allotment site, Ms Steele shared her expertise in traditional crafts, weaving and passementerie.
Passementerie is the art of handcrafting trimmings like tassels and fringes for furniture or clothing.
Participants of all ages, including 12-year-old Eli from Walney Island, found joy and accomplishment in learning new skills.
Eli said that he enjoyed learning a new skill.
He said: "It helped me to relax and helped me feel a sense of accomplishment after making things."
Rachael Barker, projects and communication manager at Art Gene, also took part in the workshops.
She said: "It was great to get stuck into something that was quite attention-orientated, starting off easy with tassels and progressing to weaving with a loom, which was quite complex.
"I liked the repetitiveness of the weaving and focusing on one specific task.
"It was great to meet a few new faces too."
In her artistic practice, Ms Steele has been increasingly conscious of sustainability.
She said: " With textiles being the third largest form of landfill, it has become increasingly important for me to use materials that are as sustainable as possible.
"Working as an artist, there is a large amount of waste and damaging carbon footprint when using fabrics, dyes, yarns, and trimmings.
"Most materials required for fabricating artworks are purchased brand new from suppliers, creating further negative impact via packaging and transportation.
"For this project, I have been using locally sourced plants that we have collected ourselves from Allotment Soup on Walney Island.
"The textiles that are being added into the weaving are mostly recycled, discarded or diverted from landfill."
Since 2020, she has been focused on heritage crafts like hand weaving, basket weaving and passementerie.
Before that, her work was largely centred on drawing, painting and printmaking.
Ms Steele moved to Manchester in 2011.
Recent commissions include Textile City for the Museum of Science and Industry (2022), The Joy of Union, MET, Preston City (2022), Our Library of Light, At The Library, Crosby (2019) and The Seafront, Art B&B (2019).
The public can view Charon on Saturday, September 21 from 1pm to 8pm as part of the Outdoor Allotment Soup exhibition.
Allotment Soup is at 110 Mill Lane, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 3XX.
The event is free of charge, but booking is essential.
Please contact rachael.barker@art-gene.co.uk or call 01229 825085 to reserve a place.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here