Like many duct tape crafters, Kerry Mott started using the sticky fix-it to make handbags in high school. Eventually the bags became more and more elaborate and she started wondering if that everyday fuse could be elevated into a “tactile medium for art.” 

Mott developed a style she describes as “duct tape pointillism.” “I carefully cut very small pieces of duct tape and layer them on top and alongside each other until they form a greater, recognizable whole,” she explains. “It’s quite a time-consuming — sometimes hundreds of hours per piece — and delicate process, but yields stunning results.” Those results are getting a lot of recognition in The Craftys Awards, with several of the artist's works nominated in the Duct Tape category.

Part of what draws her to working with duct tape is the tactile nature of the material. She also likes using a traditional household item in a non-traditional way. Perhaps this innovative approach could only come from someone who wasn’t trained as an artist. Mott, from Gettysburg, PA, studied neuroscience and behavior at Mount Holyoke College. 

 “Clearly not art,” she notes. “But while I strongly considered Medical School, my heart was elsewhere.” Soon after graduation, she began making and selling her duct tape work.