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'It Takes A Changing Tide': Hull Artist Turns Trash Found On Hull Beaches Into Art

BOSTON (CBS) – Look closely at Jackie Ranney's artwork, and you'll see all kinds of things.

"Packaging material, screen door, bottle caps, I have a cone, plastic bottles," Ranney said, to name a few.

She says she never has trouble finding materials, which in this case, is not a good thing.

"In every painting I use so many bags of trash. Probably five or six big plastic trash bags that I haul off the beach," said Ranney.

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Jackie Ranney picks up trash for art projects. (WBZ-TV)

Jackie and her family moved to Hull in 2017. A lifelong artist, she immediately thought of ways to turn the trash that was washing ashore on nearby beaches into treasure.

"One day I saw a piece of trash and I think it was blue dock foam and it looked so beautiful once I took it off the beach and it wasn't trash anymore," she said.

In addition to the trash she collects, she tries to use all recycled materials and items that would otherwise be thrown out.

"I wanted to be able to combine my passion with protecting the environment and my advocacy for the oceans into my artwork," said Ranney.

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Jackie Ranney's art is made with trash she finds. (WBZ-TV)

She goes for a walk on the beach near her house in Hull almost every day, and always finds some litter. She hopes by incorporating that trash into her artwork, she can send a powerful message in the process.

"We can all do things as individuals. We're not powerless to make better choices about our single use plastic, we're not powerless to clean up the beach," said Ranney, adding, "it takes a movement. It takes a changing tide. And that's what I want to pass on to people."

For more on Ranney's artwork, visit her website.

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