A student at the Haliburton School of Fine Art, Lorraine Thayer has made nail polish an integral part of her artistic creations. “I use nail polish because of the absolutely beautiful colors and brilliant shine of the product,” says the Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada-based artist who uses the polish to decorate her small sculptures of cupcakes, sundaes, and ice cream cups.

“The visual pleasure of nail color is one of the reasons I use it in my artwork,” says Thayer. “I also simply enjoy applying nail polish. I like the glide of the liquid as it glazes the surface it is applied to, whether it is a fingernail, plaster, or glass. I like the smell of the polish. I like the sound of the little metal bead in the bottle. I even like the bottles themselves.” Plus, the experience of working with polish brings back fond memories of painting her nails with girlfriends as a teenager. “We were women, albeit very young ones, and coloring our nails was a rite of passage for us,” she says.

— Judy