Things you might find in an odds-and-ends drawer or in Grandma’s sewing basket are given new life by Sarah Beth Woods’ artwork.

Woods is a senior painting/art major originally from Milwaukee, Wisc., but grew up in Wheaton. NIU is her fourth college. She previously had an apprenticeship in San Francisco working with Winston Smith, who worked for the Dead Kennedys.

Her favorite media include mixed media and paint. Through her artwork, she tries to reinvent the way certain types of art are viewed.

Her influences include Margaret Kilgallen, Kerry James Marshall, Clayton Brothers, James Turrell, her mother and grandmother. She is also heavily influenced by musicians and her friends.

“My work deals with the idea of domesticity and ways of transforming things that are/were traditionally used by women in ways that were considered ‘low’ or simply not art,” Woods said.

By using antique lace and bric-a-brac in her pieces, she incorporates family history into her art.

In her free time, Woods loves walking her dog, Chato, eating with her friends, and rummaging through old things – a trait she inherited from her mother. Woods also has a penchant for old cars and antiquing.

Woods plans to move to the west coast after graduation to get involved with that area’s art scene. Woods plans on making her passion into her career and doesn’t see any way she can avoid it.

“People shouldn’t be so afraid to express themselves in a creative way,” Woods said.

Woods’ work can be seen in her studio in the Art Building, Room 413.