Local Artist Gives the Tin Man a Heart—One Piece of Junk at a Time
Kylee Covili Breathes New Life into the Forgotten
In a world overflowing with forgotten trinkets and discarded scraps, Lyons-based artist Kylee Covili sees more than junk—she sees potential.
Through her assemblage artwork, Covili transforms the overlooked and undervalued into visual kaleidoscopes of symmetry and order, shape and texture.
With a passion for stuff, Colvili breathes new life into the bits and bobs others have left behind, crafting bursting pieces that celebrate both the beauty of decay and the artistry of renewal.
“I realized when I started making artwork in this fashion that my studio had to have some form of order and organization. Otherwise, it would look like an episode of Hoarders,” Covili joked. “It’s pretty well organized by material—funky metal stuff in one area, wood scraps in another. I try to keep it contained.”
Covili’s medium of choice is primarily found-object assemblage, a process that requires equal parts patience and intuition.
“My pieces take a lot of time, often, to come together, because I use so many different materials,” Covili explained. “When I start a project, I might not necessarily have everything that’s going to be part of the finished piece. So, they often evolve over time. I’ll have artwork sitting in my studio, on my worktable, or on the floor somewhere, for months in a work-in-progress state. It’s really just about knowing when it’s done—I just know.”
Deadlines can sometimes accelerate the process, but when working purely for the sake of creation, Covili allows her projects to unfold organically.
“When I have the luxury of just creating for creation’s sake, I tend to let that go a little bit longer. It’s really just when I say it’s done, it’s done,” Covili said.
A lifelong artist, Covili studied art at the University of Memphis, though she did not complete her art degree.
“I ended up finishing school in a completely different direction, but I’ve always created in some form or fashion on the side. I didn’t really get into assemblage until probably six or seven years ago. When I did, I fell in love with it,” Covili said.
Her love for objects has always been a driving force. Covili used to have a booth at a vintage store, selling flea market finds and quirky antiques.
“I would find myself drawn to random objects, even pieces of objects that didn’t have a purpose anymore. At that time, I wasn’t making art with them, but I was collecting them because I thought they were cool. When I started making assemblages, it all clicked,” Covili said.
Covili sources her materials from an eclectic mix of flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, and junk shops. But her most interesting finds often come from people who know her work.
“I get a lot of material from people cleaning out garages or attics. They’ll say, ‘You probably don’t want this,’ and my answer is usually, ‘Oh, I definitely do!’” Covili smiled. “I don’t always know what I’m going to do with it, but I know it has a cool look or texture. That’s how I amass a lot of my material.”
Covili’s meticulous process and eye for detail allow her to bring out the underlying beauty in the discarded. Her work reminds the mind that even the most overlooked items can be transformed into something pleasantly visual, resonant, and undeniably individualistic.
“It’s kind of been a newer thing that I’ve gotten into the past few years, and I’m really trying to kind of almost marry the two mediums,” Covili said, reflecting on her recent exploration of combining encaustic techniques with her assemblage work. “With encaustic, you can do some really cool stuff with embedding objects into the melted wax while it’s still in a soft, liquid state. I’ve been experimenting with that a little bit.”
Covili’s artistic journey has also included years of jewelry-making, which she describes as requiring similar skills of assembly.
“It’s not so much in the form of found-object assemblage, but there’s still assembly required when you make jewelry. It’s kind of in the same spirit,” Covili noted.
Covili’s love for old objects has been a constant source of inspiration.
“I specifically like old objects. I like the idea that there are these objects that have existed in the world for a really long period,” Covili explained. “At some point, they probably had a different life and a different purpose. By the time I get them, they’re often past the point of their intended purpose. Maybe it’s a broken chair someone was throwing out because it doesn’t function as a chair anymore, but it has really cool wooden legs I can use in a piece of work. I like taking objects out of their normal context and reimagining them in a completely different way.”
Covili’s assemblages reveal her respect for the history of the objects she incorporates.
“I like things that are weathered, that show their age, that have patina,” Covili said. “You can tell they were used, that they were loved, and that they have some previous story you’ll never fully know, but you can imagine. When I’m working, I often think about who owned this, where they lived, and how long they had it. It’s fascinating.”
Covili’s assembly process can be as meticulous as it is creative.
“My assembly uses a lot of different techniques. I try to limit the amount of glue or cement I use,” Covili said. “I wire things together, screw them, nail them, sew them—but I try to avoid glue as much as I can. Sometimes it’s like solving a puzzle, figuring out how to assemble everything together in a way that hides the construction. If you look at the back of one of my pieces, you’ll see screws coming from the back forward, but the front remains seamless.”
This attention to detail often leads the eye of the viewer to unexpected discoveries.
“Most people are initially drawn to my work because it has a pleasing composition,” Covili explained. “But when they look closer, they realize it’s made with objects they recognize. That moment of recognition often draws them in deeper, as they start looking all around and noticing the materials.”
Though her work focuses on composition, Covili lets the objects themselves tell the story.
“I focus more on the composition, color, and shape. I let the objects tell the story rather than trying to give the work a really deep meaning,” Covili said. “It’s about looking beyond the obvious intended purpose of things. A chair isn’t just a chair. An old kitchen utensil isn’t just a funky spoon—it has an interesting color, shape, and markings that hint at its history.”
Covili’s recent exhibition “Relics Reimagined” at the Firehouse Art Center in November 2024 showcased her ability to reimagine relics of the past. Her intention was to showcase old objects in a new light with 17 pieces on display, ranging widely in size, from 6x6 inches to 30x30 inches. Each piece was made within the past two years and explored the idea of taking objects from a previous era and reimagining them differently.
“I hope they can see the beauty in everyday objects, not just in my work but in their day-to-day lives. Appreciate objects for their interesting colors, textures, and the idea that these items have a story. Giving these objects a second life allows them to shine and be appreciated in a new way,” Covili said.
Covili’s artistic journey continues to evolve, showcasing her talent in a variety of galleries and local artistic communities.
“Being part of the Firehouse as an artist member there has been huge—it’s been a great support system in networking and making friends with other artists in the area at all different stages of their artist career. So that’s been really awesome. The same with the Longmont Artists Guild,” Covili said.
In addition to her involvement with these organizations, Covili also serves as a board member at Art Parts Creative Reuse Center in Boulder.
“That’s actually another thing that really helps jumpstart my interest in making assemblage art because I volunteered there pre-COVID for a while, and Art Parts is a really awesome resource for unconventional art materials,” Covili said.
“They just always have, like, the coolest, funkiest stuff come through, and being in that environment is really inspiring. All sorts of creative people around me, and creative energy kind of helps inspire you to do your own thing,” Covili said. “It’s an awesome place.”
