Environmentally-Conscious - ART -

Today is Blog Action Day, and the topic is the environment. And of course, the environmental topic influences my aRt. How? I have made a commitment in my personal and my professional life to begin reusing as many materials as possible. It seems that so many people dispose of materials that can be used for art projects, creative crafts, or everyday activities. It's easy to reuse all of the junk mail that gets shipped to us today, so why toss it all? I understand that it's a bit challenging to keep stashes long enough to reuse it all, but that's part of the fun! If we didn't receive so much junk and toss so many functional materials, our environment would be in a much better state. Sure. It takes a lot more effort and sometimes more time, but if we get to enjoy each season a little longer every year, it's definitely worth all this extra effort.



This is the primary reason I created the Scribbles--Sketches series. With this series, I feel like I've been able to take something meaningless and turn it into something much more meaningful. I came up with the concept for this series while I was working in a pen store where we disposed of most of the paper that others had scribbled on. Each and every day, I spent quite a bit of time testing the pens to ensure that they were in working order and each time I began scribbling, I would see something new appear. When I began adding markers to these sketches, I realized that I had completed something new. Thus, Scribbles--Sketches was born. Within just a year, I have completed well over ninety Scribbles--Sketches, and there are many more that I've begun. The very first original drawing that I completed in this series is shown below. It's entitled "Red Carpet Party with a Light Bulb in a Bird Cage" and is currently unsold. It has been on display in Espresso Royale in downtown Boston and is currently on display at Tulips in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.



The image below displays what the Scribbles--Sketches look like when matted and framed. These particular drawings have been sold and are part of Henrik and Marika Akerman's permanent collection. They are on display in their home in Sweden, alongside one of my early paintings.



Aside from my Scribbles--Sketches series, I have also begun using mostly recycled materials for all of my artwork. This change has definitely complicated the creative process, yet it has enabled me to explore new avenues. Oftentimes, it takes twice as long to prepare the materials, since they may have been abused or used. And other times, creative ideas are spawned from the materials themselves. Of course, there are always failed experiments and less quality pieces that I may or may not share with the public. These challenges are mostly what drive me to use the materials that I have chosen today. I feel like I have begun hand-crafting and salvaging materials that others may have tossed in the trash. Now, they are works of art!

The pieces below were created using scraps of wood that I found in someone's trash in Cambridge, MA. It appeared that this family must have been gutting their house, and I happened upon the bounty. Now, these bits of trash have been remade into two paintings, which will soon be a part of a show called Ozspirations.





So, do your part and create something new using something old!