TGIF

TGIF: Think Green, It's Friday!


Yay! TGIF! I love Fridays more than ever before...

Fridays I will post something to do with the green theme, with a special focus on green + art. I also post finds to do with the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), new policies in government or industry, eco-friendly appliances and vehicles... anything green!

Totally awesome idea! 1972 children's science textbook birthday cards from cutiepiecompany

I think recycling and reusing goes hand in hand with the 'arts and crafts', and this week I would like to focus on the theme.

From collages to clothing to cards, many forms of expression and art have naturally picked up pieces for use in a project. Sometimes an old material is even the basis of a project. Not to mention the economy of using unwanted materials - get rid of something and make something new at the same time!

My "saved from the recycling" crane collection--I try to make one every day out of usable parts of paper going to the bin.

Used or old materials also have a history to them. For almost every artist, the "story" factor is what will make a sale, and humans are natural storytellers. Show someone a stunning work of art and they will be awed, their emotions stirred. Tell them how it fits in your life story, the background, your inspiration, the quirks and coincidences that shaped it, and your potential buyer is connecting to you. Which also means connecting to your art.

Using materials you went to the store to buy is normal; rescuing materials from the jaws of the dumpster, helping humanity fight to save her planet, is extraordinary.

Reusable cloth bags from zJayne's etsy

Another reason crafts and reusing are a lovely pair is that leftover materials are more unusual. This is especially true of items out of circulation for some time, or things that had trouble selling because they had a fringe audience (so no one knows about them).


And a final symptom of craft + reuse = awesome is that materials are put to use in such a different way than their creator intended them. Normally, plants grow and produce more plants; clothing is meant to be worn on the body; maps are made to instruct the reader of terrain; books are usually read. The artist is so named because they can look at these items, imagine a completely different application, and create the finished product. Suddenly, collages induce dreamy landscapes from fronds of plants, books become purses (here), maps become chess sets, and much much more.