What is Recycled art?

recycled art

What is recycled Art?

It is Simply taking garbage, junk or items that were or would be allocated to the junk yard/land fills and transforming it, or parts into something original, often functional with the primary purpose of making the item aesthetically pleasing from the artists viewpoint.

How did I get into recycled Art?

Many years ago, living in Wausau Wisconsin every spring the town holds a spring clean up, where citizens simply throw on the curb side everything they no longer want, it is removed by garbage trucks. Beds, mattresses, everything imaginable is thrown on the curb.

I could not drive by the heaps of piles of stuff, without feeling a pit of sadness in my belly. All these things once loved, cherished, purchased for their home now held no meaning. It brought memories of my favorite Christmas tale of the Island of Misfit Toys, I felt for these inanimate objects that were unloved and rejected. It might have been a chair that initially provoked me to jump from my car and rescue it! It was such a nice design , I loved the shape. However when I got this chair home I saw and smelled why the owners may have abandoned it. it was covered in animal hair, smelled horrible , was ripped and torn. What was I going to do with it now that I gave it a new home?

It stayed in my garage over the summer. As every year, as an artist I take my sewing machine, paints and what not during Halloween, my favorite holiday. We decorate our yard to the extreme, in fact we have mad it to a few local newspapers in our day for our elaborate decorations. It suddenly occurred to me that "what the heck, why not try to transform that chair into a "haunted" or 'spooky' chair, what could it hurt? "

I got my tackle box full of medium grade acrylic paints, found some scrap Halloween fabrics and went to work. I thought why cant I paint the chair? It is fabric...approach it like a canvas. After a good brushing to remove the hair and debris, I hot glued or stapled any hanging cloth and went to work. It took the paint marvelously! I drove right in, how could I go wrong, I reasoned. well I couldn't. I had so much fun. Where ever there were tears in the fabric, I simply put spider web fabric over it, it became a patch work of blues, purples and became a witches chair. The smell was gone, the acrylic paints seem to really do a number on horrible smells. I was hooked.

I love recycling chairs, rescuing them and giving them new life. However , I collected far to many
and have a problem in fact. My back yard is filled with chairs. I feel like an old hillbilly. I have had to give up my passion for transforming chairs because of this. they are big , bulky and hard to store. In addition, they are not very conductive to selling on line. During the time my gallery was open , I did sell my chairs...now I have had to abandonment rescuing any more chairs for the dump pile.

Recycled Boxes and Jewelry cases

Find my art HERE

♥LITTLE ESKIMO KITSCH walnut jewelry box

Had such a great time making this box.When I was with my son and his girl frined delivery the sushi table and chair to his dorm room, we went thrifting  and I found several vintage dolls heads including this one. I had been holding on to this precious walnut made in Japan wood box and the colors of the head just seemed a prefect fit. I had no preconceived idea going into this piece, it just happened as most of my work does. It really has that 1970s feel with the fall color pallet I chose.

 

find for sale HERE

I love how her eyes look off to the side!

rabbit fur and vintage leaves

glitter and butterflies, vintage leaf pendant and lace

vintage belt buckel

Antique lace and vintage string beads

Too cute

From funkyfindzonline

 

at etsy.com

Walnut wood vintage jewelry with gold glitter velvet lined drawer has been up cycled into this kitsch funky box. I found this doll half head on the road side, cleaned her up and made her into a Eskimo princess (that is real rabbit fur) with plenty of gaudy plastic jewels, string gold and pearl beads a vintage button and vintage metal enameled leaves.

I added some of my cherished antique handmade lace to the edge with a beautiful vintage tortoise shell belt buckle as a center piece.
Size: 10 x 6 x 6 walnut Himark of Japan vintage jewelry box with internal music box, missing key to wind it up (on side)
See more of this piece of art at my blog

I have recently begun taking my collection of vintage boxes and jewelry cases and recycling them. Many of the leather cases are very worn , scratched, etc, needing quite a bit of TLC.I have used my finest trims, beads and have nearly always added an exquisite vintage button, or jewelry piece accent. Here the pieces of work I currently have for sale.

MAGIC MUSHROOM

rom funkyfindzonline

Magical glitter delights on this wood square box with brass Latch created with papers, lace, sequins, glitter and a great vintage red and rhinestone button that emulates the Amata mushroom. Two fairies hover together looking into the distant space of eternal time. Funky purple and teal foil butterflies and sequin trim line the edges. Inside is charming! long vintage bright blue faux fur is a great contrast to the mirror image on the front. Satin blue ribbon has been added to keep the lid up. Check out the bottom! Beautiful marbleized paper..

size:
9 x 9 1/2 3 1/2 deep

From funkyfindzonline

Vintage original gold larger leather 1960s jewelry case has been transformed into a fairy delight with lace vintage buttons , bling and other found objects including lovely vintage buttons. On the left hand side a vintage plastic flower with crystal center bracelet is added with a touch of gold rabbit fur. Outlined in Brilliant blue glass beads with center tassels.

Size
13 x 8 x 5
Bottom has original velvet covering.
inside opens up and is lined in soft gold stain with a snow flake design. Gold velvet sections are in good shape I have not altered it at all. Front latch is working good and secures tightly.

I love doing jewelry boxes, they are so special and I day dream of what will go into them. I take allot of time with these and find that they can take as long or even longer than a suitcase. I apply allot of trims and special items to them. Many of these trims are costly or very unusual , rare, such as the cute vintage four leaf cover button I have applied on the top.

From funkyfindzonline

VICTORIAN OLD MAN SANTA Christmas card storage box made from an old oak silverware box was transformed for the holidays with Victorian recreated acid free papers, antique lace, images of AN OLD MAN WITH FLOWING WHITE HAIR ARE APPLIED ON THE FRONT. Die cut images OF POINSETTIAS, Holly , AMARYLLIS and Christmas trees. I applied acrylic paints, glitter to incorporate the design. Inside is also finished.

This sweet box is prefect to store, after the festivity's of Christmas your hand made felt ornaments or your favorite Christmas cards.

This box made it to this wonderful treasury OLD MAN WINTER

From funkyfindzonline

vintage cigar box has been altered into a purse with black plastic round handle with brass hardware. I found this box with a few pieces on it already, the all mine and a couple beads. i added the back,sides and much more detail on the front. the women is from an ERTE work. I used several vintage broken clip on earrings. The inside has a round mirror and the bottom is finished with burlap and trim, I have used it to store my art pencils. hand written paper says "mine all mine"!

From funkyfindzonline

This vintatge metal cash box has been transformed and created for artists who do craft shows and would like to keep their spare change or extra cash in sytle. Created from play money. vintage trims, faux fur, vintage buttons and papers the top reads ' she could hardly wait to be back in the saddle again" the original tag BUDDY PRODUCTS rated the Best , Chicago Illinois is on the box, lots of holographic glitter has been applied. The inside is too much fun a fun lady with button eyes says" she would get even" For what? her buttons eyes? Finished off with vintage faux cat print fur and metallic silver floral paper.

Get noticed at your next show with this great cash box

Size
10 x 8 1/2 x 2

From funkyfindzonline

Luscious maroon leather vintage jewelry box has been transformed by artist C. Reinke with botanical print papers, vintage trim, buttons , glitter and cord. Made new this box was worn out with scratches and what not, now it can rest proudly on your dresser or makeup table. Inside is finished off with sparkling glitters and moon women image. and 1920s vintage geometric hand woven trim.

I have used 4 adorable vintage buttons , one Bakelite flower that rests under the brass latch (this case opens to the left)An art deco Lucite button with brass flower is on center back.

The trim is vintage 20s hand woven geo , it is yummy!

Size 10 x 7 x 3 1/2 (deep)

I have wanted to do vintage jewelry boxes for quite some time and began at last. This one was very nice leather but it was worn in many places and had lost its luster. I love how it turned out.

I used an image from an art book that worked so nicely with the leather, found this big vintage button that brought out the salmon tone in the image and these great acorn looking buttons plus belt buckle accents.

I gold foiled the lower part of the case which gave it an animal print feel.

the inside is lined with soft gold rabbit fur while the removable tray has its long necklace section lined with a rabbit piece. The inside top cover has quality super soft faux fur leopard print.

This case is traveling went with me to an art show for the weekend to Eureka Springs
Arkansas!