Inspiration

I have always been a big proponent of 'Don't Use It Lose It' in regards to my body but for some reason forgot about my mind.  Ha.  I am not saying I stopped learning okay maybe a little or not absorbing as much knowledge as I could in different aspects of my life.  Example I would say I am not a writer, even a bad writer.  Well I am, only because I have labeled myself that way and didn't try to change that.  So here it is, me changing.  I am going to learn to write better.

http://saskiapouwels.nl/index.php?project=project6

I am beginning with snagging text for projects.  I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from TACA called the Master Artist Apprentice Program.  It is so awesome in so many ways but number one way is getting to know my Master (yes I call her Master or Master in Commander)  Nance Cooley.  The text snagging is my homework with Nance.  She keeps and has encouraged me to keep workbooks of images and text, letting the ideas spill out on paper unedited.  Letting the ideas come, showing up everyday doing the work then being able to look back and see themes and ideas develop.

Life is full of surprises and we have to look out for them and appreciate them.  Learn to appreciate the little nuances that make life grand.  I have a few people on the out skits of my life that seem depressed and stuck in old depilating patterns.  I want to help but know that is not possible.  All I can say is change is inevitable.  Learn something new and challenge yourself.

 I am fascinated with learning more about Artist Joseph Beuys.  I love the spirit of his political art activism, his quotes or slogans still ring true today "Unity in Diversity" and "We do not need all that we are meant to buy today to satisfy profit-based private capitalism." Or this one is super awesome "Art that can not shape society and therefore also can not penetrate the heart questions of society, (and) in the end influence the question of capital, in not art."

Reading and studying Goya's War: Loa Desastres De La Guerra.  "One must be horrified by what one sees"  Looking for text and ways to talk about consumerism and excess better.  "…we should be horrified.  We should not just find this horrible we should be horrified.  We should protest, we should deplore.  We should take a moral position." (Susan Sontag- Regarding the Pain of Others)

Fine Artist + REmake

This is a new series highlighting the amazing work of Fine Artists around the world that explore materials in a sustainable and thought provoking way.  Many showing how art can play a role in environmental change.

Ackroyd & Harvey

"Sculpture, photography, architecture, and biology are some of the disciplines that intersect in Ackroyd & Harvey’s work, revealing an intrinsic bias towards process and event and often reflecting urban political ecologies by highlighting the temporal nature of processes of growth and decay in sites of architectural interest as well as contemporary art galleries and museums worldwide." (http://www.ackroydandharvey.com/biography/)

The exploration of new material, space and questioning of society is intriguing in their work.  Chlorophyll grass images to growing crystals on skeletal systems the team pushes the boundaries of art making, using science and new discoveries to confront the viewer.

Go to their website for more artwork and information.

Art Art Art

As an artist I was confused.  I didn't want to make more stuff.  I wanted to inspire change.  Reuse was my way to make sense of my art.  I love the possibilities of sourcing material, experimenting with new surfaces, manipulating found objects.

Please look for ways to add reuse to your art and life.  We have lots of stuff.  We have to stop pretending we live in a disposable society.

Buy REuse art here!

Only a few more days...

till the New Year!  I love making goals and this year is about DREAMING BIG!  Number one goal, Dream Big (but of course the environment is number one with each and every goal, list, thought and dream.)

  Thank you air for breath, earth for abundance, water for life.

Make Wrapping Paper

Ways to help out and Reuse this holiday season.  One way is the wrapping paper.  Yep! make that wrapping paper because it is so much cooler to give with style, oh and fun!

I made mine with very fluid leftover dye, any water based paint will do, or stamps or whatever has color.  Any paper will do, newspaper or tissue paper will work.  Look for packaging material, what do you have laying around or what is available to be used.  Look in recycling containers, source printers ( I got my paper from one, Thanks Twyla! It is the disposable paper in-between printer plates, score! very similar feel to tracing parchment paper).  Begin looking around you for excess in paper.  Once you start looking it comes to you, definite learned that this year.

I had fun with the brush stokes loose and free, playing around with christmas trees, stars and circles.  I stuck to three colors to make it manageable and not to over complicate things.  The colors being sort of a theme in themselves.  

Here are some different examples of way to make wrapping paper from Morning Creativity and a more natural approach here.  One of my favorite homemade papers came from my sisters family years ago.  Little girl hand prints turned into trees.  I still have it and plan on reincorporating it into a gift back.  

Below is me playing around with pattern and design with the wrapping paper. 

Remember to REcycle this holiday season!

Credit Card Paintings

I had been collecting plastic cards for a while before a student put this idea in my head.  Mini paintings on credit cards.  I had used them for smearing and glueing, they were sort of piling up.  I slapped a layer of gesso on them and went to town with left over paint any chance I got.  Here are some that I thought turned more successful than others.  I might have 30 going on.  I have even done a kids class at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center painting on credit cards, fun!   

Anti-Holiday Guide

Oh My! a lot of holiday guides out there.  Here is one not centered on buying but Reuse.  Not as much a guide as ideas.


We are decorating right.  First we need a tree.

Lots of things around the house to make a tree right?  Books, wine corks, cardboard, a little imagination and the help of the internet
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Find the instructions of how to make the box tree at top here.  Or the lighted cardboard here.  Found this beautiful blog with the plywood tree, you could easily make out of cardboard and paint fun colors.  Never buy cardboard new, you can always find it used and in perfect condition with a little research.

Maybe we need an advent calendar

Both of these would be easy and fun to make.   I like the rustic look of the one with sticks and bags.  Replace the bags with things found around the house, scrapes of fun fabric or paper bundles.  And you can't forget the toilet paper at holiday time.  The toilet paper advent calendar comes from Morning Creativity, all kinds of ideas and tutorials.


You could gift an advent calendar or wreath to help get those you love get in the holiday spirt. Making it all from reuse will also show them how much you care about the world around them and the air they breath.  Wreath ideas include plastic bags and toilet paper rolls ( hope you have been saving up).

Yep make em a wreath or ornaments or menorah!  All out of reuse, find these things around the house.

The cute igloo comes from Rust and Sunshine, this was day 7 of 12 days of ornaments so more ideas to look through.  The heart house ornament is one of my favorites, I keep meaning to make it from old holiday cards I have been collecting.  Glitter menorah what more can I say!

Stay tuned for more holiday REuse!