Recycle is a foreign word

Today in class our professor was talking about "green" issues. We discussed how they can improve the bottom line for the company. How they can help to generate good press for companies. Even when most people only have a marginal interest in environmental issues, seeing that a company is green will create a positive mental image for most people.

"How many people will only buy from green company?"

We all sat there questioning ourselves. No matter how green I say I am, I'm not that stringent.

"Who doesn't care?"

One hand shot up.

I looked at my classmate thinking this thru. This classmate always donates recyclable "trash" to my bucket. He might not care about recycling, but when I made it really easy for him to recycle, he does.

As I left class another classmate asked me if I had enough in my bucket. I smiled, saying I always want more.

"So what you're saying is you want us to waste more?"

"It's not waste! It's recyclable stuff!"

"But it's our waste."

"For me, it's my resources as an artist." This art project is governed by what "trash" I manage to collect.

What is waste to one person, is a precious resource to another person.

Recycling is a foreign word to most people. Waste is waste. It's a left over that needs to be thrown away and cleaned up. But when its easy, even people who could care less will recycle.

Believe it or not, this is actually an English Calligraphy Script. It will be part of my next art piece.

One art piece completed!

I'm so happy! I've got this piece completed. And it looks really good. Now all I need to do is get it framed.

I would be even happier, but I discovered that I had flipped the image! That's what I get for taking a picture! The solid and white sides of the star should be flipped. If I had the time, I would redo the image. But I don't. The piece is due in April. And I've got at least one other image that I want to do for this contest.

I love the rich colors! The blues and oranges are so bright and vibrant. That is the one thing I love about advertising, they always use such rich colors.

The end is in sight!

Tonight I got even closer to being done. The yellow is hard to glue. It is small percise lines of yellow/orange that make the star. It's not like the blue that covers huge swaths of territory. I had so much glue on my fingers tonight that I had to stop to simply clean my fingers.

But the blue is finished! And only the yellow/orange remains. I love the way it looks.

Adding color

I've begun the process of adding color to UTA's logo. This is the first time I've worked with truly mixed media for a collage project. I had to buy new glue. Elmers simply won't hold cut up allumin soda cans to paper! And I have no clue what sticking power Elmers would have with the plastic wrappers off water bottles.

I'm making progress. It takes a while to get everything glued in place, to fit everything together.

As I was uploading these pictures, looking at the small thumbnails, it was really amazing to see how the image popped out, to see the clear lines created by the color. Even if the color is a mosiac.

It's actually turning out really well!

Got the UTA Logo!

I needed the UTA logo for this project. One good picture later, logo captured. Even if it was backwards. Oh well, so what!

I got the logo printed. FedEx Kinko's was kind enough to englarge the logo. I then put some carbon paper underneath the logo and began tracing it.

I traced the logo onto a large piece of paper.

And voila! Now I will begin filling in the logo with the recycled trash from my class!

Valentine's Day

Tonight we shared the love. Or at least the candy. My classmates are probably under the misguided impression that I politely gave them candy tonight. No, what I actually did was handed out candy wrappers that still had the candy attatched, and I crowd scourced the job of seperating the candy from the wrappers. And then my classmates turned back in a variety of pink little wrappers to me.

To: Ryan

(Kissy, heart, heart)

From: Na Na

Please Dump your trash into my bucket

Be careful what you ask for! Because some classmates are oh so willing to DUMP their stuff into my bucket!










LOL! In reality, my MBA cohort has been very willing to make sure that I get a generous offering of recyclables to play with. My little bucket is always full when I pick it up after class. I get a nice variety of recyclables thrown my way.

Please Recycle

"Please Recycle" Coke writes on their can.

This is recycling! Isn't it!

Guide to recycling Coke cans, Charity style. First grab a set of metal clippers. You're gonna need 'em!

Next, shred the can into lots of little coloured pieces. And then sort the pretty colors into piles. All the reds go together. All the blues together. Later, make pretty art with all the pretty coloured pieces! I'm sure that's exactly what Coke had in mind! Right?

UTA's Trash to Treasure Contest

I'm participating in UTA's Trash to Treasure contest. The guidelines were very loose. Recycle, or repurpose an item, or items. Be creative, resourceful, sustainable, pratical. Other than that, go for it! Oh, and it can only be 5 foot cubed. Has to be able to fit thru a door. Hmmm . . . I wonder what's happened in the past?

So, I'm collecting the recycling trash my class generates to repurpose it into art. My class was so helpful! On their way out the door, every one put their recyclables in my container. I don't think I've ever been this excited to see a full trash can.