May Monthly Newsletter.
Monthly Newsletter
In this issue of my monthly newsletter, I’m going over my extended “Limit” collection, recycled art, and an update on a project I have been working on for over two years.
Artist Updates
Summer is finally here, and I’m trying to make the most of it. I since I live in Florida, I have been spending plenty of time at the beach. This ended up inspiring me to turn my “Limit” piece into a three piece collection.
The Squirrel Scoop
Copper the squirrel got some new photos taken of her this month. She also has discovered that she really likes dried papaya.
New Paintings: “Limit” Trio
This month, I decided to extend my original “Limit” painting (left) into a three-piece collection. This whole collection is meant to bring awareness to how much water we use. The collection is called “Limit” because while water is a “renewable” resource due to the water cycle, it isn’t an infinite resource. There is a fixed amount of water in the world, and most of it is in the ocean, or frozen. Drinkable water is being used up faster than the water cycle can put it back in, which is why conserving water is a big topic these days. Especially in places like America, we use water without thinking about it, because we are used to always having access to it. But not everyone always has enough water.
We often forget how important water is, and that there is a limited amount of it out there, especially when it’s used in kitchens and bathrooms. We let the sink run, not realizing that the more water we waste, the less drinkable water is in that stage of the cycle at that time. These pieces are designed to bring awareness to the water that is often taken for granted. The same water in your sink or toilet is the water someone will drink later. It’s the same water that was once part of oceans and rivers. That water has to make its way back through man-made filters and treatment facilities, where it is then dumped into rivers, and oceans once treated. That water has to make its way back through the natural water cycle and man-made systems before in can be used again. These pieces aren’t meant to make the viewer feel ashamed for using water, we all need water. They are just meant to remind people that they shouldn’t use water unnecessarily.
To kick of this collection, I will soon be releasing limited edition products with these art pieces on them. One of the products I plan to release are reuseable water bottles, so that as you drink your water you can help lower the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and ecosystems, while saving yourself some money in the long term. Make sure you are subscribed to my email list to get a discount for these limited-edition products when they release.
New Print On Demand Products!
I recently added new print-on-demand products to my shop. This includes tote bags and notebooks with my artwork on them. In the future, I will add even more art print products, including some limited-edition collections.
Right now, I have nine new products including four awesome tote bags, and five notebooks! With the notebooks being added to my shop, I will no longer be selling notebooks through Amazon. If you really want the version of these notebooks from Amazon, then you need to buy them before May 20th, because after that they will be gone for good.
Artist Fav
Recently, I have gotten to spend a lot of time at the beach, which was great. But this Artist Fav section isn’t dedicated to the beach, it’s dedicated to aloe vera, my only savior after getting sunburned.
Recycled Art- An Infinite Medium
As an artist, I am always experimenting with different mediums and subjects, and this often includes reusing things and using found objects in my mixed media projects. For example, one of my pieces has cut-up CDs used to create the reflection in an eye. The majority of these random objects are recycled items from my own random projects, as well as straight-up trash that I have salvaged for the sake of art. But I am not the only artist doing this of course. Recycled Art, where you use recycled items to create your piece, whether it's a 3D sculpture or a 2D piece, has become pretty popular. As more and more people become concerned about the state of our planet, more and more artists are using recycled materials, because they appreciate the art form, to spread a message regarding the need for recycling, or to just help them keep those recycled items out of landfills.
Recycled art is an extremely versatile form of art because it can be anything from a 3D metal sculpture, to a collage piece. In my own art, I often use recycled items like CDs, pins, and scrap fabric that I collect for mixed media pieces, as well as recycled paper scraps used for collage and papermaking. I’ve seen other artists use scrap wood, broken glass, old electronic pieces, and tons of other random things. Recycled materials can be pretty much anything. While many artists use recycled materials for aesthetic purposes, or to help save money, many artists use recycled art in order to raise awareness about the pollution problems that our world is facing today. Instead of letting those waste items end up in landfills, they can be turned into something new.
For the past several years I have been working on collecting materials for a huge recycled art project. For over two years I have been collecting recycled can tabs so that I can create a massive metal sculpture, one that I don’t want to spoil yet. I have collected over one thousand tabs… and I’m only half way done. Even though I’m not ready to put this piece together yet, I wanted to give an update on it’s progress, and in the future I will give occasional updates on my can tab numbers. These updates won’t be in a whole article though, like this one, and I will only give them when I have made enough progress to be interesting.