Waste Not

I have a personal quirk. Ok-ok, I'm certain to have any number of personal quirks, but here's a confession. I really despise waste....

Thanks in part probably to my upbringing I suppose -- my raising by two former depression-era farm kids, from big families (see previous post), both who understood the value of a dollar and did not suffer overindulgence nor excesses gladly, was bound to have its impact, no? Whatever the case the fact remains. Wanton waste, the likes of which our hyper-consumerist and disposable society seems increasingly within the grips of, really disturbs me.

It's a fact. A certain amount of Waste is simply going to be unavoidable in life. Yet we also know a big chunk of it isn't, and could actually BE avoided if for only a little conscious choice and effort, both community-wide, and as individuals. While it's not going to save the world, I'm feeling ever more compelled to reduce/avoid/amend waste wherever I personally can, here in my own little corner of it anyway. At times it feels like quite the compulsion.

As such, this has been the motivation behind much of my artistic rumination and output in recent years. Some time ago, I challenged myself to keep my purchasing of new commercial art supplies/materials (aside from paints/glue sticks/duct tape and a few other essentials) at a minimum -- in favor instead of using either whatever I may already have in my possession (which happens to be quite a bit actually, after years of accumulation) or what I might manage to scrounge, second hand or otherwise. I do believe there is already 'enough' elemental material floating around out there with which to work, without having to resort to buying the newest and the latest commercially available art supply (plus all the packaging, raw material and manufacturing that go into such products). Because honestly, if I can't creatively utilize what I already find around me to satisfy my artistic urges? I may as well hang up my artsy little french beret. As it stands, I've come to really appreciate how this limitation forces me to look at objects now with a more critical eye -- inspiring me to fandangle alternate usage before sending the miscellanea of life along its way to take up precious space in our overflowing landfills....

There's just something really seductive about making 'something from nothing' -- objects of creativity, if not exactly beautiful nor functional, at least 'purposeful' -- made from the heart with what otherwise might be considered 'scrap' (and likely why I'm so attracted to papier mache technique, and painting rocks)....