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Monday, October 13, 2014

Being Resourceful.....Art Supplies from Trash

'Deep in the Chamisa'        8x10           pastel          ©Karen Margulis
available $150 purchase here
 It's hard to look at trash without seeing it as potential treasure.  It always comes back to wondering how I could use it for art. I made a trash to treasure discovery on my trip to New Mexico last week. It seems many hotels are going to the individual serving size coffee makers in the guest rooms. It works for me. I am not really a coffee snob. I just need some cream and sugar (I brought my own) So the coffee maker at the Abiquiu Inn was just fine. It was the kind of coffee maker that came with an individual coffee pod and disposable plastic tray.

One morning I made my coffee and was about to throw out the used coffee pod and plastic tray when I had a brain storm. The little plastic tray would make a great holder for my pastels in progress. At home I use a butcher tray but when I travel I downsize and don't bother bringing a tray.

   I miss having a tray!

I use the tray to keep the pastels I am working with separate from the the other pastels. This helps me keep my palette limited and more harmonious. It prevents me from using every stick in my box in the painting!

A great little pastel holder
 I threw the little plastic tray in my backpack and was thrilled to use it. It took up very little space in my bag and I just threw it out at the end of the day. Each morning I made my coffee and kept the plastic tray for my paintings. I was a great way to repurpose my trash!

close up detail
Painting notes: This painting is 8x10 on white wallis paper with a watercolor underpainting. 

3 comments:

Lisa Graham said...

What a lovely painting. Their long stems remind me of jellyfish gently moving through water.

Great idea about the tray.

Colours by sheri said...

I love this piece....especially this background against the flowers.

robertsloan2art said...

Gorgeous painting and convenient use of trash! I'm always thinking like that too. I save packing material and sometimes boxes, especially the big flat paper boxes that full sheets come in or mat boards. Nice to know that about the coffee pods trays.

I have a bunch of little plastic cups that I've been saving whenever I get them in my lunch from the food program. I just rinse them out and reuse them for food. Some of them are about an inch deep and round, they came with various fruit sides or desserts. That might be just as useful for the same pastel purpose as your coffee pod, it's about the same size, and they're fairly sturdy.