We all know that we need to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but of our artists here at Artcraft take that to a whole new level! In a world where we always need the next newest best thing (how old is your phone? your car?) there are more items & materials being discarded on a daily basis than ever before. But many of the artist’s at Artcraft take those discarded material and make amazing art from them!
Jillery by Jill Fagin
Jillery designs combine metals and colors and set a style standard that no other artist could replicate. The thread of Jill’s designs is the use of recycled aluminum throughout every piece. What keeps the work unique is Jill’s unwavering commitment to a “hands-on quality approach to all of her designs and products. Each piece is hand-made by skilled artisans in her Greenwich Village studio. Jill is the originator of this sophisticated, yet whimsical style.” Full Bio and Artist Pics
LittlEarth
Rob and Ava had a simple but revolutionary idea: design and make fashionable, unique and trendsetting purses and belts by reusing and recycling materials that would otherwise be overlooked or thrown away. Not only did the idea work, but it introduced the world to a new term: Eco-fashion. Full Bio and Artist Pics
Gatski Metal
Ben and Kate Gatski established Gatski Metal to design and fabricate unique metal works for indoor and outdoor spaces. Their inspiration comes from their surrounding landscape. Their home and shop sit at the top of a hill, overlooking forest and fields. Where they gather raw materials from scrap yards, farm machinery dealers and other assorted junk piles. And bring them back to their shop and create unique, one of a kind pieces of art. Full Bio and Artist Pics
Yardbirds Metal Sculpture
Since 1991, Rich Kolb has been working to make recycled materials into sculptures, often incorporating mechanical elements such as discontinued auto parts, garden tools, farm implements, bicycles, and mufflers.. where most of us see garbage, Rich Kolb sees beauty and value! Each Yardbird is unique, and whimsical, many people have fun identifying the parts he cleverly uses to make them. Rich’s passion for transforming discarded objects destined for landfills has led him to create a whole series of Yardbirds. “The things in life that bring us the most joy are those which are fun and unexpected, not the mere necessities.” – Rich Full Bio and Artist Pics
Wine Country Craftsman
100% Green and Made in USA – Michael Weiss creates tables and other furniture out of 60-100 year old retired grape vines from California’s premiere wine growing region. After its retirement from wine production, each piece is pruned by hand to reveal, preserve and promote the essence of its form. In a process that takes over a week, the vine visits a series of craftsmen for finishing. The result speaks for itself. Each vine has its own character, some seeming to rest in serene meditation, some to dance in playful glee. Look. Touch. The warmth of the wood invites your fingers to trace contours, follow branches, contemplate the flow of life which took a century to express itself in the shape you see before you. Combined into a table, these limbs create new shapes with every new angle, beckoning freshly in rich play of dimensions. Full Bio and Artist Pics
Dryads Dancing by Margaret Taylor
Dryads Dancing is made entirely from recycled, reclaimed, or salvaged items! There are some materials that have heart and soul. It can be the paint, the texture or maybe the history that is carried on. The intrinsic beauty of these materials is what inspired Margaret Taylor to begin creating. These eco-friendly offerings may not fit in the other categories but they easily fit into your home. The same salvaged bead board and antique ceiling tin contribute as the basis of these interesting home accents. Full Bio and Artist Pics
Diane Markin
Oh, what glorious and wondrous visions did appear! Vibrant colors and tantalizing shapes, objects too beautiful to be envisioned by mere mortals. Diane realized immediately that this was her true calling, for this she had been genetically altered, and she set to work at a fever pitch, joyously recreating the dazzling images in her mind. She continues to this day, with boundless energy and enthusiastic exuberance, to transform ordinary elements of glass and metal into quirky works of funky style. Full Bio and Artist Pics
Vinylux
Vinylux finds new use for old vinyl records by turning them into functional items. Every year, they recycle and reuse approximately 150,000 records or almost 40,000 pounds of material. Most of the records the company recycles are “scratched, warped, or otherwise played-out,” so there’s no need to feel bad. The bowls are molded into shape over custom-made forms, the label is laminated, and the spindle hole is sealed with clear tape. The company makes clocks, ornaments, sketchbooks, bookends, and mirrors. No part of the record is wasted; the paper is collected and recycled, and the vinyl scraps are sent to a plant in Nashville, where they’re recycled and turned into brand new records. Full Bio and Artist Pics
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