Upcycling

I've noticed a trend lately with a lot of artists and craftspeople talking about "upcycling." This is especially big on Etsy. According to wikipedia, upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. This is done all the time in the crafts -- quilts, woodworking, and mosaics all allow you to take broken pieces, leftover materials, and scraps to create something new, beautiful, and functional. With the exception of sculpture/assemblage, upcycling isn't all that prevalent in the arts. With everybody going "green," it's time to expand the upcycling trend to all aspects of arts and crafts. Check out what these artists are doing:

The folks at mijafiberart.com are upcycling old quilts to make works of art for the home.

Portraits of President Obama and Queen Elizabeth made from "unwanted objects" by Jane Perkins.

Bottle Cap Portrait of Chuck Close by Molly B. Right.

Fabric made from recycled keyboard keys by Jean Shin.