Eco-Friendly Mosaic Art by Sandy Schimmel

That old saying, "one man's garbage is another man's treasure" fits Sandy Schimmel's art to a tee. Her mosaic art is a beautiful and ingenious combination of painting along with junk mail or greeting cards or scrap paper. All the materials normally dumped into our trash without a second thought. Her artwork is colorful, energetic, ethereal, and eco-friendly to the core.

The three things Sandy can't live without (besides her art supplies):

1. Her husband. "He gave me the courage to quit my job and become a full-time, stay-at-home professional artist. He supports our family so I am free to create 24/7. He comes to every opening, every show, is my biggest supporter and cheerleader - and he puts up with all my emotions - which range from agony to ectasy! Oh, and he's my absolute ideal man!"


2. Her studio. "A place where I can shut the door, listen to the radio, books or tape or music...make a mess, make art, make decisions, and leave the world behind for those hours. I think it is absolutely imperative for an artist to have a space that is theirs alone."


3. The library. "When I am stuck, all I need is a stroll through a few stacks to find a zillion sources for inspiration... travel, history, fashion, other art forms, other artists, decor, etc."

Click HERE to visit Sandy's website. And, HERE to read more about the artist.

Eco-Friendly Hand Dyed and Stitched Textile by India Flint

India Flint comes from a long line of women who made things with their hands in order to respond to the requirements of the moment. "My great-grandmother grew, harvested, retted, hackled, spun and wove her own flax. My great-aunt made wine and preserves, my grandmother sewed all sorts of things and taught me how to dye cloth. My mother was a spinner of wool and a weaver and an embroiderer (but now restricts her creative work to gardening)...and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Even my father (an Emeritus Professor) is constantly building things and devising useful objects."

"In our family, if you wanted something, you would try first of all to grow it, make it or find it." India lives on a working farm in rural South Australia, and creates eco-friendly hand dyed and stitched textiles. The ecoprint technique was discovered by her in 1999 and is the signature mark of her work. This technique is a water-based printing process using relatively small quantities of plant material compared to traditional dye methods. She uses natural dyeing techniques having discovered just how toxic synthetic colours can be. "The dyes I make avoid the use of potentially harmful synthetic mordants, relying instead on found metals, ash, seawater, whey and fruit vinegars; among others."

She manages the farm on behalf of her parents, who also live there in a separate house. India is a single mother with three children (two adult, and one nearly adult) and a border collie who is her right hand "dog" on the farm. She also has cats rescued from the RSPCA, but too many to count according to India. There are also sheep and cattle, as well as chickens and ducks to care for. Her hobbies include playing the tenor saxophone which makes her very happy. India also gives workshops, has a r(eco)fashion label, creates costumes for dance, and writes books about her craft. Visit her website to see additional works and to read about her many ongoing projects HERE. And, her blog HERE. ~Information provided by India Flint and used with permission.

Images used with permission from India Flint.