Eco Artist Extraordinaire Mary Anne Enriquez

Mary Anne Enriquez aka Urban Woodswalker is an amazing artist that I admire.  Her passion for the environment and her creative mind unite to turn what others would consider trash into unique and beautiful  jewelry, art, and fashion.

 She recently entered and won the Grand Prize for the "Save My Oceans Upcycle Contest"  with her Upcycled Fused Plastic Bag Coat. She worked tirelessly for one month cutting and fusing plastic bags together to create the coat. 

                                   This IS Globalization Trash Chaos Vessel

Mary Anne has found a way to de-clutter her countertops from the endless barrage of junk mail. Using recycled magazines and junk mail, she created a "trash chaos vessel". It's now a beautiful and useful piece of art.  

Aluminum cans become her beads for this unique one-of-a-kind necklace. You can find more of her jewelry in her Etsy shop Urban Woodswalker. To view the gallery of her portfolio visit her Flickr page, you'll be amazed at how beautiful trash can become! 

Turning trash into art

I am not a wasteful person, I try my best to keep my regular trash can empty and my recycle can full. My eco-awareness spills over into my art. If I can find a way to make something new, you can bet I will.

Remember Iris, the old broken clock? Or her offspring...who used to be croquet balls?
My latest art pieces both are an example of upcycling.

"Freckled Legs" came from an old 70's coffee table I found one day while driving down the street. The top couldn't be saved but I salvaged all four legs. A bit of sanding and filling in the holes where the screws once were and they were on their way to a new life. A few coats of black paint finished off with white "freckles" and voila! At the moment they look stunning on my mantle but if you really want them visit my etsy shop they're for sale!
"Thirsty" came from my collection of plastic beverage lids I had started awhile back. I played around with different ideas and designs and decided to go with a simple pattern with a black grout. As one twiiter friend described as "not pop art, but lid art"!
"Thirsty" would look really cool in a modern decor, it's also for sale in my shop.
What's next??? The kids are soon back in school so I'll have more time to create new things in my studio...stay tuned!

Table Transformations

I'm driving down the street through my neighborhood and out of the corner of my eye I see it...that old discarded table sitting on the curb. Quickly I pop the trunk and send my kids out to heave it into my car...and as I head for home I start thinking of the makeover this table will receive. A little sanding...some paint...and of course a mosaic on the top will make it beautiful!

The thing that attracts me the most about a table are it's legs. I love the funky shapes and styles from the 70's. My recent find had really attractive legs but the table itself was beyond repair. I decided to take the legs and use them for my next project. So I'd like to thank everyone who leaves their old junky tables next to...not inside...their trash cans. You are a mosaic artist's best friend!