True confessions, I was becoming a bit of a beach trash hoarder. I had over 10,000 bottle caps, bags of broken toys, driftwood, broken chairs, lighters, fishing line, buoys, you name it, if I couldn’t donate it, I hoarded it in hopes of creating art. Unfortunately due to time and space, I decided, it needed to go and it needed to go now. I put an ad on Craigslist for FREE ART Supplies and got some great responses and am so happy where the trash went and it’s reuse.
One of the people, Joan Green started Green Art Labs, an art studio- classes for kids using found objects and in this case beach trash. Joan probably picked up 10 bags of beach trash from me and it is obvious how inspired she and the kids were. I love this idea for birthday parties, play dates and really any time of event. It’s fun, it’s engaging and really can teach kids about the environment and reuse. Today with schools cutting art programs, what a wonderful way to encourage kids about art.
I absolutely love about this art. The thing about kids, they can be so out of the box! This is no expensive wii game, no iPods, no cell phones, this is a bunch of kids exercising their free spirits and a team atmosphere, using stuff that cost nothing!
I never would of thought of making a car with bottle caps, broken shovel and underneath, check out the pink spoon., I probably find and pick up over 100 plastic spoons on the beach every day. I average 50 bottle caps and on a good (or bad) day, will pick over 2o broken shovels.
This style of sand rake is not as popular, but this is inspirational the way that it has been reused. It is sitting atop a ‘1/2 Egg’ looking like a basketball, 2 broken shovels and a pair of sunglasses. I think Joan probably picked up about 50 or 60 cheap sunglasses from me.
The Luau. People on the people attend luaus and just can’t seem to take that fake lei home, leaving them on the beach to kill marine animals. We have a broken shovels, lei, bubble blower and a few other odds and ends for a nice table centerpiece.
Broken toys, wood sticks plenty of popsicle sticks on the beach make up a very creative cross.
Broken Shovels, more lei and flowers
The center blue curved piece is from beach buckets. I probably had over 1000 broken straps from beach buckets. Think about that plastic you may be swimming in.
This is very exciting that Joan Green has started the Green Lab Art for kids and or adults. Love the art, love the concept, love the fact I have a great person to give beach trash to for reuse. For those in San Diego who are interested, contact her through her Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/greenartlabs