Turning Trash into Treasure -- 100% Recycled Art

Making art out of junk mail? It may sound like a strange premise, but Sandy Schimmel of Schimmel Art does just that. With her collection of portraits constructed from materials like newspaper ads, greeting cards, and even junk mail, Schimmel turns trash into treasure.

Just looking at her cutting edge artworks, it’s hard to believe that such beauty came from everyday objects.

“I am a rabid recycler,” She admits in the artist’s statement on her site. “I’m compelled to utilize unusual resources to create my art.”

Schimmel’s creativity, talent, and passion for both art and recycling are what has lead her to become such a fabulous artist. There is something almost “Warhol-esque” about the bright colors and mosaic pop-culture edge she uses in each portrait, a trait that draws the eye and hooks the soul.

The subjects of Schimmel’s vivid artworks range from celebrities like Elvis and John Lennon, to your everyday average Joe. For a fee and a photo, she will make your likeness into a stunning mosaic portrait, and if you buy art as part of an organization, Schimmel will make a 30% non-profit donation on behalf of your mission.

“I take fascinating and colorful expeditions down rabbit holes. My art reflects the conclusion of these voyages utilizing an ability to see images in tiny bits, in a color scheme that may only exist in my mind. The how, the process, is not important - the finished creation is the sum of the parts and the end of the journey. Now, it is up to you to enjoy.”

And enjoy you must. Find out more about the motivation behind Schimmel’s work here. It might even inspire you to create some “junk-art” of your own.