Art on reclaimed wood and paper packaging

Yes, I am a hoarder though not in the conventional sense. But if I see use in something then I find it hard to let go. If I see use in something but I can’t use it – I pass it on to someone who can.

Many years ago when we were moving into our current home, I found myself left with a lot of oddly cut shapes and sizes of wood. I of course could not throw it away. So I asked the carpenter working in our house to cut the odd-shaped pieces into manageable squares and rectangles. I had also saved a lot of brown paper bags that come when we go grocery shopping especially since Bangalore is trying to cut down on single-use plastic. They sat like that in my utility for years. Till the lockdown changed everything. I was running out of paper and canvas to work with and even material to experiment on. I paint/practice a lot. Some pieces work and some don’t.

Ordinarily, I would have primed and sanded the wood a few times to make it a fit surface to paint on. This time I decided to paper it with brown paper. It was a fantastic decision I might add. It is a joy to paint on. Especially faces. This I can sense is going to be an ongoing love affair for a while yet. Lockdown or no lockdown 🙂

And I love that in my way I am able to take a step towards a more eco-friendly studio and a sustainable future. 🙂

Here are a few of them. You can see more on my Instagram page – www.instagram.com/artbyaarohi