General 2 — LD Art Designs

Upcycle: to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item: to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value)

Merriam - Webster

I don’t know about you, but I love to repurpose, recycle and upcycle and I’ve done it for decades. Grab a cold one because I’m going to share my favorite project with you and it’s a GREAT one!

If you are from the Baton Rouge area and like to walk, I’m sure you have spent time at the LSU Lakes. If not, think of your favorite park that is also a habitat for wildlife. Now envision the habitat slowly dying because of invasive plants. This has been the state of the LSU Lakes system for over a decade, until last year when a massive 18 million dollar restoration project began. Dredging work began in August 2023 which includes significant draining of University Lake. With the extreme temperatures and lack of rain, the lake began to take on an Armageddon look. It also revealed that invasive plants weren’t the only thing polluting the water. The dried lake bed looked like a garbage dump; bottles, golf balls, hub caps, tires, and even an album and a Game Boy.

There were so many bottles that someone had made piles of them in several places that looked like bonfires. Pardon the pun, but this sparked an idea. I can’t take credit for the idea, it was my friend Beth who commented “some artist should do something with that stuff.” Three more miles of walking and about a mile into the drive home, the light bulb finally lit up. I knew exactly how this artist would up-cycle a pile of lake garbage into collectable art. The bottles go through a lengthy process of soaking, cleaning, breaking and tumbling before the glass is ready for use in mixed media artwork.

This project has become a labor of love as it is time consuming; however, doing my part to make the habitat cleaner and bring awareness to the problem is worth every moment. I absolutely love the challenge of creating art with discarded, but unique supplies.

Each piece is created to honor the wildlife that call the LSU Lakes home .

Don’t Trash Me

The Art

Monarch Madness

“Monarch Madness” is the first piece released in the ongoing Don’t Trash Me Series.
Monarch butterflies always bring me happiness. They trigger memories of planting butterfly gardens with my children and the excitement of finding a new batch of caterpillars to select a few to bring inside and watch their magical transformation. Think about this; butterflies aren’t born that way, they work really hard to become who they are meant to be! The flower’s center is a collection of paint and various shades of brown glass.
Rosie

For my second piece, meet “Rosie” the Roseate Spoonbill.
Beauty and grace on the outside; strength, determination and the ability to pivot when necessary, that’s Rosie. She stands in trash while eating breakfast, patiently moving to find a suitable home amongst the chaos. Broken glass creates a richly textured foreground; Rosie rises above her surroundings in pink splendor.
Look at Me Now

“Look at Me Now” is my third piece in the Don’t Trash Me Series.
I wasn’t born this beautiful or with wings. I was once a tiny caterpillar with six legs on a mission to fulfill a purpose. With determination, perseverance and hard work I transformed into exactly what I was meant to be. Now I can explore the world floating through the air, feeding on the sweet nectar of vibrant flowers. Take a “Look at Me Now.” ((NOTE MIXED MEDIA TYPE))
The Magic of Me

The American White Pelican is known to “vacation” at the LSU Bird Sanctuary located on University Lake. Recent restoration work revealed a dirty little secret, loads of trash also calling the lake home. I have collected many large bags of bottles and other items to be up-cycled into a special series called Don’t Trash Me in an effort to draw attention to the issue. A bird sanctuary with litter in it just isn’t right! “The Magic of Me” is the 4th painting in this series.
I've Got the Music in Me

I’m not just a flying insect, I’m a dragonfly. I hover in the air with the grace of a ballerina. I dart effortlessly through the cobalt sky with targeted precision. I am a living testament to nature’s intricate artistry. I am a visual reminder of the dance of life because “I Got the Music in Me."
Drink It All In
Pick a Good One

“Pick a Good One!” Who hasn’t said that when shopping for a Christmas tree. Certain to be a conversation starter, and maybe even make your friends a little jelly that it’s not theirs. Painted first, then overlaid with upcycled glass collected from the bottom of University Lake on the LSU campus. this piece of holiday decor is a stunner. Trash never looked so good!
Magical Night

Original Mixed Media Painting
9th Release in the Don’t Trash Me Series
Gold Floater Frame
8×24 Unframed

The Trash

Hubcaps

Unfortunately, this is the hubcap that got away. I think that I just ran out of room in the bags this day, but I deeply REGRET not grabbing this one. I have several others, but they aren't near as cool.
Blue Glass

There were so many glass bottles I couldn't even begin to count them. I probably brought home 50-100, but only one blue one. Everything else was clear, green or brown. I continue to keep my eye out anything unique.
Golf Balls

Again, too many to count. I picked up a few but haven't figured out a use for them yet.
An Album

I would love to know which LP this is, but it had been in the lake far too long for that. It wasn't warped when I picked it up, but it warped terribly during the cleaning process. This turned out to be a happy accident. The LP wasn't usable in one piece. I broke part of it into small pieces which I ended up using as the body of the dragonfly in "I Got the Music in Me," which is a favorite of mine.
Never Ending Supply of Bottles
Unknown Objects

Any guesses?