One of the recycled materials that we don’t post about very often is food/food scraps.  According to American Wasteland author Jonathan Bloom, Americans waste more than 40 percent of the food we produce for consumption.  Composting is one way to “recycle” food waste, but what about reusing scraps like grapefruit and cantaloupe peels:

Jan Hopkins' award-winning piece "Oh Eleanor" at BAM

Northwest Designer Craftsman Jan Hopkins‘ sculptural tea pot, Oh Eleanor, made from grapefruit peel, cantaloupe peel, ginkgo leaves, ostrich shell beads, cedar bark, and waxed linen, was voted the Bellevue Arts Museum Biennial 2012 Samuel and Patricia Smith People’s Choice Award winner.

Oh Eleanor by Jan Hopkins (detail)

Perhaps one of the most dynamic artists working today, Jan Hopkins is a master at creating sculptural baskets from unusual natural materials. She uses citrus peel, lotus pods, black bamboo, and silver dollar seed pods while simultaneously incorporating traditional basket materials like agave leaves and cedar bark. Each piece is a marriage of deep sensitivity and reverence to materials with heavy emphasis on innovation. Jan began studying basketry with traditional makers, learning the art of meticulous construction and the basics of how to gather and prepare materials. Many of her works contain small pieces that are puzzled together creating elements of amazement and surprise.

“I try to create baskets that preserve the beauty of the materials and create a renewal or continuance to the cycle of life.” via Jane Sauer Gallery

more Jan Hopkins HERE and HERE