Robin Martinez Rice, Upcycled Objects
“I have a long history of reuse and upcycling objects in my art. As a fiber artist I have incorporated old credit cards into clothing and art quilts by cutting up the cards and using these as a mosaic pallet. I use old clothing as the base for newly imagined pieces by cutting them up, dying them, and stitching decorative designs as I sew them back together.
“Currently I collect and repaint discarded wooden objects, mainly furniture. I share the hidden stories told by these recovered items in both their painting, and in writing an associated life lesson fable, either the imagined past life of the furniture or an environmental fable. My themes are influenced by patterns of the natural world and the preservation of everything that surrounds us. My hope is that everyone can contribute to saving our planet by the reuse of objects that still have plenty of life left in them.
“As an artist I love thinking about the generations of women in my family stitching, knitting, sewing and painting, and the furniture brings these visions to a whole new level.
“My designs are inspired by the things I love: the Southwest, Origami, Bugs and Mandalas.”
The Story: Apothecary
Rice’s repurposed, hand-painted furniture usually inspires a story. Here is one.
Apothecary crumbled the dried leaves and mixed them into the bowl of coconut and jojoba oil brewing on her tiny stove. She heard Raven telling the world he was happy with the objects he had collected today. His melodic calls and gravelly croaks made her smile.
Apothecary loved creating things to help people. Her vast collection of salves, tinctures, potions, teas, balms, infusions, poultices, compresses, and fomentations filled her shelves and drawers. With her creations she could cure your cramps, your cough, your melancholy, your headache, your reflux, and even your mania. Although people seemed to enjoy mania and seldom asked for a cure. It was usually those around them that asked for that potion to be slipped surreptitiously into the morning tea.
People came to her from around the world for help but this morning she was surprised to see it was Mother Earth who had come to visit.
“I hope you can help me,” Earth said to Apothecary. “I’ve been watching and listening to what all the people are saying and it dismays me. I’m having hot flashes and unexpected bursts of gas. There are days I cry and cry and, well, you know, the floods are extreme this year.”
Ahh, thought Apothecary. That explains all those eruptions in long dormant volcanoes. “Has anything changed for you?” she asked Earth.
Earth looked pensive. “Well, yes. I hear people talking, and I can’t help but think they have given up.”
“What exactly do you hear?”
“Oh, things like ‘I can’t help this problem. It’s way bigger than me’ or ‘It’s the corporate impact, not the individual’ and even ‘Have you seen how much plastic every fastfood place uses? What good is it if I don’t use a straw?’”
“That is discouraging.” Apothecary turned down the flame on the stove. She needed to focus on Earth.
Earth sighed. “People are so egocentric, these humans. Don’t they understand it’s the frame of mind that ruins everything?”
With that Earth shook her fist in frustration, inadvertently leading to a new tsunami off the coast of Oregon and a small earthquake near Yellowstone, which changed the patterns of activity for three geysers.
Apothecary drew in a breath and closed her eyes. Earth, being very sensitive to the needs of others, was quiet, giving the healer time to think.
After several minutes, Apothecary opened her eyes. “I’m not sure I have anything to help with that directly.”
Earth was contemplative. Finally, she spoke. “How about if we just work together to try to help the people. Surely you have something in one of those drawers that will change their way of thinking?”
“I have small things. Things that would provide encouragement, pause for thought, looking at the bigger picture. Things that make a person want less and give more. But the thing is, you are so big. I’m not sure these small things will help.”
Earth smiled, and a wry chuckle escaped her lips. “It’s ironic. You are infected with the same helpless feeling as those I’m trying to change. Don’t you see that small things add up? I think that is the path we must follow. Plug away at these things each and every day. And fingers crossed, it will make a difference.”
With that the Raven swooped down and set a shiny silver broach, shaped like the moon, a small offering, in front of Mother Earth. He was all in on the plan. In fact, he took credit for the idea, as was his way.
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