There is a growing niche of artisan that is gaining appreciation for their ingenuity and resourcefulness: the Upcycle Artist or “UA”.
The UA sources their materials not from catalogs or online wholesalers. We cruise garage sales, thrift stores, recycle centres and estate sales. We happily plunge into an unknown cardboard box (Hey the sign said it was free!) that was left by a roadside looking for a treasure to transform into something new and beautiful.
The UA believes in giving something new life through skill and creativity. They likely hate single use plastic anything and recycles just about everything. Thrift store owners know them by name. “Hey, I can use that!” is often heard in the UA’s company, and everything the UA makes is one of a kind. The very nature of the raw supplies dictates that nothing is mass produced, and the price tag is reflective of the time spent and specialized skills.
Ottawa Artisans is very happy to host the following Upcycle Artists who offer a range of items for the household and wardrobe.
Elegantly altered clothing
Beautiful repurposed stain glass and frame!
Repurposed Fabric made into a clever Cutlery Roll!
Lovely hand painted repurposed vases and mason jars!
Handcrafted from recycled tshirt materials! Genius!
Cozy mittens made from unwanted real wool sweaters and lined with fleece from blankets.