Artist Sandy Schimmel creates beautiful mosaic artwork from greeting cards, photos, post cards, calendars and other junk!
When we’re young, we’re often inspired by the things around us. For Sandy Schimmel, what was around her were a lot of New York City galleries and art museums. She liked them so much that she would often skip class to see the artwork. Inspired by her childhood visits, as well as her study of art overseas, Sandy was determined to become an artist that combined the disciplines of painting and mosaic. That’s why she created an entire collection of mosaic-inspired artwork. The coolest thing about the artwork: it’s made with 100% junk.
The junk I’m talking about is junk mail, greeting cards, postcards and other paper products. Instead of throwing away her trash, Sandy decided to utilize her resources and make art out of it. She hand-cuts, hand-paints and hand-finishes every single piece of artwork in the collection, using nothing but reclaimed and recycled material. She even uses repurposed wooden frames just to prove that nothing goes to waste. In addition to using recycled materials, Sandy says on her website, “I use only water-based, acid-free, non-toxic materials to create my work. It is completely eco-friendly.”
I would have to agree. This artwork is an extremely eco-friendly and creative way to recycle household waste. Plus, it looks amazing! Here are a few of my favorites:

If you’d like to see more of Sandy’s artwork you can view the collection online.
You can also follow her artistic endeavors on Twitter @SASchimmelGold.
Here are a few other Greenopolis stories about recycled art –
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