Courtesy Photo | Chris Carl, a navigation project assistant at Cannelton Locks and Dam, poses for a...... read more read more
CANNELTON, Ind. – Chris Carl has had an interest in art for as long as she can remember. What started out with something as simple as coloring with crayons as a child has grown and transformed over the years into a love of creating artwork by using almost anything she comes across.
That love of creating things has also led to her recently placing second in the adult category of the inaugural USACE-wide Sustainable Art Challenge with her piece, “Upcycled Elegance,” which represents roses in a bottle made from recycled aluminum cans, a recycled bottle and paints. The competition allowed artists to illustrate diverse ways materials can be recycled into works of art.
Carl, a navigation project assistant at Cannelton Locks and Dam, joined USACE in her current position in September 2018. Her position keeps her busy with various administrative tasks like timekeeping, item procurement, training and IT support and property accountability, but her art provides an outlet for stress relief and creativity.
“I have had an interest in art for as long as I can remember and have always encouraged my daughter to be creative. It’s relaxing and fun to work on different projects. You never know what the final product will turn out to look like,” she said. “You have your fingers crossed that it looks something like what you were going for. I always hope others will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed working on it.”
“I also like the sense of fulfillment and pride when a project is complete, knowing I created something out of an idea, some materials lying around the house, and my own two hands,” she added.
While Carl mostly works with acrylic paint, spray paint or alcohol ink, she also likes to use items like canvas, tiles, old bottles and jars, tennis shoes, and even aluminum cans. She said recycling items works out for several reasons.
“Art supplies and materials can be expensive so using things I already had around the house to create something new just made sense. Aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles, pieces of scrap wood, and broken yard decorations became one-of-a-kind pieces around my house,” she said.
Carl said she likes to try new and different painting processes such as the pour paint and hydro dip painting but advises they can be a little messy.
“You should wear gloves when working with the spray paint, alcohol ink or stain as all of these will stain your hands. I also use a clear coat spray on everything I paint to protect it,” she said. “I have gone to work many times looking like a just dipped my hands in a paint bucket.”
Messy hobby or not, Carl says she will continue to do what she loves and share it with others.
“We are all creative in our own ways, whether its art, cooking, wood working, etc., but what I truly love about art has been sharing it with my daughter and seeing how our creativity has evolved through the years,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2024 10:31 |
| Story ID: | 472102 |
| Location: | CANNELTON, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 169 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cannelton employee uses recycled materials as inspiration for art, by Michael Maddox, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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