New Life for Old Art

After four weeks of cleaning and updating my studio/office space, I found some old, small art pieces. Sometime between 2019 and 2023, I created a small series of triptychs using 4x4-inch gallery-canvas squares. Two sets were found just in time to become gifts for people in my life. However, the remaining nine will find new life as refreshed artworks.

Reusing my older paintins and canvases isn’t new. This is a practice I implemented when I was working on my MFA in Painting. To me, it didn’t make sense to throw away a perfectly good canvas or wooden stretcher frame. This is a practice well documented dating further back than the Renaissance. In my mind, not only does it save money, but it reduces landfill trash. Maybe it is the Gen X-er raised on the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). This year, I’m looking at adding products that reuse painted canvas by creating usefull products like bookmarks, brush/pencil pouches, sketchbook/novel/planner covers. But, I digress.

Back to the nine squares…

I will be adding some fun geek themes to the abstract squares, while the acrylic squared will be re-stretched with new canvas and the old canvas will become book marks or card holders. I have done this in the past even with larger format paintings. Some of you already own some of my “New Life Old Art” pieces. In 2023, I took a series of 12x12 abstract paintings, I created and added some fun geek themes onto them. They sold quickly. In addition, I took some paintings I created in 2018 for East Austin Studio Tour, and once again added fandom themes into them where it made the most sense. One was a forest scene that had a Stargate added, others had tie-fighters, x-wings and death stars added. All sold rapidly. Paintings that had been in galleries and group exhibitions and never sold, found new life and forever homes with fandom.

So don’t be afraid to pull out an old painting, add your fandom to it, and give it a new life. You might be surprised where it will lead you.

That being said, keep tabs on this new life for old art via social media and my website!