"Jersey Girl" is made of almost 100% recycled
materials, starting with the substructure
which is an old cabinet door, rescued from
a garbage pile that was headed for the dump.

The paint was obtained from Hazardous
Products Centers which handle paint and
chemical disposal along with other hazardous
waste.  Bottle-caps and old beads were
also incorporated into the artwork to create
a halo effect.  The only materials that weren't
recycled were the wood filler (used to fill the
indentations of the panel, where the cow is
painted) and acrylic gesso.

Inspired by a cow I'd met a few months
earlier while in Canada, the cabinet door,
battered with its wood-panel insert, reminded
me of the barn door where this cow lived.

Creating this piece saved a solid wood door
from being tossed to the dump.  More
importantly, using other people's discarded
latex paint was a great way to keep these
toxic chemicals out of our environment.


Part of my 'Holy Cow' series.