Nothing is Wasted

A living installation exploring connection, dialogue, and the possibilities within salvaged, gathered, and reimagined materials.

Nothing is Wasted is an evolving creative‑reuse installation shaped by upcycled portraits, botanicals, and ephemera. Designed to shift and adapt with each space, it invites visitors to engage, spark dialogue, and explore the possibilities held within everyday materials. In many settings, Nothing is Wasted becomes an interactive drop‑in experience where participants create small pieces—collages, botanical forms, or other assemblages—to take home or add to any site‑specific installation as it evolves.

A Nothing is Wasted installation is shaped through three interwoven elements:

Images — A wide collection of whimsical collages featuring hand‑drawn Weathered and Worthy faces that honor resilience, representation, and the quiet stories we carry. These works also include flowers, birds, insects, original poetry, and cut‑out imagery, all created on upcycled materials such as cardboard, wood, cans, and shells.

Dried botanicals — Gathered from my yard throughout the Sacred Seasons and from local landscapes, these materials become wreaths, nests, and sculptural forms that echo cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.

Ephemera — Fragments of broken jewelry, cards, shells, wire, photographs, and other gifted or salvaged remnants add texture, memory, and the unexpected. Together, these components create an environment that feels alive, adaptive, and deeply connected to place.