For my upcycling project, I wanted to create something that I will be able to continue to use in the future. I will be creating a household item that follows in the Biophilic design aesthetic. This aesthetic was described in my previous post as integrating nature with human designs. Because of this, I will be creating a moss-grown picture frame out of an old broken violin, some recycled laser cut board and some plastic bags. I love plants and enjoy the aesthetic of incorporating plants into everyday things. I began browsing for inspiration and came across this picture that was used in a previous AesDes project. Turning a mirror into a bio incorporated masterpiece was an interesting way of turning an upcycling project into something that fits the aesthetic that I like as well. I followed the picture back to the original sources where there was a step by step guide on how to create this piece of art for yourself.

Dwellings by Devore          http://www.dwellingsbydevore.com/2015/04/diy-succulent-mirror.html#.Y-Fy3ezMJYh

Despite enjoying this aesthetic, I wanted to do something more unique and led down the rabbit-hole that I wanted to pursuit. After brainstorming other in-home items that I could incorporate plants into, I thought about picture frames and came across this design on Pinterest very quickly.

https://www.onewed.com/blog/5-mossy-diys-to-beautify-your-wedding-30106/       – This picture was used in multiple places and was not able to track down original artist

https://pin.it/2F9mrRb– This picture was used in multiple places and was not able to track down original artist

This seemed like a really nice design aesthetic, and I knew this is the upcycling project that I would like to proceed with. Because Valentine’s Day is coming up, I toyed with the idea of creating a picture frame in the shape of a heart with the idea of incorporating love into the frame. However, this idea was abandoned because the idea of creating a heart shaped frame is overdone. I wanted to create something with recycled materials that would have a twist of Ethan in it. I had gotten into playing the violin a while ago and remembered that I had a broken violin. I decided to create a frame by recycling my old broken violin into the picture frame.  This frame would be something that would have various challenges to building and would also be a unique aesthetic that incorporates nature and music into a still art piece that I can continue to enjoy personally in the future after this class.

Seen below currently are some of the recycled items that will be used for the creation of this product. There is more materials that need to be collected (especially the moss)

Featured image —- https://mountainmodernlife.com/diy-moss-frame/