Going Green Update

In the last post, I outlined (somewhat dramatically?), how Infinity Arts is making the transition to green art. Well, 2 weeks after the post I would like to talk about a few steps we've taken in that direction. First of all, we went to several garage sales and spent $4 on 3 high-quality purses that we intend to paint on. I've been working on building Justin's new website - http://www.justinpotts.com/, which showcases his music and art - more on that later, but I haven't gotten very far yet on the purse and that is the reason. I have the colors picked out, the design mostly sketched and one side started. I don't know that this is an ultimate solution to what we're searching for, but I'm excited to do it and see what I end up with. I'll photograph it when it's finished.

Last Friday we visited a fine little showroom in se Portland called Endura Wood Products, where they build accessories and furniture and cabinetry from sustainable and reclaimed wood products. I went in looking for wheatboard, not having any idea what it actually looked like. It doesn't seem very easy to buy - at least not retail - but, I did fall in love with something else. It is called Kirei (kee-ray / Japanese for "clean" and "beautiful") and it looks like this.

It is totally beautiful and I would so love to work with it. It costs $160 for a 3'x6', 3/8" sheet. Here is how the website http://www.kireiusa.com/ describes what kirei is:

"Kirei Board is an engineered panel product constructed from the stalks of the Sorghum plant grown around the world for food. The stalks left over after harvest are heat-pressed with a non-toxic adhesive to form lightweight, strong, unique Kirei Board."

Awesome! And, that grain - how the mind turns over that beautiful grain... I'm not certain yet what I'd like to do with it - but, at that price, it's got to be something spectacular!

Today, I was buying wooden cutting boards at garage sales and thinking what a wonderful surface they are for painting.

I'm excited that we've taken some steps forward and can't wait to post some photographs of these projects as they are completed.

Happy Monday!

Mary

Infinity Arts Begins Transition To Green Art

Hi all. This has been in the works - at least in/on my mind for quite sometime. We at Infinity Arts are in transition. Justin and I are finding it difficult to continue producing things whose raw materials are not sustainable. We have been feeling guilt and uncertainty over our environmental impact for a while now and have decided to take some steps to recreate ourselves as "green" artists and Infinity Arts as a "green" company. This is what we always intended to be, but by using mdf and acrylic paints and sprays, we have fallen way short of this goal. I am not certain how this adventure will unfold. It may take the shape of more earth-friendly materials for our unique art clocks - wheat board and clay paints anyone? - or it may be a new direction entirely....something more virtual or something in the realm of purely recycled materials (garage sales and thrift stores, here we come). Our plan is to attempt to use up the rest of our existing materials to make more clocks and wall art and then, we hope to make the transition to something greener. In the meantime, you can visit http://www.justinpotts.com/ or www.myspace.com/justinpotts to see and hear Justin's endeavor as a solo musician and listen to songs from his new and fabulous cd, Eohippus. As for me, I have a new myspace page at: www.myspace.com/infinityartsgallery and I'll be updating this blog with my design ideas - tempting organic baby clothing companies everywhere with my eco-friendly, graphic designs - and making the last of the mdf art clocks and toting them to local art shows and dreaming about what it is we're going to offer next through http://www.infinityartsgallery.com/ - we chose that name for a reason, you know...

Happy Summer!

Mary Potts