american artist
elizabeth “betty” Mathers
upcycling
My desire to design, make and craft knows no
bounds, be it sewing, needlework, jewelry making, paper
crafting, woodworking or painting, I’ll give anything a
try at least once. From my early age I studied art and
my grandmother & mother taught me to sew as a child.
In high school and college I studied Fashion Design
and later went to school for Engineering. I’ve always
had a desire to know how things are put together.
In addition to that I’ve always
been environmentally conscience
all my life, especially since the
first Earth Day in 1970. So the
last decade I’ve dedicated my
craftiness to the art of upcycling.
My motto is “Reuse, Recycle,
Refashion” and I buy as few new
materials as possible to create
each piece. I love incorporating
items into jewelry that weren’t
meant for that purpose, or
transforming clothing into tote
bags or purses. The supplies of
used goods are endless and many
of those materials are inspiring of
themselves.
wom
en
ART
page
20