Turning junk into treasure

We think of artists' media as paints, fine metals and stone. But some prefer junk.

Mirrors framed with flattened pieces of colorful soda cans make quite a splash for Susie Levin of Kildeer. Her husband, Mitch, is a longtime recycler, creating everything from furniture out of found wood trimmed with metal to a line of huge dog sculptures welded from pieces of 55-gallon drums.

Jon Davenport of Hoffman Estates tears computers apart to make clocks and other works of art.

And Ron Starr, whose studio is in Lake Zurich, includes glass scraps left over from other artists when he forms dramatic vases or vessels in his series honoring fallen forests.

Recycling is definitely relevant for artists, who find it fits their philosophies and sometimes cuts their costs.

Susie Levin has sold about 200 Pop Art mirrors for $1,150 each through www.artfulhome.com, which features a few other items by the couple. People in the Levins' neighborhood drop cans off, and Susie stores them by color in the garage.

The couple works together on many projects. Mitch put old wheels on the coffee table he made for the family's living room, then Susie used a talent for selecting, mixing and applying paint for the wood squares on top.

"I find if Susie and I do it together it's more gender neutral," said Mitch Levin.

The couple gets really excited when they find things they can reuse. Sometimes the treasures are at garage sales, even sitting on a curb or gifts from friends or family.

While the large television in the family is modern technology, it sits on the concrete top of an entertainment center made of weathered wood-some that Susie has painted blue, red and purple-and decorated with recycled metal circles. People really like the way part of a front panel folds up to hide components, said Mitch.

Ceramic tile, metal house numbers, old tools and chunks of wood scrap are prime materials for projects like mirror frames.

Mitch's Dogs in Motion series, inspired by the children's book "Go Dog. Go!" includes a 6-foot blue dog welded together from pieces of metal drums over old steel furniture. The word "recycle" is spelled in scraps such as old gears - painted in bright colors.

"We try to be as green as we can be in this day and age," said Mitch. "I do it because I like it and pieces fall into place most of the time."

The Levins met in college, and both have degrees in graphic arts.

Artist's secret: Perfect metal circles are hard to make, but people are always throwing out basketball hoops, and they work well in sculptures.

Jon Davenport's love-hate relationship with computers - his day job includes developing web sites for an advertising agency - has led him to dismantling them to make artwork and clocks.

"I've been working in computer business since '94. It's very cathartic to rip apart computers into their smallest components and put them together in a more original way."

The circuit boards make great back drops, and finally someone has found a way to use old compact discs. Sometimes they are just large, shiny circles, but he also cuts them into designs like star shapes. Hard drive spinners and lasers from CD ROMs can be eyes. Tiny wires that connect plastic pieces to the mother board make funky hair. A circle from a power supply is an ear and so decorative it's also the ear ring. Hard drive readers work as hands.

He often adds little figures or details that could go unnoticed among the larger scenes in the clocks.

Hot glue and other adhesives hold the clocks together, but they can be fragile and should be dusted with compressed air, just like computers are.

Davenport will sell clocks ranging from about $30 to $100 Saturday and Aug. 31 at the Indie Design Market, part of the Chicago Antique Market.

Davenport's degree is in film, and he plans to work on a master of fine arts degree.

"My art is not exactly accessible-you like it or you don't. But clocks are functional. I liked working with computer parts and wanted something useful."

Artist's secret: The older the computer the better because the pieces are bigger.

Starr's Arbor vases, among his series inspired by nature and trees, have seven layers of glass. Kevlar gloves and the help of a team are necessary when he hot sculpts or hand forms the pieces. "I have so many colors and layers and the outsides are very organic so it doesn't need to have crystal-perfect type glass."

Historically Starr has worked in glass and clay, and his degree featured ceramics.

"I travel to Colorado a lot and enjoy nature," he said. "Specifically over the last couple years I have been interested in trees."

His pieces are 24 to 50 inches tall and priced from $2,400 and up. You can find some of his works at www.artfulhome.com.

Artist's secret: It's rare to find a glassworker using this process.

•Susie and Mitch Levin sell some of their work at www.artfulhome.com. Their web site is www.highvoltagestudio.com.

•Jon Davenport will sell clocks Saturday and Aug. 31 at the Indie Designer Market, which is part of the Chicago Antique Market on West Randolph Street between Ada Street and Ogden Avenue in Chicago. Visit www.chicagoantiquemarket.com. Davenport's site is www.yawwwwn.com.

•Ron Starr's work is on www.artfulhome.com. His web site is www.ronstarrart.com.