Artist creates inspirational works using surprising materials: 'We can recreate the natural world'

One resourceful artist is using found materials to create realistic pieces of art that imitate aspects of real life. From a large striped bass ("Striped Bass") to a magnified rooster head ("Rhode Island Red"), Tom Deininger's art represents what's possible when a little bit of creativity meets a whole bunch of trash. 

As a young boy, Deininger spent his days playing outdoors in the water and drawing as a creative outlet. He eventually picked up painting, idolizing John Singer Sargent and Diego Velázquez, who portrayed "abstraction and representation at the same time," Deininger said, according to The Provincetown Independent. 

Realizing how much trash accumulates in nature after a surf trip to Fiji and the surrounding islands in his early 20s, Deininger slowly began to replace paint with little pieces of trash in his art, such as rope and plastic. The substitute material didn't change the image that was being portrayed, and it was a sustainable way to create art. 

Deininger's art eventually moved from 2D canvases to 3D sculptures. He produces large, realistic portrayals of wildlife, all created from trash he collects from parking lots, beach cleanups, and daily walks. He diverts trash from piling up in nature and turns the materials into stunning pieces.

His art process involves turning a chaotic mess of trash into a strategically organized sculpture that resembles what he wants to portray. To showcase the wildlife more accurately, he immerses himself in research in all avenues, taking "the opportunity to be curious about the world," Deininger said, according to The Provincetown Independent. 

Different artists are finding ways to be more sustainable in their art. One repurposes thrifted painted canvases, while another uses empty yogurt cups as paintbrush holders. 

"There's so much junk around us that we can recreate the natural world," Deininger said, per The Provincetown Independent. 

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