Maitri Sojourner shared that “recycled art is near and dear to my heart, as I use recycled fabrics in my art,  and have been a recycler since my college years.”  Maitri purchases clothing at thrift stores and garage sales to cut up for her art, and has used discontinued sample books from upholstery stores.  Maitri’s friends also sleuth out unusual fabrics for her.  A friend recently gave her a beautiful royal blue silk robe that cost just $3 at a local thrift shop–Maitri is busy turning it into sky!  Maitri draws out her design on paper—rather like a cartoon, then transfers the shapes onto fabric, backs each piece with a double-sided heat-sensitive adhesive (available  by the yard from fabric stores), and adheres the piece to either paper or fabric.   Maitri says, “It’s fun to repurpose items—it’s a bit like a treasure hunt–and it’s just the right thing to do—REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!!”

Maitri splits her time between the Pacific Northwest in Washington and Oro Valley in Arizona. Read her artist statement in the About section. She can be reached at maitrisojourner@comcast.net