Caroline Saul uses recycled plastic milk jugs and other plastics as the main materials in her weightless sculptures. She creates “bulbous vessels” that range from small bowls to room-size installations. Regardless of the size, Saul gives each piece a finish that is unique to her style. Her body of work is visually coherent, as the viewer feels a part of her design process through the universal material choice and the easy, organic form.

The British designer creates sheets of plastic from recycled milk bottles. She blends fibers into some of the shapes, adds color to others and leaves some forms as white and translucent as the original material.

 
Conjoined Bulbous Form Photo Courtesy of Caroline Saul

Conjoined Bulbous Form is one of my favorite pieces as it morphs simple a object into a delicate, stimulating and inspiring form. Saul creates space throughout the pattern of cut out circles and the negative space between the two necks of the vessel. Her sophisticated use of space invites the viewer’s eye to wander in and out of this organic form. Although depth is difficult to achieve when you work with such an open object, Saul uses color to attain form and shallow depth

Recently Saul was selected by the Crafts Council to exhibit her work at Talente 2009 in Munich, Germany. The show will be March 11 through 17.

So what does the future hold for this budding artist? Entire days filled with making things and diving into the process, Saul says. We will see much more of her work as she has a strong desire to move towards lights and installations.

A lot can happen if you don’t pay close attention to your shopping habits. You could end up with a wardrobe consisting of the same two colors. You could blow your rent money on a new digital camera.

You could also eventually build up an arsenal of plastic bags and not have any idea what to do with them.

Photo by  The BrassPotato /Courtesy flickr

I have fallen victim to all of these pitfalls, and while I have taken measures to rectify the first two, I find myself constantly swimming in plastic bags, shoving them into cabinets just to keep them out of sight. Well, I will shove no more! It’s time to use plastic bag alternatives, and to make as much use of the bags I’ve accidentally collected.

• The best way to cut down on plastic bag buildup is to avoid plastic bags all together. Switching to more sustainable options, like canvas or burlap, is easy and stylish. Many grocery stores sell some sort of tote bag, usually made of canvas or recycled plastic, with their logo on it. You can also buy bags from other stores, such as Baggy Shirts, which makes bags out of recycled clothing.

• While buying the canvas bag is the first step, you have to actually use it for it to be effective. I’ve bought so many bags for grocery shopping, but I have yet to ever really use them. I either forget them at home or end up buying more than can fit in the ones I did bring. To combat this problem, I’m going to start keeping them in my trunk so I am never without at least a few.

So, what about the plastic bags I have stashed around my apartment?

• So far, I’ve mainly used mine to line the small trash cans in my bathroom and by my bed. I know they’re still going in the trash, but at least they’re serving a purpose instead of just taking up space.

• I don’t have a dog or cat (yet), so I have no poop to scoop. However, for those of you who do, plastic bags can make cleaning up after your pet a little less stomach-churning. This is the same concept as using them to line trash cans; they’re still being thrown away (bad), but they’re being put to good use.

• Possibilities abound for craft projects using plastic bags. From making plastic bag yarn to knitting an entire ensemble out of plastic bags, Craftzine has you covered.

• Try this do-it-yourself project from Natural Home. It provides step-by-step instructions for making durable lunch totes from unwanted plastic bags. Just another way to green your lunch.

• Check out this feature on shoes made from plastic bags. You might not be able to make them yourself, but perhaps it will inspire your own creativity.

Cutting down on plastic bags, and responsibly reusing the ones you have, is yet another step toward full-on greendom.

Recently, one of our readers wrote in asking if we had ever written an article about monolithic dome houses. From my search, it turns out that we hadn’t covered these homes before, so I decided to dig further into the topic.

I found an unconventional structure for a home that is steadily becoming popular.

Simply put, a monolithic dome is similar in shape and size to a large mound or hill. Of course, this depends on the size of the home. Some homeowners, like Sviet Raikov in Russia, made their monolithic dome houses taller and rounder. Others, like this Colorado monolithic dome house, kept their buildings small, simple, and low to the ground.

This monolithic dome house in Pensacola Beach, Florida, made national news after it survived Hurricane Ivan. Photo courtesy of Monolithic Dome Institute.

Out of all of the buildings I encountered on the Monolithic Dome Institute website, this one is my favorite. The outside makes ample use of the curved structure with balconies, large windows and two garages tucked in either side of the stairs. Like many other monolithic dome houses, this house has circular shapes that repeat throughout the interior design. Many homeowners need to get creative when working with the unique angles that characterize the interior of a monolithic dome, and this one is no different: A bathtub sticks out from a wall in a manner that many of us would consider strange, but it fits the layout of the house incredibly well.  Plus, this home is a Hurricane Ivan survivor. The gorgeous view of the beach is simply an added bonus.

By reading about these, you’d think that there isn’t a single natural disaster these buildings can’t survive. People on the East Coast, West Coast or right down the middle in Tornado Alley can feel safe and protected in a monolithic dome.

The best thing about these unique structures is that they’re eco-friendly. Its shape means less surface area, which equals less area to heat or cool. When you do heat or cool your home, the dome’s concrete walls maintain a constant temperature longer and radiate it back into the building. David B. South, president of the Monolithic Dome Institut,e has claimed that a monolithic dome can pay for itself in 20 years based off of energy savings.

Of course, I’m a newbie to the subject. Have any of you encountered a monolithic dome, or are considering building one? I’m curious to hear what you think!

New York-based artist Susan Benarcik constructs wall treatments and sculptural pieces out of reclaimed materials to illustrate the fragility of nature and our connection and dependence on it.  

Benarcik repeatedly masters line, form and rhythm by foregrounding her relationship to nature and the environment. She uses paper and common objects to highlight the ideals of our society. 

  
Mental Notes. Photo Courtesy of Susan Benarcik

In the 2007 piece Mental Notes, Benarcik portrays the fragility of nature and memory through large stacks of hanging paper in tree-like forms. She manipulates the paper and highlights our careless relationship to the resource, as it is cultivated, loved, marked, bent and ultimately discarded. She strings personal letters and pages of trashy romance novels as well as scientific literature on copper wires that hang from the ceiling. The assorted paper ranges in color from pure white to a deep brown, depending on the age and the source of each sheet. Fifteen plus forms hang from various heights and each holds different amounts of paper.

 
Losing Touch with Reality. Photo Courtesy of Susan Benarcik

In Losing Touch with Reality, another installation, Benarcik emphasizes our disconnected relationship to nature through the use of space, line and tension. Roughly 29 white hands hang in different positions. All the palms are facing down over a medium square patch of grass. Although some fingers touch a few blades, the minimal space between most of the hands and the grass creates an uneasy tension that viewers can sense. Her use of line draws the viewer’s eye down to the space between the hands and patch of grass to “…suggest that we have lost touch with reality of our situation,” Benarcik says.  

 
Square Yard. Photo Courtesy of Susan Benarcik

Benarcik’s installation Square Yard has a similar tone and commentary to Losing Touch with Reality. Four industrial sized wooden spools are coiled with Astroturf that is slowly unraveling on the bricklike floor. Her material choice along with her strong use of rhythm and line suggest that our society believes that “going green” can be rolled out and purchased by the square yard.  

Both pieces imply that we are disconnected from nature. “Somehow, in the span of a generation, we have lost sight of our fundamental connection with the natural world and shamefully neglect our responsibility towards its survival (and ultimately our survival),” Benarcik says. She created both pieces a few years ago; however, within the past year, they have received much attention and coverage.   

Benarcik's current show, COLLECTED RESPONSE, is on display at Maiden Lane Exhibition Space in New York City, New York. 

Save water and money when doing dishes by investing in a sink stopper.

Courtesy of steev-o/flickr

I recently went to the store to buy a sink stopper so I could stop running the water when I wash my dishes by hand. “How very green of me,” I thought as I paid my $5, excited to try out my newest green product. When I got home, I put the stopper in the sink, turned on the water and watched as…it let all the water run down the drain. Apparently, my sink drain is not what the stopper package would consider “of average size,” and I was left with a device that only delivered on half of its promises; its food-catching skills were exemplary, but I knew I needed to find other ways to green my dishwashing routine.

I don’t particularly love washing dishes, but it a necessary evil. It’s also another area of my life that could use some revision. I have made a few small steps toward a greener dishwashing routine, but on the whole, it still leaves much to be desired. So, here are some tips that I’ve collected (and some that I practice myself) that will make washing dishes less of a drain on the planet.

If washing by hand:

• Don’t leave the water running as you’re washing and rinsing. The best way to accomplish this is by placing a tub of hot water in each side of the sink: one for washing, one for rinsing. The washing tub should have very hot, soapy water in it to ensure that you’re getting your dishes as clean as possible, and that no germs are left behind. As far as I know, the rinsing tub can contain water at any temperature; this tub is just to prevent water waste.

• If, like me, you don’t have two sides to your sink, simply stopper your drain (like I tried to do), fill the sink no more than halfway with hot, soapy water, and dig in. You’ll just have to rinse them after you’re all done.

• After washing and rinsing your dishes, place them on a drying rack instead of using cloth or paper towels. This cuts down on both spreading germs (cloth towels) and waste (paper towels).

If washing via dishwasher:

• Only run full loads of dishes.

• Skip the dry cycle option and let your dishes air-dry.

• Don’t wash your dishes off before you put them in the dishwasher. This is double-duty for you, and it’s double the energy waste.

• If possible, invest in an energy-efficient dishwasher. Energy Star dishwashers are very popular. 

Personally, I’m interested in starting to make some of my own household cleaners, and in that vein, here are a few recipes from The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier.

Dishwashing Blues Blend

Liquid castile soap

10 drops lemon essential oil

6 drops bergamot essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops orange essential oil

Fill a clean 22-ounce plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

Lavender Lift Automatic Dishwasher Powder

2 cups washing soda

2 cups borax

20 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients, taking care to blend in the essential oil well. Store in a plastic container. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes.

My friend and colleague, Taylor Miller, brought some globe basil to the office earlier this week. Taylor, a gardener, has been growing herbs with an aerogarden, and judging by the amount of basil he brought, he’s been very successful. 

Globe basil is a cultivar of sweet basil. The leaves are smaller than the more common sweet basil leaves, and it grows in bushes. These characteristics make it perfect for small gardens. The taste is similar, although it is not sweet. It can be used is similar ways as sweet basil, although it probably isn’t the best choice for a caprese salad (basil and tomato). 

Basil and Garlic Vegan Garlic Spread 

I used this instead of mayo in a pan fried mahi-mahi sandwich on Monday, and a ham and cheese sandwich for my Tuesday lunch. It was a great addition to an otherwise boring lunch in front of the computer. It will also work as herb "butter" over bread or as a delicious topping to a baked potato. 

2 tablespoons of vegetable spread (I use Earth Balance’s Natural Buttery Spread-Soy Garden)

1 medium clove of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of minced globe basil 

Whip the ingredients together and spread over a slice of bread. 

Note: This spread could also be made with butter. Just leave the butter out to soften, add salt to taste and whip with the rest of the ingredients. The spread would no longer be vegan. 

Whole Wheat Shells With Globe Basil 

For a long time my basic weeknight dinner was shells with steamed broccoli and parmesan cheese. But since my husband hates broccoli, I don’t buy it as often anymore. On Tuesday night I had the same idea, and used what I had in my fridge. 

Whole wheat pasta shells (enough for 2)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Half an onion, sliced thin.

Half a green bell pepper, thinly sliced. Discard stem and seeds.

6 cherry tomatoes cut in half

2 tablespoons chopped globe basil

2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Salt to taste 

1. Cook the pasta according to directions

2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the onion and pepper in a sauté pan with the olive oil over medium to high heat.

3. When the onion is translucent and the pepper tender add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to medium low.

4. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to your sauté pan, mix with the vegetables and add basil and salt.

5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Photo by 46137/Courtesy flickr

Lunchtime is your time.

You work hard for your afternoon break. You file, type labels, answer phones, do research and complete a million other tasks every day at work (at least I do). And that glorious break is all that stands between you and complete insanity. Well, Mother Nature works hard, too. Nurturing all life on this planet is a consuming job, and she deserves a break, too.

Here’s your chance to give Mother Nature a break. By following these simple tips and tricks, greening your lunch can be a real piece of (organic) cake.

-The best way to green your lunch is by making and bringing your own. This way, you know exactly what’s going into your grub—which is healthier for you—and you don’t waste gas idling in a fast food drive-up lane—which is healthier for Mom.

-Pack your lunch in reusable containers to cut down on waste. I use Tupperware to hold the bulk of my meal (i.e., angel hair and meat sauce, lasagna, soup, etc). I know plastic is not an ideal “green” solution to the question of reusable containers, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten thus far.

-Don’t use plastic bags. I know it’s tempting to use them for small bulk items like carrot sticks or even to house a sandwich, but these just end up in the trash. For things like carrots and grapes, use a smaller version of the reusable containers of your choice. And use sandwich holders for your sandwiches (because I bring a lot of sandwiches, this is my next green lunch goal). LunchBots offers one- and two-compartment 100% stainless steel containers that make packing a healthy and eco-friendly lunch easy as (locally grown cherry) pie.

-Tote your lunch in an old-school lunchbox, or even in a canvas bag. This will keep your lunch more stable, which is especially beneficial for preserving easily-bruised fruits. Here is one woman’s quest to find the perfect sustainable lunchbox.

-If you need utensils, bring silverware from home instead of using disposable plasticware. Again, this will cut down on plastic waste.

-Carry your drink in eco-friendly canisters. I got a Klean Kanteen for Hanukkah this year, and it has served me very well. Here is an article explaining why buying bottled water is a waste of money.

-This is a step above where I’m at, but if you really want to reduce your waste, bring and use organic cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

-Finally, if you just can’t kick that fast food craving, try to put together a carpool so you’ll at least be able to cut the number of cars out during the lunch rush, thus decreasing your (and your coworkers’) carbon footprint.

As I finish this post, my Granny Smith core sits atop my desk. I could just toss it in the trash (it’s biodegradable, right?) But instead, I’m going to add it to my office’s compost pile. Just one more way I show my Mother I love her.