Hilary Christensen

I am a painter,  goodwill enthusiast, and mother of 2 boys.  About 14 years ago I decided to “paint” with abandoned bits of plastic.

 

It all started harmlessly enough, my youngest broke toys as quickly as he picked them out.  So, I started a drawer of his destruction, determined to repair some of the carnage. Legos left strewn about were soon added. Then dice and game pieces that didn't make their way back to the proper box.  Before you know it, I'm hoarding bread tabs and picking up broken hanger tags in the Target parking lot.

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The thing about these little bits is that they aren’t recyclable. Goodwill doesn’t put small pieces out in their retail stores, so all these little bits have no where to go. I love giving a second use to something that would have ended up in the landfill. I love working with random shapes and colors and figuring out how to fit them together into an image altogether new and different. 

 

I received my BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. My family and I moved back to her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin around 3 years ago.  My older son is attending college and we occasionally collaborate on mixed media work. My younger son has moved to New York City to train in ballet.  Because of this, I am splitting my time between Madison and New York.