I try to use as close to 100% recycled materials in every piece I make.  I originally began doing this out of my concern for our environment. By using scrap and discarded/reclaimed materials I am saving "garbage" from filling landfills, and I avoid encouraging the production of more new products- the production of which drain our natural resources and pollute our environment.

In working with reclaimed materials, I also discovered another bonus: found objects have a history and a life of their own. Just like another person, these pieces have their own scars and their own energy that tell their story- and each piece of art begins to feel like a collaboration between myself and another entity that knows things I do not.