For several years, I have volunteered to popularize the topic of upcycling, conducting workshops for children from orphanages under the sponsorship of the «Northern Crown» foundation (since 2022) and the «Mentors to Children» foundation (since 2025). During these sessions, I introduce the children to upcycling by moving from theory to practice. This past weekend, I visited the GASUSO MO «Dobry Dom Kolomensky» in Kolomna. Together with the children, we created an eco-panel using recycled paper and dried flowers, transforming ordinary waste materials into a piece of art. My motto is to create something new while treating nature and each other with care.
Introducing the foundation’s beneficiaries to the theme of recycling by demonstrating an approach that helps expand the horizons of the familiar through the transformation of objects destined to become waste, but which are reborn as an art object, exemplified by the creation of a panel.
Engaging with natural materials helps students focus on the process, feel the texture and color, slow down, and shift their mindset. The master class becomes not only an educational experience but also a way to relax and be present in the moment.
The process is built around developing motor skills: first, sheets of paper are manually shredded to create pulp, which is then mixed with water. Flower petals are subsequently crushed and added to the diluted pulp, contributing texture and color. Everything is then carefully mixed by hand into a uniform mass—the future eco-paper—which is first laid out on a screen mold, and then thoroughly squeezed to remove excess moisture and form the sheet more densely. Finally, the resulting paper-flower abstraction is transferred to a specialized surface, where it will dry and become each participant’s genuine art object, complete with its unique print and texture.
