Reclaimed
Screen printing with thrifted clothing to reduce waste
Screen printing can be a costly venture, especially for students. I was in this position a couple years ago. I wanted to start printing shirts, but investing in new, often expensive garments to print on made the process more intimidating than it needed to be.
Also consider how many clothes are thrown out or donated each year. (I don't have the numbers but it's pretty shocking.) By purchasing new, I'd have to be careful not to be a participant in that waste.
My challenge was how could I put more art into people’s everyday lives while reducing waste.
The Approach
Year
24/03/2025
My solution was to print on thrifted garments. The revelation came to me when I visited a local hospital auxiliary. So many items at thrift stores are simply never purchased.
By printing on reclaimed garments, I create without generating as much waste as with new garments.
I won't have a perfect edition of shirts, however each garment becomes a unique piece.
Each garment is carefully selected, cleaned, sorted, and printed.
Methods Used
To make my prints, I illustrate on clear acetate with black oil paint markers. Any scuff ups can easily be erased with acetone. I prefer hand drawing my acetates because I can more easily get fluid lines that way.
When satisfied, I expose the illustration into my screen, wash out the image, and then print with water-based fabric ink. (If you’re curious about the process there’s lots of resources on online that more thoroughly explain it.)
Methods include illustration and photo emulsion silkscreening
An acetate Illustration
I believe that artist-made garments enhance people's lives.
A graphic tee can simply be a beautiful design that inspires joy, or one that encourages introspection, or better self care.
Currently, my screen printing is functioning as a means of artistic expression. I make designs that will be beautiful, cool, fun, or inspiring to the viewer/wearer.
Many of the designs are expressions in emotional resilience with symbolism. (Others are simply fish.)
Lotus and lily pads represent new birth and new beginnings. A simple scribble could represent unaddressed needs, or the need to let go.
When I screen print, every care around me vanishes. By printing I find peace and hope to encourage my audience to find their own peace too.