Scrap Treasures Unearthed by Local Art Hiker

You get to meet other local hikers trekking different life terrains as you wander through life. We're all "hikers" in some sense, and we trek our own chosen paths, some smooth, some rugged. Like Alex. Here's a local hiker who hacked through a rugged footpath of his own by creating "treasure" displays from scrap materials. And it's all thanks to God for the pandemic lockdowns, which initially looked like a dead end to him but later became an opportunity. 

Why Not His Own Exhibit?

Trash materials scheduled to be disposed when the garbage truck comes. Soda tin cans, scrap papers, wires, discarded bottles and short branches from pruned trees. But wait, said Alex Legaspi to himself. He stared at the bunch of litters before him. Something in his artistic proclivities reminded him how old and wasted rejects can be turned into new creations fit for a specific purpose. Like what he did with his campaign for a solar panel company on recycling and zero waste. He was then the designer of the display booth stand during a trade convention. The idea struck him. Yeah, why not?

"Naisip ko, ginawa ko ang campaign na 'zero waste for cleaner air...cleaner world.' Tapos hindi ko gagawin sa actual (na buhay ko)? Drawing lang?"

From trash to treasure. Other folks have discovered money in trash (pera sa basura) but he toyed with the idea of making treasure out of trash. He was pondering on the idea while in the confines of his home in Pampanga last year due to the pandemic when severe lockdowns forced some companies to cease operations for a while. He thought it was the end of his colorful career. He is head of the advertising and promotion department of a local Caterpillar Marine Engine company which stopped work schedules since last year when the pandemic set in. 

So he decided to find something productive to do at home.

"I decided to fix some things at home, clean the whole house, do some repairs, repaint everything. I gathered a heap of trash in the process that I thought could still be put into good use."

Wood Art 

That's when the scrap toy treasures were "unearthed." The idea was "buried" for a while but the ample spare time provided by the lockdowns resurrected the idea from oblivion. So Alex--or Lex to his friends (and to us, his UE Manila high school classmates circa late 70s)--started gathering the bits and pieces and went to work. His first project was to save the tree stem debris from the community incinerator. So he did some wood art crafts, always the creative smart guy that he was in our graduating class (1978) when we needed some art works.

"Inuna ko yung mga sanga ng puno kasi susunugin na ng barangay. Ito na ngayun yun."

From useless stems ready for disposal and burning, to a colorful hanging wooden chime or practical wall mounted display. Everything's from materials just lying idly around his house. Instead of remaining useless and even a menace, he turned them into something valuable. He added some inspirational wooden guideposts made of ply boards. 

Real Inspiration

His inspiration stems mostly from his new-found devotion to the Lord. Instead of being made unproductive by the pandemic, he claims the Lord enabled him to do more meaningful things while kept at home. "I can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST OUR LORD which STRENGTHENED ME. Philippians 4:15," he once messaged me. "Siya talaga ang magaling hindi ako? The Giver of the Gift... Siya talaga ang inspirasyon ko," Lex humbly insisted.

Wire and Paper

Later on, he tinkered with old wires lying around. With some finger dexterity and imagination and inspiration, he turned them into mounted sculptures which look like wringed wire trophies to me. Checkout some of his scrap paper arts below after his wire trophy collection.

Tin Metal Scraps

Saving the best for last, Lex started exploring artwork possibilities with discarded soda tin cans. What good could they be used for after being emptied of their contents? He started playing with the idea of scooters. So the journey began. This local hiker shifted terrain, this time a path of piecing metal strips together to form scooters.

And look what he used for the scooter wheels. He mounted the whole thing on a smooth wooden base for a metal sculpture souvenir item or trophy, Philippine made by local ingenuity using some imported soda brands. It could very well pass for a novelty item in a souvenir shop which tourists would go crazy for.

Then he tried it out with motorcycles.

If it's possible with scooters and motorcycles, then why not a farm tractor, too?

Best for Last

Saving the best for last, he tried it with jeeps, too, and it worked. Well, not at first. It was quite a challenge initially, but with perseverance and the drive of a local hiker, he didn't give up. In fact, as soon as he learned that I needed his art works for my blog, he finished it pronto within minutes.

And below is the end result.

Awed by what he accomplished, I mentioned about how things can turn out really good in the end, even those we think are fit only for discarding away. They can even end up being precious treasures from scraps, literally. And Lex agreed and added.

Alam ko din na minsan inu-unahan kasi tayo ng negatibong isip natin, kaya tinatalo tayo ng takot. Pero alam naman natin walang ibang gusto ang Lord kung hindi mapabuti at maging maayos tayong lahat. John 10:10 "Naparito ako upang magbigay ng buhay... Buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya."