Materials

Artist Leon F Ruiz loves our beautiful planet and the amazing creatures that live on it. He's inspired by nature and the urban jungles people have built, and prides himself on using eco-friendly materials that keep our planet clean from pollution. It is his mission to create artwork that decorates homes and starts conversations about finding creative ways to reuse, recycle, and repurpose found materials.

What are the crystals made from?

The sparkling crystals that glisten like tiny jewels under the sunlight consist of glass and plastic. For years, Leon F. Ruiz has been gathering glass bottles and plastic containers during beach cleanups, unsure of how to utilize them beyond recycling. However, while working on his series titled 'Pulse, the Color of Sound & Vibration of Life', an innovative concept emerged. Mr. Ruiz embarked on a journey of breaking, polishing, and even staining these gathered materials, granting them a fresh purpose.

studio made papier-mâché

Leon F. Ruiz, the artist, embarks on regular journeys to various beaches throughout the year, driven by the goal of uncovering abandoned books, magazines, and other forms of paper materials left behind by beachgoers.

Upon gathering these discarded materials, he submerges them in water until they transform into a pulp-like consistency. This pulp is subsequently blended with eco-friendly acrylic, thereby converting the residual paper into papier-mâché. He skillfully applies this papier-mâché onto his painting surfaces, resulting in the distinct texture that adorns many of his artworks.

Styrofoam®

Styrofoam, also known as expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), is pervasive in the marine environment due to its lightweight and buoyant properties, enabling it to be transported from streets and storm drains to the ocean.

Leon, an eco-artist, has dedicatedly collected numerous styrofoam cups and plates that were discarded over the years. He has skillfully repurposed them by crumbling them up and incorporating them into his paintings as textured elements. Thanks to the enduring nature of styrofoam, the textured effects in his artworks will endure and retain their original state over time.

glitter vs. ecostardust

Leon F. Ruiz's paintings exude a captivating sparkle, achieved through a unique method. He collects soda and beer cans during his beach cleanups, processing them for a month to create his shimmering material. When this isn't available, he turns to eco-glitter provider Ecostardust, offering a sustainable glitter made from plant cellulose derived from non-GMO Eucalyptus Trees. Mr. Ruiz avoids conventional glitter, which is made from plastic sheets and contributes to microplastic pollution when washed down drains.

Eco-Acrylic & Eco-Poxy

All of Mr. Ruiz’s paintings are made with eco-friendly acrylic paint provided from several worldwide providers. He makes sure that they are made from 99% natural ingredients, water-based, non-toxic and solvent-free. The lovely gloss that finishes most of Mr. Ruiz’s work is an eco-poxy made up of eggshells and various organic materials that are safe for the environment and herself. It is also UV protected to make sure your painting stays in the same excellent condition no matter how many years pass by.