Contractors working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District install a 23-foot-tall concrete shaft enclosure weighing approximately 120,000 pounds as part of the guard wall at the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Nov. 16, 2023.

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Cannelton employee uses recycled materials as inspiration for art

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District
Published May 17, 2024
Chris Carl, a navigation project assistant at Cannelton Locks and Dam, poses for a photo with one of the pieces of art she created with recycled materials.

Chris Carl, a navigation project assistant at Cannelton Locks and Dam, poses for a photo with one of the pieces of art she created with recycled materials.

Chris Carl has had an interest in art for as long as she can remember. What began with something as simple as coloring with crayons as a child has grown and transformed over the years into a love of creating artwork by using almost anything she comes across.

That love of creating things has led to her recently placing second in the adult category of the inaugural USACE-wide Sustainable Art Challenge with her piece, “Upcycled Elegance,” which represents roses in a bottle made from recycled aluminum cans, a recycled bottle, and paints. The competition allowed artists to illustrate diverse ways materials can be recycled into works of art. 

Carl, a navigation project assistant at Cannelton Locks and Dam, joined USACE in her current position in September 2018. Her position keeps her busy with various administrative tasks like timekeeping, item procurement, training, IT support and property accountability, but her art provides an outlet for stress relief and creativity.

“I have had an interest in art for as long as I can remember and have always encouraged my daughter to be creative,” Carl said. “It’s relaxing and fun to work on different projects. You never know what the final product will turn out to look like. You have your fingers crossed that it looks something like what you were going for. I always hope others will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed working on it.

“I also like the sense of fulfillment and pride when a project is complete, knowing I created something out of an idea, some materials lying around the house, and my own two hands.” 
While Carl mostly works with acrylic paint, spray paint or alcohol ink, she also likes to use items like canvas, tiles, old bottles and jars, tennis shoes, and even aluminum cans. She said recycling items work for several reasons.

“Art supplies and materials can be expensive so using things I already had around the house to create something new just made sense,” she said. “Aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles, pieces of scrap wood, and broken yard decorations become one-of-a-kind pieces around my house.”

Carl said she also likes to try new and different painting processes, such as pour paint and hydro dip painting but advises they can be a little messy.
“You should wear gloves when working with the spray paint, alcohol ink or stain as all of these will stain your hands. I also use a clear coat spray on everything I paint to protect it,” she said. “I have gone to work many times looking like I just dipped my hands in a paint bucket.”

Messy hobby or not, Carl says she will continue to do what she loves and share it with others.

“We are all creative in our own ways, whether its art, cooking, wood working, etc., but what I truly love about art has been sharing it with my daughter and seeing how our creativity has evolved through the years,” she said.


Chick Lock

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