# Wooden Scrap Paintings These Unique Oil Paintings by Mel Davis are Made of Discarded Materials By Tana Makmanee | Published 2013-02-05 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mel-davis References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/02/01/mel-davis-found-wood-paintings/) & [gocam.users.sonic.net](http://gocam.users.sonic.net/mel/mel_davis/mel_davis.html) These [Found Wood Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/out-of-the-blue-exhibition) by Mel Davis are comprised of a variety of randomly found wood pieces, which have been detailed with a array of oil paints to form a visually simplistic yet engaging piece of artwork. Davis uses [found pieces of wood](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hughmanity) as a base for her paintings, each piece of wood is different in size and texture. Davis finds these rugged pieces of discarded wood and carves, and reshapes and molds them into visually striking forms. The ability of Davis to transform these pieces of trash and [discarded material into wonderfully creative](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/basket-sculptures) and thought-provoking pieces of artwork is a testament to her ability to look beyond first impressions and appearances, and create something beautiful from something ordinary. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 67% | Activity: 31% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Found Material Art:** Artists are using discarded materials to create unique and environmentally conscious artworks. - **Upcycled Sculptures:** Artists are reshaping and molding discarded materials into visually striking sculptures. - **Trash-to-treasure:** Artists are finding beauty in ordinary objects by transforming them into creative and thought-provoking artworks. ### Where This Applies - **Art:** The art industry can explore new avenues of creativity and sustainability by incorporating found materials into their artworks. - **Sculpture:** The sculpture industry can embrace the concept of upcycling and create visually striking sculptures from discarded materials. - **Design:** The design industry can apply the 'trash-to-treasure' concept to create innovative and eco-friendly products using ordinary materials. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Repurposed Wooden Vessels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/darren-appiagyei.md) - [Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kayla-rumpp.md) - [Repurposed Studio Scrap Pottery](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/daon-pottery.md) - [Otherworldly Wooden Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wooden-sculptures-1.md) - [Repurposed Sawdust Tables](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sawdust-low-table.md) - [Geometric Wooden Art Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aleph-geddis.md) - [Sustainable Creative Craft Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fyrn-studio-series.md) - [Resin Hardware Revivals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meta-hardware.md) - [Upcycled Sculptural Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eps-expanded-polystyrene-serie.md)