Materials matter, this is a thought that can often be overlooked. What you buy has a shelf life and it also has a garbage life. After you toss it, it lasts and still affects its environment. That’s where people like Jeff Auld come in, he is able to see the beauty in the used and discarded. He uses a creative lens to repurpose materials, mainly discarded skateboards into beautiful, functional art. Have a read, get inspired and go follow Green Life Recycled Skateboards.
- Why don’t you give us a little background on who you are and what creative endeavors you're behind.
What up! My name’s Jeff (Green Life Recycled Skateboards), I’m a skater for life! Pressed my first skateboard in high school and I’ve been recycling old boards for a little over five years.
- Let’s start with how you got into skating?
In 4th grade my friend Scott brought “Dying To Live” as a show and tell. I was already into skating, but it was the first time I ever saw real skating. It’s been my life ever since!
- How do you think looking at the world through the lens of a skateboarder influences your art, design, or creativity?
There’s always been a lot of incredible art within the skateboarding industry, and whatever you’re exposed to impacts you in some way. I’ve always been a huge fan of most all of it dude! It’s amazing to see the individual style that everyone has to offer. When it comes down to someone as big as Eddy Templeton and his natural flow, or the smaller artist creating whatever it is they’re hyped on just for the love. But how you skate, how you choose to express your image, and the ideas you create on your board is an art form as well.
- You make things a little different, for those that don’t know, what goes into working with recycled skateboards? Why that medium?
Reclaiming old skateboards and relaminating the maple takes a lot of hard work haha! When you reclaim wood like pallets and old salvage pieces you always have to pull some nails or strip some finish. Before you can use an old skateboard you have to pull the grip, the nasty leftover adhesive, strip the paint and finish, cut it up, and glue it into a block of wood. Then you just have to pretty up the block and you’ll be where most people start off when they buy fresh wood at the store! I put in that work because there’s nothing I’d rather create with than skateboards, and to salvage all the boards that would be in the trash. The dyed hard maple just happens to look amazing too when it’s all cleaned up!
- What are some of your favorite recycled board projects?
Projects of other artists? Anything of Haroshi’s! That dude is the reason I glued up some old boards. And I always loved Iris skateboards, he makes some sick decks! His cruisers were the reason I thought about making skateboards with recycled skateboards. I love everything made from decks, but my favorite pieces that I made are all the skateboards with recycled skateboard veneers. All the sculptures too that had personal boards or meaning for the people that received them.
- Should makers pay more attention to sustainability?
I mean I hold onto everything from little cut off pieces down to the leftover colored saw dust haha, but that’s just because I’m a skate hoarder and I’m so big on recycling old things into new purposes. As far as cutting down trees, I wish it would be more sustainable or in less demand because of reclaimed lumber. Old wood has so much history and also much more life left, especially something like a skateboard that after it gets damaged enough it’s not good for skating any more.
- What could someone do to make less of an environmental impact?
Recycle as much as possible in any way! There are a lot of things we could do to positively impact the earth in other ways too, whatever you think you can contribute yourself is a step in the right direction for all of us.
- Do you think it’s important to push independent, small makers / creatives? Why?
I’m all about the hard work and originality that goes into the smaller makers pieces. There’s a difference between mass producing something for profit, and profiting from producing something you love. Who you support with your money determines our economy. Supporting small businesses supports the families that work hard in this world.
- How do you develop your ideas? What is your creative process?
Can’t stop thinking about it haha! I try to let my passion consume my direction and create with what inspires me every day. If I see a sidewalk or some stairs or a hill or some metal or you name it, I think about skating. Skating will always affect my life and creativity. There’s nothing I’d rather do than make skateboards and anything else you can dream of from old skateboards.
- How do you think creativity can help the world today?
We all need to think for ourselves and express who we are in a way that’s beneficial to ourselves and others. Do what makes you happy, and spread good with it.
- What advice would you give to someone struggling to create something?
Try to do what comes natural to you and own it. There’s always going to be practice and patience involved, but do what’s right for you. Everyone’s different and that’s how we can all contribute to this life in our own way. Skate for Life!
