Artcrank artist Travis Poffenberger lives and works at his home garden studio in Alexandria, VA .Travis believes in reusing whenever possible, both his work and his garden are often composed of found objects. A old swing set lives on as trellis and planters include a kitchen sink.
"Lately my garden has taken over my work. I made very little art work until the plants were established, the garden was set up, and food was no longer a priority. I started making pieces from dried bits of plants I had grown or collected, it felt natural."
Travis creates stamps and test prints in his lush garden studio. Travis credits his resourcefulness and waste-nothing values to his Grandparents, originally German immigrants, who "learned to make do with what they had around them."
Travis carves a stamp from foamboard that was originally used to package a live Betta Fish that was shipped to him years ago.
"I learned how to make stamps for the Artcrank piece. I wanted to learn something new, and explore the medium, as one does when you first learn to ride a bike. There’s nothing like that feeling when the training wheels first come off; it's amazing. Although I feel the sense of freedom gained through learning to ride is more profound than learning a new art production method, the core is the same. I've been making stamps like crazy for the past few months, like just learning to ride a 2 wheeler, it's all I want to do."
Travis and his trusty hardtail. "I primarily use my bike for leisurely transportation or short errands, more as a tool for mental clarity than utility."
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