Meet Mike Valle | Artist, creator, maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Valle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I began collecting bottle caps while in college. Seeing the seemingly endless array of colors and designs, I knew there had to be something better I could do with them other than throw them away. Nearly 10 years after college, I saw a news segment about a group in Australia that with over 3600 cups of coffee and varying amounts of milk created a portrait of the Mona LIsa.
Inspired by the new story, I decided to challenge myself, and put all those bottle caps to use, using the Mona Lisa as my own muse, and after 6 months, and countless iterations I completed my first bottle cap creation. The response and feedback to my creation encouraged me to try another piece, and another, now 14 years, and over 100k bottle caps later, bottle cap art has become my main art medium.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What started off as a one off challenge became something much more in the last 14 years. It hasn’t always been fun though, and certainly not easy. I’ve had some projects that came together smoothly and without issue, and some that I really struggled with, tested my last never, and made me want to quit. Looking at my body of work, my style, has certainly had some iterations over the years, as I’ve developed my process, my style has also changed, and I’m sure both will continue to do so as I grow as an artist.

Something that I’ve come to realize, and further believe from doing this is that everything has a purpose. It’s true, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I saved caps for years, not knowing why, just knowing I could do something with them. And once I figured out exactly what it was, I’ve since taken hundreds of thousands of piece of what most of the world tosses into the trash, and have been able to create countless pieces of art hanging in people homes, bars, and businesses all over the world

For me, creating mosaics is dually fulfilling, as it allows me to both design and physically build a work of art. Through my work, I aim to give new life to everyday items generally discarded as waste. Combining many pieces of “trash” to create something new, beautiful and hopefully recognizable. Focusing my work on portraits of iconic figures and artworks throughout history, I strive to get people to look at a classic art form with an uncommon medium, mixed with a bit of a Pop Art. Through my work, I’m hopeful it will inspire people to see everyday materials and the environment around them differently.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in the Greensboro NC area, especially as a beer drinker, there are so many awesome local breweries to check out, and just as many amazing restaurants. It’s an great area to live in and has made such a resurgence in the last 15 or so years, offering great events, and things to do for young and old alike. Having the Steven Tanger Center in town now, we get so many great shows coming through, that we don’t have to travel to see.
Additionally, living in this area, you can get to the mountains in just a couple of hours, or the beach if you go in the other direction, so with the changing seasons, you have so many options for getting outside and being active. It’s a great place to live, and I can certainly see myself growing old here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was very fortunate growing up that my parents and brothers were so supportive of my art. It kept me going, and exploring different art forms and mediums. I also had a great art teacher (Mrs. Hampe) in high school that helped me realize art was what I was meant to pursue, in one form or another. And of coarse my amazing wife, Meri, who has been so supportive and encouraging since we met, as an artist herself, she’s always there to lend advice, and keep pushing me when I’m ready to give up on a project.

And last, but not least, all the friends, family, bars and restaurants that keep me fueled up with caps to keep making!

Website: https://www.Recapsart.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/Recapsart

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Recapsart

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mikevalle4100