Spencer Charlton, a talented artist and sculptor from Scarborough, Ontario, has gained recognition for his unique artwork created from recycled cannabis packaging.
Residing in Toronto's Liberty Village and supervising a dispensary, Spencer simultaneously pursues his own artistic endeavours, which have garnered widespread appreciation. His distinctive style involves crafting animal sculptures out of discarded cannabis packaging, serving as a means to promote environmental consciousness within the community. Using brands like Carmel, Good Supply, BLKMKT, and Cookies, Spencer uses your favourite brands to create one-of-a-kind art.
Spencer began his artistic journey by using his own cannabis packaging to create collages and sculptures.
Inspired by the upcycle movement, he turned cannabis packaging into a unique artistic medium. He obtained more supplies from dispensaries with recycling bins and built a network of fellow enthusiasts who saved their packaging for him. This combination of personal consumption, dispensary resources, and community support has enabled him to support his passion for his craft and shape his artistic identity.
Following a meticulous process, Spencer sources papercraft templates online, focusing on animals and nature to highlight the environmental impact of the packaging. Creating a collage of labels, he attaches the template and uses a hobby knife to cut, fold, and assemble the pieces with super glue. For original designs, he experiments with cutting and taping paper shapes to create a template. The time required for each sculpture varies, with the first Trash Panda taking around 80 hours and subsequent ones being completed in approximately 60 hours. The preparation of label collages and cutting pieces is the most time-consuming aspect.
His artwork serves as a means to raise awareness about the excessive waste produced by the cannabis industry.
He wants to shed light on the substantial amount of plastic packaging he personally collected in just one year of consuming legal cannabis. Charlton stresses the importance of promoting proper recycling practices, especially considering the contradiction of a country striving to reduce single-use plastics. Through Spencer’s art, he hopes to inspire others to creatively repurpose cannabis waste, preventing it from contributing to landfill pollution. By embracing cannabis as his artistic theme, Spencer found greater support from the cannabis community, in comparison to the fine arts community, aligning his passion with his artistic expression.
One of the many pieces Spencer takes pride in is a bull sculpture that blows smoke out of its nose, marking his first collaboration with a brand.
The intricate nature of the papercraft template presented a challenge that required problem-solving skills. Creating functional art that allows physical interaction resonates with Spencer and adds to his pride in this piece. For aspiring artists, Spencer advises approaching creative endeavors as opportunities for practice and exploration, relieving the pressure of perfection. He emphasizes making art for oneself and trusting its value, encouraging sharing to attract like-minded individuals and foster a supportive community.
Spencer always has ongoing projects, constantly exploring ways to create artwork with cannabis packaging.
He is currently preparing to showcase his work at Lift Expo Toronto 2023 and plans to engage with fellow cannabis enthusiasts in person through more public events as CraterCrater in the future.
Spencer has created commissioned pieces for brands and private collectors as well.
To inquire about purchasing his artwork, the best way to get in touch is through his Instagram handle @cratercrater. He also encourages interested individuals to meet him in person at cannabis and Budtender events in Toronto.
