I was thrilled to read the announcement in the Cabinet Office’s press release on 22nd October 2021 that I have been selected as one of the 26 One Step Greener Ambassadors:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/final-six-one-step-greener-ambassadors-announced
https://together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org/onestepgreener-ambassadors/
“James Owen Thomas is a student, passionate artist and committee environmentalist based in North Yorkshire. Earlier this year he joined The Tree Councils Young Tree Champion ambassador programme, and has since inspired thousands of Young Tree Champions in schools across the UK through his artwork which uses recycled materials to create mosaic-style collages that depict the natural world from landscapes to birds to trees. James, who is on the autistic spectrum, is leading engagement with Special Needs Schools for the Tree Council.”
Being a Force For Nature Ambassador for the Tree Council has given me the confidence to share my views and my form of environmental art on a national level. Richard Pollard from the Tree Council nominated me as a COP26 One Step Greener Ambassador and he wrote:
“We are so proud of James one of our leading Ambassadors and now a COP26 One step greener ambassador who is meeting the Prime Minister to share a special message on why it is so important to be a Force for Nature and act now to tackle the climate and nature crises.
James inspires thousands of Tree Council Young Tree Champions to be a Force for Nature by using his mesmerizing art to highlight the issues of single use products on the environment through turning discarded wastepaper into beautiful intricate mosaic-style collages that celebrate the wonder of trees and nature.”
I’ve always liked creating order out of disorder. I’ve been referred to as an artist with a different vision and innovative way of working. It’s good to hear that my art is said to be inspiring and thought provoking as people understand that I create art with a message. I use all kinds of recycled materials to create mosaic-style collages, which have been exhibited in the north over the last 5 years since I was 15. More recently I have had exhibitions in Swansea, Milton Keynes and East Sussex.
My story is quite personal as I explain how from an early age, I have always disliked litter. I would clear rubbish from parks rather than play alongside other children. I lacked the social skills associated with being on the autistic spectrum. However, my early interests in recycling, nature and the environment very much helped to shape the kind of person I am today.
I volunteered for the National Trust as from the age of 14 because of my interest in nature and I especially enjoyed filling the feeders in the bird hide area of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, North Yorkshire and being involved with bird survey reports at Brimham Rocks.
As a COP26 One Step Greener ambassador I’m pleased that I’ll be representing the autistic community. I often say that my autism has given me a gift, a different way of thinking and creating my art. You’ve got to be strong to be different and the way I keep myself strong is through my collage art. It has been said that “autism is not a disability – it’s a different ability” but I still know how hard it is to have autism.
I know from experience how much stress and anxiety people with autism face in their everyday lives. Sensory overload is something I’ve regularly experienced with having had for example, problems with tiptoe walking that has led to pain years later. I also have auditory processing difficulties and the frustration of being previously told that I have a different perception to others of the world around me. I know that we all look at things differently but I certainly felt different.
When first at school, I relied on pictures for communication, using picture exchange systems (PECS) to follow timetables and social stories. I can’t say I was a model pupil at school but at least I showed some examples of green behaviours with my special interests in recycling and nature. I feel very pleased now to be involved in a process with the Tree Council and the manufacturers of PECS to provide some ideas for symbols that represent climate change and what steps we can make to improve the world we live in. I have spoken to children before about the importance of recycling and reusing as many of our materials as possible and I will continue to do this in my Force For Nature Ambassador role.
I hope that when people look at my art they will understand the message that we can all connect to nature. I like to think that one of my latest collages named “At Twilight” could signify that although it is late in the day, we must all do more to rescue our planet before it is too late. I hope it’s not too late. My art expresses my concern about the damaging environmental effects of single-use products. I prefer to use materials that most people would just throw away because I look at the colours and patterns of packaging for example and like to imagine how they can be reshaped into my artwork.
My message included with a framed print of this collage gifted to the Prime Minister is: “At Twilight – but not too late in the day we hope to save the planet.”
In my final major project at Bradford School of Art I used recycled material for a series of canvases. I’ve always admired David Hockney and still enjoy spending time looking at his art in Salts Mill but whereas he creates art by using technology in iPhones, I prefer to create mine on broken, cracked and damaged iPhones, transforming them into miniature works of art!
As part of a Gold Arts Award course run by We Are Ive in Leeds that I completed in 2019, I carried out a survey and 18 people agreed to complete the survey form. In my first question, all 18 said “Yes” when I asked if people should be encouraged to use recycled materials in their art. In my second question, I asked if they thought art that is made from recycled materials will not be valued as highly because it is seen as second-hand art and I was relieved they said, “No” and didn’t think so. I received some interesting comments saying that if anything, art made from recycled materials may be valued even more highly, especially at this time when environmental issues are more and more in the headlines. Art isn’t what it’s made from, but what it has or can become. Being creative and inspired outweighs what material was used. It is the vision that is important.
