From crafting hand drawings to designing T-shirts, Steven Spittka loves art.
The 51-year-old Zephyrhills resident and Navy veteran still recalls getting “straight A’s” in his high school art classes in Michigan.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
Having that creative mindset sparked the idea that he could make art sculptures “out of trash” — about five years ago, when he saw empty cans littering the yard near the now-defunct Crosslight Baptist Church in Zephyrhills.
“I was cutting grass one day, and I saw trash all over the church’s yard and ditches. …I picked up an empty soda can, I looked at it, and I said, ‘You know what? You can make something out of this trash and give it away to other people,’ and that’s’ where I got started,” Spittka said.
“I can make somebody else happy out of trash and cans, basically.”
For Spittka, the projects are a fun hobby, and a way to give back to the local community.
He’s made soda can replicas for Woodland Elementary, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and the Zephyrhills police and fire departments, without any charge.
Spittka even met with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, and presented him with a soda can sculpture that included two guns and a pair of handcuffs.
“He loved it,” Spittka said.
Most of Spittka’s artwork is given away for free, though some recipients insist on giving him “a few dollars.”
“Everybody says, ‘You are so kind-hearted that you give all your things away,’ and I say, ‘Well, that’s my nature,’ he said.
“I just enjoy doing things for other people,” he said.
With a combination of soda cans, hot glue, and paint, Spittka can design anything from classic cars and motorcycles to animals and musical instruments.
He noted he’s gotten “better and better” at creating figures from soda cans over the past few years.
Depending on the scope of the project, Spittka may use anywhere from a few soda cans to more than 50.
Some pieces may take less than an hour to several hours over multiple days.
His ideas for the art pieces come at a whim inside his personal workshop.
“I’ll go out there and think, ‘What can I make?’ So, I’ll start twiddling and cutting and molding the cans,” said Spittka, who also works at a local clothing store. “It’s all out of my head. I don’t look at anything.”
To find enough supplies to make all of his art, Spittka rides his bicycle around Zephyrhills searching out all sorts of empty soda cans. He also recycles the cans that his family has emptied to make sculptures.
“People just give me ideas. They’ll slip and give me a hint, like, ‘Oh, I like butterflies, and it triggers,’” Spittka said.
While Spittka could likely turn his skill into a side business, he prefers to just keep it as a hobby, and give away his works for free.
“I just enjoy doing things for other people,” he said. “It’s something different.”
Published March 2, 2016
