They say that no beauty shines brighter than that of a ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. After all, good deeds always pay off! Amarildo Silva is certainly one with a ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, as the young Bʀᴀᴢɪʟian craftsman has already dedicated one year and six months giving comfort and joy to animals. He turns old tires into comfortable and decorated beds and the good news is that he is not willing to stop.
Years ago, Filho was working at a grocery store, hoping his artistic pursuits could translate into a more rewarding career. He was ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ sᴛᴜᴄᴋ, his art was not selling, and he came home every day to a neighborhood littered with trash. He always enjoyed making handicrafts with materials that were no longer used and would be otherwise ᴅɪsᴄᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ.
The young man started gathering ᴅɪsᴄᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ tires, left around his community. He turned one into a pet bed. Amarildo realized that old tires were being used as a refuge by the dogs that live in the streets, and came up with the idea to bring them the feeling of home and make it more comfortable for animals. By creating something new out of it, he not only contributed to the well-being of the environment but also earned a few extra dollars in the process.
The artist collects the old tires that he finds on the streets, takes them home and puts all the stuff in his backyard. He dedicated one of his rooms for storing these tires. After separating the tires, he cuts, washes and paints them. He loves to draw a unique design for each tire and write the name of the animal to whom the bed will belong to.
Whenever he has free time, Amarildo collects ᴅɪsᴄᴀʀᴅᴇᴅ tires, and gives them a new life by transforming them into special animal beds. He has already sold more than 500 pieces to date. He mostly delivers inside Bʀᴀᴢɪʟ but his efforts have become so popular, he already has orders from Europe, North America and Asia. Eventually, Filho had recycled over 6,000 old tires into comfortable beds for cats and dogs around his neighborhood. It takes him about 40 minutes to cut and wash each tire, paint them in bright, friendly colors, and personalize them with their recipient’s name.
Filho reclaims a lot of his tires from the streets, but he’s also received them as ᴅᴏɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, or bought them in bulk. Aside from the animal beds, he also added flowerpots and recycling containers to his portfolio of creations. His works has become so popular that he is now being asked to speak to young people in different public schools.
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