Eco Art Projects
by Blake Frino
With all of the harsh chemicals used in creating art, as well as damaging to the earth, it’s nice to find that there are great green art supplies out there for us to enjoy. It’s time to act on those crafty projects you have been procrastinating, like painting, drawing, or scrapbooking, all the while keeping the earth in mind.
If you’re working on a painting, dabble with M. Graham Walnut Oil Paints, which take the place of traditional linseed oil and was developed to provide a non-toxic, environmentally responsible alternative to solvent-based, rapid drying alkyd mediums. Offering minimal cleaning, brushes can be rinsed purely with a mild detergent. No harsh thinners or turpentine are necessary, reducing disposal of harmful chemicals and pollution. Acid-free canvases are the eco-friendly way to go when it comes to what you paint on because they are made from a cellulose by-product that is an ecologically renewable resource.
For drawing, there are a variety of Strathmore Windpower Series paper pads for sketching, which are made with 100% wind generated electricity. Using this pollution free, renewable energy resource has many lasting and positive effects on the environment.
Drawing with regular pastel sticks reduce wood waste, but if you like the pencil-like pastels, Faber-Castell works with a Brazilian reforesting project (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council) growing timber for the Pitt Pastel Pencils. Other sketching materials to find are cedar-cased pencils made of sustainable plantation timber, or those made from recycled newspapers. Watercolors that are certified non-toxic can add a whole new dimension to the drawing.
When scrapbooking with natural or recycled paper-filled books or making models, use glue that is certified non-toxic. And for those models, natural and biodegradable Taskboard, made of sustainable forestry wood, can be used to make models and other craft projects.
If you need some ideas, purchase an environmentally-friendly collage starter kit and get that imagination flowing.