image of handmade pastels in Eco Art class
This year I’ve been working with Ibu Jen, the MS and HS visual arts teacher at Green School. For the past 5 weeks we have been facilitating an Eco Art class where high school students get to produce and use their own eco-friendly and natural art supplies. This is a project that grew into Ibu Jen’s mind after working at Green School for 4 years using “regular” art supplies. One day she was washing acrylic paint down the drain, she realized that the arts room is ironically the least green space at GS. So, it became her mission to try and change that, and the Eco Art Studio class began.
What I’ve learned about Green School is that, much like Evergreen, the teachers are lifelong learners and are therefore students themselves. Teaching Eco Art is an experiment where students and teachers alike will learn by doing. As an artist, I never fully realized how spoiled I was to have all of the colors of the rainbow at my fingertips. I am learning now that when I make my own art supplies, I am more proud of my palette, no matter how limited it is.
So if I can only work with blue and brown because those are the colors that I made, then by all means I am going to try to make it the best damn blue and brown painting that I’ve ever made before.
Working with limitations is something that I really truly believe in, especially in the creative realm. When you understand your full set of tools, you imagination lights up to make the best use of them. Limitations are potential.
During the span of this project, I’ve been thinking a lot about prehistoric cave paintings, the first works of art known to humankind. Making paints out of natural pigments, such as stones, chalk, charcoal, and plants were the first ways that humans were able to make art. They used the spaces and materials that were already available to them:
“Ancient peoples decorated walls of protected caves with paint made from dirt or charcoal mixed with spit or animal fat. In cave paintings, the pigments stuck to the wall partially because the pigment became trapped in the porous wall, and partially because the binding media (the spit or fat) dried and adhered the pigment to the wall. Historians hypothesize that paint was applied with brushing, smearing, dabbing, and spraying techniques. Large areas were covered with fingertips or pads of lichen or moss. Twigs produced drawn or linear marks, while feathers blended areas of color. Brushes made from horsehair were used for paint application and outlining” (1)
source: i.dailymail.co.uk
It makes me wonder how far we’ve come from utilizing nature to make art. If art is a reflection of the individual & society, then perhaps it is evident that we have become less connected to the natural world in our creative habits. If we started a new (old) revolution where artists become more familiar with their supplies (and therefore nature), how could it change the way art is being taught? Could it foster a more intimate relationship between the artist and their creations? Could it change art curriculums in schools? Could it be an interdisciplinary way to learn about art and the environment?
And I haven’t even spoken yet about the health hazards of using art supplies from the store. “Illnesses caused by toxic substances have plagued artists throughout history. The artists Rubens, Renoir and Dufy suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and Paul Klee was plagued by scleroderma, both of which are now known to be caused by toxic heavy metals used in the bright colours of their paints. In the mid-1980s, the US National Cancer Institute also conducted two studies that found higher risks of urinary bladder cancer, leukemia, and arteriosclerotic heart disease among painters” (2). According to a 2010 study, “painters and others exposed to paint on the job are at significantly greater risk of developing bladder cancer than other workers, even when potential confounders, such as smoking and other occupational exposures, are taken into account, say authors of a meta-analysis of 41 studies” (3). This study primarily looked at construction/industrial painters, too… little research is being done on the health hazards of art supplies in school, at home, and in the studio.
So I guess a great question is… what the heck is in our art supplies?
| ART MATERIAL | CHEMICALS | HEALTH HAZARDS | ALTERNATIVES |
| Paints: oils, acrylics, watercolor.
Paint thinners & varnishes. |
The acrylic colors that contain toxic chemicals will have it marked on the label – these include cadmium, cobalt, magnesium, chromium, and lead.
Some pigments may be contaminated with PCBs and dioxins. |
May irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system, and damage the nervous system, liver and kidneys.
Turpentine can cause skin allergies. |
Water-based and acrylic paints (although some contain formaldehyde)
Egg tempera or milk paint mixed with natural pigment Walnut oil for thinning paint
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| Dyes for fabric, silkscreening inks | “The chemical Anililine, the basis for a popular group of dyes known as Azo dyes (specifically group III A1 and A2) which are considered deadly poisons (giving off carcinogenic amines) and dangerous to work with, also being highly flammable.” (4) DioxinToxic heavy metals such as chrome, copper, and zincFormaldehyde |
Carcinogens
Hormone disruptors Environmental pollution- chemical dyes go into rivers and oceans |
Plant/ mineral dyes such as indigo and turmeric
non-phthalate ink for screen printing or water-based inks (5) |
| Ceramic glazes | Some glazes contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel and other heavy metals. | Ceramic lustre glazes contain solvents that irritate the skin and respiratory system | Lead-free ceramic glaze |
| Glue & Adhesives | Dimethylformamide (DMF)- “the universal solvent”
Butanone (MEK)- used as a solvent in processes that involve gums, resins, cellulose acetate, and cellulose nitrate. It is also used in the manufacturing of some synthetic rubbers. Toluene– used as a solvent to make aviation gasoline, spray and wall paints, paint thinner, medicine, dyes, explosives, detergents, fingernail polish, spot removers, lacquers, adhesives, rubber, and antifreeze. (6) |
DMF has been linked to cancer in humans, and it is thought to cause birth defects.
MEK has been shown to affect the central nervous system. Exposure to toluene can cause confusion, weakness, memory loss, nausea, and even hearing and color vision loss. (6) |
Water-based glues and adhesives.
Homemade glue from flour and water (such as tapioca) |
| Pastels & Crayons | Inorganic pigments contain metals that are often toxic, such as chrome, cobalt, manganese, nickel and cadmium.
Most organic pigments, which are complex hydrocarbons, havent been studied for their long-term hazards, but many of them are members of chemical classes, like anthra-quinones or benzidines (7) |
The dust particles from these compounds float in the air and are essentially invisible to the eye. Without proper ventilation, you can breathe these in and cause harm to your respiratory system. | Crayons made from beeswax and natural pigment
Pastels made from soap, talcum powder, distilled water, and pigment
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Stay tuned for further experimentation in making these safe, non-chemical art supplies with Green School students!
References:
- Douma, M. “Pigments Through The Ages: Prehistory.” Web Exhibits. N.p., 2008. Web.
2. “The Healthy Artist Guide to a Less Toxic Studio.” Environmental Defence. N.p., 2010-2016. Web.
3. Osterweil, Neil. “Painters Have a Brush With Bladder Cancer Risk.”Medscape. N.p., 22 July 2010. Web.
4. Brit. “Synthetic Dyes: A Look at Environmental & Human Risks.” Green Cotton. WordPress, 18 June 2008. Web.
5. Beckman, Michael. “Green T-Shirt Printing Uses CONTENT | SEARCH Sustainable Methods and Materials.” Nontoxic Printmaking, Safe Painting & Printed Art. N.p., 2016. Web.
6. Doucette. “Know The Dangers Of Solvent Adhesives.” Ariaprene. N.p., 4 Dec. 2013. Web.
7. Rossol, Monona. “Is Your Pastel Studio Safe?” Artists Network. N.p., 29 Jan. 2008. Web.
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