Art Goes Green
Creating art with safe supplies and recycled materials
Artist Lori Krein's “Green Wish,” an assemblage made from recycled materials.
Courtesy Lori Krein
You’re working on greening your home, your car, and even your office—but what about your art? Professional artists, parents of artistic kids, and people who simply love to create in their spare time should be aware that many art supplies are toxic, and others simply add more “stuff” to the landfill. Fortunately, there are many sustainable ways to express our creativity while respecting and preserving the Earth.
One way is to ensure that paints, ceramic glazes, and other materials are free from PBTs, otherwise known as “persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic” pollutants. PBTs are chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, which have been associated with a variety of health problems.
Look for art supplies that have been given the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) “approved product” (AP) label, indicating their non-toxicity. Avoid products that have a “CL” label from the ACMI, as this indicates that the product contains toxins. There are plenty of safe and sustainable materials with which to bring artistic visions to life, such as soy or beeswax crayons, paint colored with natural pigments, hemp paper, organic wood frames, and soy-based ink.
To cut down on the manufacture of new art materials, utilize recycled goods for art projects. Part of the beauty of making art is that even commonplace items can be viewed in a different light. Recycled paper, old magazines, pieces of wood, glass containers, and old paintings can be reused in new projects.
A veteran of flea markets, yard sales, and trash-picking, San Jose artist Lori Krein finds artistic promise in what others throw away. Washers, mannequin torsos, plastic box frames, vases, and bits of paper all find their way into Krein’s collages and assemblages.
“It’s important to me that I reuse things for my art,” she says. “I try to use eco-friendly materials whenever possible.” Krein is also the host of her own cable TV show, “Lori Krein’s Art Studio,” on which she demonstrates various art techniques and projects that viewers can do at home.
Most major cities have centers for purchasing recycled art materials—textiles, paper, wood, jewelry, and plastics. In the Bay Area, head for the Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP) in San Francisco, the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse in Oakland, and the ReArt Store at Whole House Building Supply in East Palo Alto. You can also donate your “found objects” to these recycled art centers, breathing new life into seemingly useless items. Your trash may become someone else’s masterpiece.