It is of utmost importance to me to keep a clean studio—especially since I paint with my hands. Actually, it is one of the reasons I do paint with my hands...It turns out that oil paint is made up of only two natural ingredients: oil and pigment, and the majority of pigments are completely safe and non-toxic. Those few that are “toxic” are only so if you ingest them or breathe their dust. So, I choose to eat food only, and NEVER sand my work. What is toxic are the mediums, varnishes and cleansers that have been used historically with oil painting.
I NEVER USE THEM. EVER. Instead, I have a clean, green studio.
Another reason I paint with my hands is to keep paints and pigments from washing down the drain during clean up. Instead, I wipe my hands on scrap wood that I rescue from my many contractor friends...With these tiny canvases, I create lively assemblages using found objects and a little creativity.
It's one of many small contributions I give to our environment. How do you help?