A journey to transition to zero waste art making. Ideation.
I have spent years of art making and have accumulated a massive amount of tools. As I strive to live a lifestyle with less waste, I will be transitioning from my harsh plastic based paints into a mode of creating that is biodegradable, sustainable, and restorative. Making artwork with paints that damage the environment no longer aligns with my values. This is my experimentation to create art making tools while trying to share old tools to my community.
Transitioning old materials
Community Sharing via Donating
Community focused. Although i wish not to use toxic paints any longer, I would like all that I currently posses to be used mindfully and for good. Donations of art material in Gainesville can be found on this website. They site the below spaces to donate art supplies, I want to especially highlight the repurpose project
Repurpose Project
(352) 363-8902
I have frequented this space throughout my time living in gainesville, and just now learned of additional resources the provide to the community beyond being a resell store. They have a specific initiative to provide classroom materials to schools.
Other local spaces that accept art donations. If you do not live in alachua, I found this information through searching "gainesville art donations". simple! google is a friend.
Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County 352-372-5342 www.myboysandgirlsclub.com
CDS Family & Behavioral Services 352-244-0628 www.cdsfl.org
Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County 352-375-4110 www.elcalachua.org
Girls Place Inc. 352-373-4475 www.girlsplace.net
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare Inc. 352-374-5600 www.mbhci.org
PACE Center for Girls Alachua 352-374-8799 www.pacecenter.org
Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida 352-374-4404 www.rmhcncf.org
The Child Advocacy Center 352-376-9161 www.childadvocacycentergainesville.org
Tools for Schools 352-374-5213 www.alachuacounty.us
Community Sharing Via Workshops.
my sister currently works for alachua county schools and has encouraged me to provide an artmaking workshop for her students. At the Harn Museum of Art, a local free at museum I work in, I have seen various educational outreach programs involving artwork in this space that I am interested in collaborating with. I would like to establish an art making "night" at my home to create a communal, art making space.
Barriers to this: having time. I am using this page as research to eventually put all of this into practice. It feels doable with time and effort.
Action Goal:
Reach out to sister to create artmaking workshop for local public schools
Reach out to Harn Museum for collaboration/donation
Establish art making space in my home.
Creating New Eco Alternative Paints
As I work to get rid of my old art making tools in a sustainable way, I want to be creating new paints. This will allow me to further develop my relationship to the land via experimenting with local pigments while also fulfilling my desire to create. As I have researched paint making- i continue to encounter that not ALL of the materials used in eco paint making use local sourcing. I am currently working with Tessa Bohn-Carmicheal from the Harn Museum of Art and Hannah Chelgren from the Florida Museum of Natural History to create paints and pigments. Tessa has donated a mortar and pestle to be used in our community for breaking down pigments. Hannah's knowledge of botany and biology contributes to the art making process.
My experience so far has been rudimentary.
Sourcing is important! Be mindful when you source. Nature is a gift!
Experiment 1
black paint
ingredients: charcoal. water.
Fires are deeply rooted in my sense of community. I use the burnt wood from my fire to create a black paint. I smashed charcoal into fine particulate with a hammer. I have in the past used a heavy rock I foraged. I poured crushed wood into an old jar, mixed with water, sat in the sun of my front porch to dry out. It created a black paint that i mix with water. It is not permanent- which is what i am going for.
Experiment 2
Flower Stains
ingredients: flowers.
Found flowers on the ground. Picked only dead flowers off the ground. Smeared onto art page after saying a prayer or gratitude to the flowers. This created a pinkish stain on my pages. I deposit flowers back where they were when I finish so they can decompose and feed the land.
Experiment 3
dirt water
ingredients: dirt
Was laying at the springs in the sun. Put dirt (without any visible living creatures) in jar. Added water. Used as a water color. It works! experimentation is key! be mindful how you source!
This is all I have now. Will be updating more soon.
