Sustainability
I believe that in today’s world, sustainability is no longer a luxury, but an imperative aspect of honoring our planet and honoring ourselves.
Making the switch to vegetarianism in my early 20s and then eventually to a plant based lifestyle has been very important for me. We can all contribute to a better world by placing attention on earth-friendly practices. For me, it starts with the foods I eat, the clothes I wear (I am the co-owner of an organic, vegan fashion line) and therefore I choose to bring these aspects into my art as well.
When I first started painting, I had no idea how many art supplies contained animal-by-products or were even tested on animals. Many art papers are gelatinized and some have woolen felt coating. Ox gall is a common binder, charred animal bones, squid ink and crushed bugs are often used to create the colors. Know that these ingredients are part of a traditional practice and were used throughout the centuries. Yet, honey and semi-precious crystals were also part of it.
Combining the best of both worlds, modern & traditional practices, I thrive to find the best sustainable & vegan art supplies for you.
Watercolors
My favorite watercolors to paint with are made by Sennelier, Holbein, Daniel Smith & Art Philosophy.
Sennelier watercolors are made in France. They use honey as a binder, but are otherwise free of animal ingredients. Daniel Smith uses a synthetic binder and many of their watercolors that I use contain semi-precious gemstones such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, rhodonite, apatite, jade….The Holbein and Art Philosophy colors are completely vegan as well.
I only use synthetic, vegan brushes for my paintings.
Fine Art Prints
For our Fine Art Prints we use only non-toxic, waterbased and vegan inks.
All of our prints are produced with Hahnemühle Fine Art Paper. Hahnemühle has been around since the 1500s and all their paper is vegan certified and made using sustainable practices.
The printing as well as shipping process for my Fine Art Prints is 100% end-to-end carbon neutral, and it supports the World Land Trust, an international conservation charity. We ship in sustainable biodegradable packaging made from recycled materials. Even the tape is from 100% recycled fibers.
Top Image: by Villa Treville - Amalfi Coast
Paper
My favorite paper to use these days is Amatruda. Amatruda paper is made on the Amalfi Coast in Italy according to ancient practices dating back to the 1200s. Another watercolor paper I love painting on is Magnani 1404, made in one of Italy’s historic paper mills in a small town outside of Florence. Magnani has been making fine quality artist paper in Tuscany since the 15th century.
I also love painting on Stonehenge and Canson Heritage watercolor papers.
All the art paper I use is vegan as well as acid and chlorine-free. They’re not processed with chemical substances, such as optical brightening agents and Amatruda is certified FSC.
