I try to minimise the impact of my painting on our environment.
While I’m painting I wipe the acrylic paint off my brush on a rag or a paper / card offcut, before I rinse my brush in water.
The dirty paint water goes into a bucket under my easel. There it stands until the bucket is nearly full, by which time much of the remaining paint has settled into a skin at the bottom. The bucket is emptied onto our gravel drive to help keep down weeds- and the skin into the general waste bin.
I test the colour of paint on a piece of scrap watercolour paper before I apply the paint to canvas. I often end up with a very colourful and useful ‘scrap’.
When I’ve finished a painting, I apply any paint left on my palette to small canvases or pieces of multi-media paper. These loose creations may be transformed into a work of art – one day.
I recently tried painting on fabric for the first time – and realised that I actually add paint to fabric often – whilst cleaning my brushes! So I ironed a paint rag, brushed fabric fixative on it, heat set it, backed it and started a piece of textile art by stitching on it. Going green is fun!

Painting Green – #Inktober2019 Day 15
I can go greener…
Golden Paints describe a better way to dispose of acrylic paint water here. I’m keen to give it a go.
I’ve ordered a starter set of non-toxic acrylic paints from Hydrocryl in Victoria, Australia (they ship world wide) – more fun is on its way!
🙂
Helen