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