6 Eco-Friendly Tips for Artists: How to Build a Sustainable Art Practice
Midnight Magic Colour Version, by Toronto Artist EC Mazur
My art is inspired by the beauty of nature: the enchantment of the forest, the endless depths of the ocean, and the mysteries of the stars above. I am in a continual state of awe when I create my work, mesmerized by the details in all living things, and the sheer amount of life our planet houses.
It’s no secret that species are dying at a depressingly quick rate, and the effects of climate change are becoming more and more obvious. So it’s important to me to do what I can to help preserve the planet by trying to create a sustainable art practice. I’d like to preface this article by saying that I am in no way perfect at this, but I’m continuing to take small steps and phase out the less eco-friendly aspects of my business. The dream is to be able to create a living for myself with my art business that doesn’t rely on harmful manufacturing practices, where I can work exclusively with businesses that are transparent about their processes. This is a monumental task, and it can be easy to feel discouraged when it feels like your contribution is a drop in the ocean. So I want to share some of the things I do to reduce my environmental impact. I would encourage you to try some of these out slowly, and then add on to them once you’ve developed the habit of it.
Buy secondhand art supplies
I’m lucky that I LOVE thrifting. For me, it’s one big treasure hunt. I know not everyone loves it, but there are many way to find secondhand items besides going to your local Value Village.
First, let’s start with the classic thrift store. There’s usually a section where you would find used art supplies. I’m always on the lookout for paintbrushes, pens and markers (sometimes you can find these still in the package!), pads of art paper and sketchbooks, canvasses, and portfolios for storing my art. If a thrift store has a “fancy” section with glass display cases, this is a good place to check for higher end art supplies, usually brand new in the box.
Top Tip! Most thrift stores will give you discounts for bringing donations with you, and most thrift stores also have a day where they offer a senior discount. If you love to shop with your mum and grandma anyway, why not bring them along and get an extra bang for your buck?
The second place I look for secondhand art supplies is at the Really Really Free Market here in Toronto. See if there’s somewhere near you that has a free market set up! The Really Really Free Market has spots all over, but you can also just search for “free market” or “swap and drop”. If you live in a condo or apartment building, you can see if they have a Swap and Drop area, or set one up yourself. The premise is simple: you bring whatever items you don’t want anymore, and take items you do want! I’ve scored some wonderful things, including a beautiful set of Chinese ink brushes!
The third place to look, especially if you don’t like sifting through things, is online! Facebook marketplace is my favourite at the moment, as it seems to have the most traffic, and lots of items are free or at an awesome discount.
It’s also worth looking at Facebook groups for your local area - I’m part of several groups where artists will swap supplies with each other, or give away things they aren’t using anymore.
Make friends with a contractor! There are so many half-used cans of latex paint that end up in the garbage. I always scoop these up to use for murals.
And lastly, trade items with your other artist friends! If you like to experiment with new things or are just cleaning out your supplies, this is a great way to make sure items aren’t going to the landfill instead of being used up.
2. Buy secondhand frames
Listen, I love a professionally framed piece of art. It’s clean and neat and sturdy, but it’s also incredibly expensive, and if you are displaying your work at cafes, small galleries, local stores, and arts markets, the frames can get banged up really easily. If you are hanging art in a restaurant, there’s the chance of getting grease on the frame as well.
On top of that, some buyers will be replacing the frame with something that suits their home/art collection anyway. So shopping frames secondhand is a great way to minimize waste.
I am regularly on the lookout every time I am at the thrift store, free market, or even walking around the streets of my neighbourhood. But not all frames are created equal! Here’s what to look for, even when you are shopping second hand:
Solid wood frames: I’m either looking for something that isn’t already scratched up or something old, ornate, and with a lot of character.
Metal frames: I love these because they tend to be sturdier and get less banged up than wooden frames. My favourites are the ones
Wired Frames: Having a wire screwed across the back of the frame is sooooo much easier for hanging, especially when you are going into a new space and you don’t know what kind of nails you will be working with or how high things are. It’s also sturdier than any hooks that might be attached to the back, which tends to be the option with cheaper frames.
Glass or Plexiglass that isn’t scratched! I like the look of glass better (there’s less glare) but plexiglass is lighter and won’t break, which is great for taking along to arts and crafts shows.
Secondhand Frames for my show at Starving Artist in Toronto
Matting: Find a sturdy, thick matting - this will instantly make your work look professional! I always buy these up when I find them, often in their original packaging. I usually pay $1-$2 at the thrift store, compared to $16-$20 at the art store. Look for a nice thickness with a diagonal cut around the opening, and make sure there’s no warping or marks on them!
Other tips: I generally avoid Ikea - I find their products break down so quickly and have to be replaced, generating huge amounts of trash, but if you can find Ikea products from about 30 years ago, they are much higher quality. This includes RIBBA frames! The new ones are not worth buying, but the older ones are much sturdier and have a wire across the back instead of a hook.
3. Take care of what you have
This seems like a no brainer, but I can be pretty messy when I’m working, and I’ve found that putting a little extra care into taking care of my brushes and supplies can help them last a lot longer - especially when I’m working on murals.
Cleaning the paint off of brushes and containers, and drying them right away is a good habit to get into. If you do end up getting dried paint on a brush, try scraping the paint off with a wire brush before you throw it in the trash. If that doesn’t work, I keep them for when I’m using things like masking fluid for watercolours, which would ruin a good brush anyway.
4. Reusing packaging supplies
Creating custom mailers from cardboard and old atlases.
This is a big one for me! Honestly, I would LOVE to get branded, beautiful boxes and tissue papers and stickers for packaging up orders, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Yes, it’s a lovely experience to get a beautifully packaged item in the mail, but then all of that packaging goes straight into the trash. AND it’s expensive, both for the environment and for the consumer, onto whom the cost usually gets transferred.
So, I save any packaging from my own mail and spending (and I have lovely friends that save things for me too!) I then reuse it as is, or make my own custom mailers. If you order a package from me, there’s a 90% chance to the mailer I made came from a Muddy Crops order. I don’t buy a lot of things online, but during the Pandemic I discovered Muddy Crops and I’m mentioning them here in detail because I LOVE THEM. They source fresh farmed goods from local Ontario farms that practice sustainable farming. It comes in way less packaging than the grocery store, I get to support local, and then I get these boxes!
With the custom mailers, I wrap them in old atlases I find at the thrift store or in little free libraries. I look for atlases that have a nice quality to the paper, and the maps look beautiful. I create little bags out of the atlas paper as well, to bag things up for customers at any markets I have a booth at.
I keep bubble wrap and foam as well, as it comes in handy when shipping framed artwork. I also reuse plastic sleeves from cards and things, but I don’t tend to come across a lot of these through my own spending, so the majority of my sleeves to protect prints and cards I do buy. I use compostable, plant-based products when I do purchase anything.
5. Look for local suppliers
If you sell prints or products with your art, or you are buying branded packaging, look for local suppliers. It’s a great way to support small businesses, and it cuts down on the impact of transportation. I always try to pick up whenever possible instead of having things delivered.
The nice thing about working with someone local is that you can develop a relationship with them as well, and they are usually more than willing to talk about their own practices and sustainable options.
6. Offset environmental costs by donating
I’m so excited about this one! During the pandemic, I walked around my neighbourhood over and over and over again, and I started noticing little moments of nature in spots I had never noticed before. I discovered so many beautiful trees that I now visit on the regular, and in the Spring there are flowers EVERYWHERE that I just never noticed again. So as I was thinking about how to keep building a more sustainable art practice, I decided I wanted to give the world more plants - the generations that come after us should also be able to enjoy this beauty. As first I thought I would just do a one-time donation every year or so on my own, but then I decided, why not tie this into the business itself? So I’m happy to report that every single purchase on my website plants a tree!
Currently, I am planting the trees through One Tree Planted, but I will continue to research other organizations and hopefully I can expand this practice as my business grows!
It’s a constant learning process, and it’s not always easy to balance running a business with sustainable practices, but every step forward helps, and it makes the next step easier! I’d love to hear from you if you have any of your own eco-friendly tips to share - just leave a comment!