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| CROW painted using acrylic paint |
Last spring at our old house, a pair of doves built a nest in the same place as the year before right at the roofline on top of the gutters. Within an afternoon, the two birds laid down a few twigs and leaves -- not much of a nest by other birds' standards -- that had just enough shape to fit around the female. The waiting began.
We witnessed the female laying eggs. For a few days, the male and female alternated sitting on the nest. Like stepparents, we watched, drew, photographed, and waited.
One morning a crow landed on the roof. The female dove lifted off the nest to distract the crow, but the crow, menacing and cawing, swooped down on the nest, cracked open the eggs, and devoured them. Once again the doves didn't succeed; but year after year, they also didn't stop trying.
I think of the doves and how they and other birds struggle against huge odds to survive. Not only do they have natural predators, but so much of what human beings use and discard creates havoc in the world we share.
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| An eco-printing which imprints the shapes of leaves onto paper or fabric |
I get overwhelmed with ideas on how to use or recycle every piece of paper, every piece of plastic. I try to do the best I can knowing there is still a lot more that I could do. I think many of us feel the way I do and want to be sure that we continue to lessen our environmental impact. I've never met an artist who doesn't pick up something and say, "I could use this somewhere someday." I make collages with scrap paper and other bits of ephemera. I often incorporate recycled materials in artwork, but I know that artists have contaminated our environment for a long time with toxic chemicals (think aerosol sprays and permanent non-refillable marking pens). A new generation of artists has become more aware of the footprint they leave as artists and choose to reuse and repurpose as much as possible.
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| HOLD TIGHT, LET GO, Mixed Media piece using scrap paper, corrugated cardboard, leftover Air-Dry Clay, jewelry pieces |
Until the 20th century, many artists -- perhaps our first scientists -- made their own materials using natural ingredients. Some, like milk and ochres, aren't toxic, but cadmium, arsenic, and lead, are not harmless. The lime green covers of books from the 19th century are now kept in special wraps in libraries because the green dye contains arsenic. I gave up oil paints a long time ago because of the solvents needed to clean brushes, hands, and canvases of spilled paint. Modern materials can also cause havoc. At the Art and Soul Art Retreat in Portland, each classroom and restroom had a dirty water bucket so that classes wouldn't overwhelm the hotel pipes with acrylic residue. Acrylic paint, an alternative to oils, is often formulated with small amounts of formaldehyde and ammonia. I can only use them in a well-ventilated room.
LIGHT, an Eco-print
With the advent of Earth Day in 1970, many people, including artists, became more aware of the need to be environmentally friendly in whatever work we do. We depend on the research of scientists and artists to develop better formulas for products that aren't as polluting as previous ones. Artists have returned to old ways of working such as experimenting with eco-printing, which uses the dyes that come from plants and fungi after soaking them in a vinegar and water bath. The results of the printing are a good reminder to tend to Mother Earth. As one Earth Day sign stated, "There is no Planet B."
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Inspiring to hear all that artists have done to be more eco-conscious. Happy Earth Day, Martha!
ReplyDeleteCreative people tend to be the people who figure out new ways, aren't they?
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