01/09/2026
Concern for the environment, and a general focus on sustainability, have become recurring themes in national and more personal discussions and recently we, as artists, were reminded of our special responsibilities when Patricia Lane came to talk to Leabrooks Artists’ Forum about these matters. We were reminded of the advisability of avoiding wastage by recycling, preventing pollution by not introducing excess paint, etc. to the water system and limiting our use of toxic materials.
We were told about a way of reusing leftover acrylic paint by drying it and applying it to future paintings.
I thought I’d try this latter idea so I assembled remainders of dried and still pliant acrylic paint and, after painting a background on a pre-used canvas with some unwanted paint, stuck on some very odd shaped, dried acrylics. (I used PVA glue with old paint brushes, jam jars and other food containers as receptacles and rags for general wiping.) And then I tried to be creative with my acrylic blobs; I’ve called it Wild Flowers - for obvious reasons!
Gelli plate printing can be useful in observing these principles too: the plate itself has a long life, it can be used with a range of recycled materials and the prints themselves can be used to create interesting collages. (A second one sold from my exhibition this weekend.)
It seems that protecting the environment is a creative exercise in its own right.
