Materials & Sustainability

Materials

Materials are important to me. They are integral to the way I work and the subjects I explore. I grow, forage and prepare my own natural plant-based and earth pigments and combine them with natural binders. I supplement these hand-made pigments with a limited range of traditional and low toxicity modern pigments when I cannot source suitable alternatives. My images are created using natural woodblocks and limestones, which I carve and work by hand, connecting me with my family’s past generations of carpenters and miners. I source my papers from historic papermills in England and Japan that craft their papers by hand and using traditional methods. Whenever I source new materials, I seek to support and preserve heritage craft industries such as these to maintain our connection to the land and our past.

The artist selecting printmaking paper

Sustainability

I collect the natural materials I work with frugally and sustainability, taking only what I can make use of. Wherever possible, I work with inks and binders that are non-toxic and natural, and with papers made from the most sustainable plant materials such as bamboo. I reuse rags, newsprint and other draft papers, and offcut prints as much as possible throughout my creative process. I reuse packaging material from shipments I receive, and buy in only recycled and recyclable, or biodegradable packaging for shipping artworks to galleries and collectors. I do not drive a car, reducing my carbon footprint by preferring to walk or take public transport to the studio or gallery shows. I am open to handing over artworks to local collectors in person where feasible to further reduce the ecological impact of shipping works.

The artist foraging pigments

My home studio is entirely non-toxic. I clean up without harsh chemicals, using only vegetable oil, old rags, paper towels and eco-friendly dishwashing detergent. My woodblock prints could therefore be considered almost entirely non-toxic and natural-based, excepting for a limited number of sparingly used modern pigments that I rely on when I cannot forage or purchase suitable alternatives. I have less control over my environment when working on my lithographs in communal printshops, and by its nature lithography necessitates some use of chemicals and is also less receptive to home-made natural pigments due to its sensitive nature. My lithographs make use of modern pigment inks as well as limited quantities of white spirit (mineral spirits/mineral turpentine) used in the creation of the image. I have worked hard to minimise my reliance on other chemicals and synthetic materials, choosing to work with natural limestone over synthetic plates, and choosing to physically grind my stones rather than using harsh cleaning chemicals when I prepare the stone for a new image.

I am constantly evaluating my practices as part of my ongoing sustainability journey. For example, I am starting to explore whether I can replace imported materials with locally sourced alternatives (watch this space!).