Painting with oils is one of my loves, but cleaning up after isn’t! I was checking out this new site where you can post questions on how to recycle unique items, and I came across one on paintbrushes :

Anyway, in a very unlike us moment, we decided to paint the kitchen last weekend. When we’re done, we washed the emulsion brushes out with water but hit a dilemma with the gloss brushes: is it better to wash them out turps (or some turps substitute as was the actual case) and then pour the resulting painty-turps down the drain or, since they were cheap brushes to start with, just throw them away? …
I’m always inclined towards the throwaway option because even after endless time with a tub of turps, I find it so hard to get the brushes re-usable clean again that I end up throwing them away in the end anyway - but THROWAWAY CULTURE, BAAAAAAD! So you see my dilemma. Since both of those seem pretty bad options, are there any alternatives that we should be considering instead? – Louisa, How Can I Recycle This?

Here’s how you can deal with oily brushes in an environmentally responsible way:

• Buy : only good quality brushes, as they are easier to clean & last longer

• Clean : oily brushes immediately (rather than letting them harden) by squeezing the excess paint from the bristles with a rag. Then when the big globs are squeezed out, dip the bristles in mineral turpentine, then squeeze the bristles to get rid of the paint. Repeat until it seems 99% clean, then wash the bristles with dish soap & water.

• Re-use : old ratty brushes can be reused for messy projects (like applying paint stripper, glue, glazes, etc…)

Then, once the brushes are clean, you can take care of the used turpentine :

• Conserve : When using mineral turpentine, pour only enough into a jar to cover the bristles of the brush (so you don’t have so much turps to filter & clean, and so that your brush bristles don’t get loosened from the ferrule of the brush)

• Clean & Reuse Turpentine : Pour used mineral turps into a glass jar with lid and leave in a cool dark place until the paint has settled to the bottom. Drain the clean (clear looking) turps into a new jar & seal (avoid pouring back into the main bottle if you want to keep it cleaner). Wipe out the paint sludge with a rag and let dry before throwing away.

• Dispose of used turpentine by contacting your  local toxic waste department…DUMPING CHEMICALS DOWN THE TOILET / SINK IS NOT AN OPTION. (yes, that is in bold and in caps, it’s important!) If you are strapped for time, keep chemicals you wish to throw away aside until you have enough to make the trip to your local waste centre.

If you liked these tips, check out :

• • How to Recycle Diluents Safely for Oil Painting
• • E-Cycling At Your Fingertips

“Happen’s Toy Lab is a unique outreach of Happen, Inc. that allows children (ages 6 and up) to create their own toys from our massive selection of “recycled” toy parts. Choose any seven pieces, then fit and attach the parts with the help of our specially-trained assemblers. In less than an hour you will have invented your very own, one-of-a-kind-in-the-whole-wide-world toy!”

Even broken toys deserve to be happy! A company with an allaround great message, encouraging kids to be creative & recycle. This new toy called the ‘Weirdosaur’, was invented by Mason, 6 years old, who reports “He can grow trees and crush rocks.”

It almost feels wrong putting up this post, as my first preference to recycling children’s books is to give them away (to family, goodwill, or freecycle). BUT, that being said, sometimes kids books don’t last the distance to being acceptable as second hand, and the inside pages can be ripped & crayoned upon to the point that you wouldn’t want to give them away…but they could make wonderful birdhouses as you can see from Danny Seo’s simple green living blog!

“I headed to my local craft store and picked up some unfinished bird houses for about $4 each. Then I headed to my local Goodwill store, where I first dropped off some donations and then I headed inside to the book section to pick up vintage books. I’m amazed at how many old and wonderful things can be found at Goodwill; I found vintage Danny & The Dinosaur books along with many others for very little money. Anyway, this project couldn’t be any simpler: just decoupage pages all over the birdhouse (I chose a high gloss finish glue) and glue the book’s jacket onto the roof. Voila! Storybook birdhouse.”

I found these images by Chris Jordan haunting…

“This new series looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone….Statistics tend to feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with [them]….”

Cans Seurat, 2007 | Digital C print, 6×7 feet
“Depicting 106,000 aluminum cans, equal to the number of cans consumed in the US every thirty seconds.”

Partial zoom:

At full size:

This is a really great idea…starving artists, this is a gold mine! …I just signed up today for my local Adelaide Freecycle group, and already am arranging to pick up my first bit of free stuff (art supplies!)

“The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free.”

“The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson’s downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to “recycle” unwanted items. One person’s trash can truly be another’s treasure!”

I got this Bite today and thought it was pretty apt …As a children’s book illustrator I have a unique opportunity to encourage kids to be caring for others & the environment by adding in the little details like : recycling bins in school settings; making the main characters natural rather than unattainably beautiful; toys that are well worn & loved rather than new & flash; and I rarely show kids playing indoors with video games or on computers.

Here’s a snippit from the Ideal Bite :
“Get ‘em while they’re young - instill kids with green values through books that inspire an appreciation for nature instead of a dodgy love for all-things-material.”

The Benefits

• “Girl goes to the mall. Girl buys dress. Girl lives happily ever after.” There are A LOT of bad children’s books out there - why not choose ones that will make them feel good without the new dress?
• 53% of kids surveyed in a 2002 poll said buying certain products makes them feel better about themselves. Through positive children’s books, let kids know that more isn’t always better.
• Time and again, studies show that when kids read, they do better in school.

Wanna Try?

• Gaia Girls - teacher and grade schooler-approved and printed on recycled paper, this book follows four girls approached by an Earth in-need ($13).
• There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars - teaches starry-eyed kids all about light pollution in the prettiest way possible ($13).
• The Precious Present - for parents and young’uns, it’s about a boy who gets everything for Christmas but wants something that you can’t put under a tree ($13).
• The Gift of Nothing - as soon as they leave the womb, kids are bombarded with the message that they need more stuff. This classic sets ‘em straight ($10).
• Dawn - huge collection of books to get kids started on the eco-friendly path (prices vary).
• Ideal Bite’s “I Speak for the Trees!” Tip - another classic - this time from Dr. Seuss - The Lorax.

This tip submitted by Joel Makower.

I’m not really one for New Years resolutions, but really liked this list of  no-waste ideas you can do to reduce our impact on the environment in the upcoming year :
• Use only cloth cleaning towels.
• Install water-saving devices in your toilet and shower.
• Walk or bicycle at least one car errand weekly.
• Use reusable cloth shopping bags (keep reusable shopping bags in your car so they will always be handy).
• Use a reusable coffee cup at work.
• Switch to compact fluorescent lights to save energy.
• Turn down the thermostat at night.
• Recycle bottles, cans, newspaper, office paper, plastic and cardboard.
• Buy recycled products.
• Compost.
• Plant at least one tree.
• Turn off the shower while you soap to save water.
• Use biodegradable laundry soap rather than petroleum-based detergents.
• Reduce use of pesticides and other hazardous household chemicals. Use safer substitutes instead.
• Write or call legislators, store managers and others to let them know how you feel about environmental issues.

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything “green” so here are some tips to help make it through the wasteful holiday season a little more environmentally friendly.

Green Christmas Decorating Ideas :

• • Christmas Lights : LED (light emitting diode) holidays lights less watts per bulb (0.04 watts per bulb) compared to the usual miniature bulbs that use ten times as much electricity. For outdoor lights, put them on a timer so that they aren’t on all night…not many people are out between the hours of 3-6am to enjoy them anyway!
• • Cranberry strings : bring a classic flare to the tree…and can be eaten by animals after the holidays
• • Avoid using tinsel as it does not decompose. Consider purchasing glass / plastic icicles instead.
• • My personal trick : I found an old chandelier at a garage sale for $15….I took all the crystals off teh chandelier, and used them on the Christmas tree…it makes the tree look very rich & sparkly!
• • Christmas Trees : either use a fake tree (a decent one looks just like a real tree & lasts for years), compost your tree after the season, or even plant a potted norfolk pine / fig tree to use every year.

Green Christmas Wrapping Ideas :

• • Use fabric to “fold” presents into, and tie together with a ribbon or twine…the fabric can be reused again and again, and looks very elegant under a tree.
• • Reuse wrapping paper, boxes, and bags that you & your family receive this year.
• • If you prefer wrapping paper, buy wrap that is recycled and doesn’t have shiny foil embellishments as they take more resources to make than simple printed papers
• • Give a gift within a gift : such as tins, reusable fabric bags, or wooden boxes.
• • Gift Tags : cut up and reuse old greeting cards, calendars, or scraps of wrapping paper to make gift tags

Green Tips for Christmas Gifts :

• • When shopping for gifts, avoid accumulating bags for small purchases (especially those tiny bags that are too small for the garbage) by bringing your own shopping bag, or just putting everything into a bag from a larger purchase.
• • Quality over Quantity : a better quality gift is often valued more than a one-time-use inexpensive gift. If budget is an issue, visit a local second hand shop, or try Ebay…you can often find good quality gifts at a fraction of the cost.
• • Buy gifts unpackaged or minimally packaged
• • Consider the impact of the gift…will the recipient find it useful, or is it a one-time-use gift?
• • Avoid purchasing disposable products, plastic or electronic gadgets with limited use, or anything in aerosol containers.

Dining & Entertaining :

• • A Classy Affair : entertain with dishes, glasswear, fabric napkins & silverware rather than disposable paper & plastic. This is cheaper in the long run and more elegant! You can pick up very inexpensive dinnerware at shops like the dollar store or IKEA…or borrow from a neighbor, or visit the op-shop.
• • Buy Bulk : buying snacks & goodies from a bulk store can reduce the amount of packaging if you were to buy the same bit-by-bit throughout the holidays. It is also less expensive than purchasing smaller packages of food.
• • Compost leftovers that can’t be saved or given to guests in reusable containers
• • Make it easy for your guests to recycle

Starving artists like to give presents, too… why not take a step back from the pressure of buying gifts and put your skills to use by making your own gifts instead? Creative gifts show that you care about the person you have taken the time to make it for…and being an artist you have a distinct advantage in the creative-gift department!

• Hand paint your own holiday cards : Hand painted cards are unusual and become a frameable gift in themselves. Come up with a simple design (or not!) that you are happy replicating a dozen or so times (however many cards you’ll need). Either mount your finished illustrations onto cards, or illustrate directly onto your pre cut & folded cards. An inexpensive option is card-stock paper, which can be trimmed down, scored & folded to the desired size… it can be purchased from office supply stores for around $5, and a pack of card envelops about $5.

• Frame artwork such as a nude / still-life drawing : A simple black frame can transform those recent charcoal sketches from life drawing or still life studies into works of collectible art. Make sure to sign & date your work!

• Swap Artwork with Colleagues : Want to give a creative colleague a gift, and visa versa? Why not chat about it, and see if you both have work you may want to swap! Trading paintings & artwork is a fun way of collecting interesting pieces from artists you know & love.

• Make a Coupon Books : Remember making coupons for your parents for simple treats like “Wash Your Car” or “Take Out The Trash?” Why did you ever stop making those, give it a go again! Coupons for “1 Free Sketch Portrait” or “Clean the Bathroom” may actually be redeemed!

• Hand Paint an Ornament for the Christmas Tree : paper & glass “blank” ornaments are inexpensive ($1 each at Walmart) and a small gesture suitable to anyone who celebrates Christmas at the holidays.

• Illuminated Notebooks : Blank notebooks can be purchased from the dollar store, and just afix a copy of one of your illustrations to the front, or custom design the front cover for each person you plan to give it to.

• Custom Artwork : Creating a piece of artwork for someone special can be risky…if you’re unsure of their tastes, maybe involve them in the process to see what sort of subject matter and colours they may like. If painted on canvas, often you don’t even need to add a frame…just use eyehooks & wire so that it is ready-to-hang.

• Print a Calendar : A bit more pricey for the starving artist, but they make a great gift / promotional piece around this time of year. You can get good quality calendars printed for as low as $15 each, and they are a promotional tool that works for you year round.

• Hand Painted Stationery : Slice up printer paper down to nice notepaper sizes, and hand paint little swashes in the corners. Mix in a few hand-painted envelopes, tie up with a ribbon…and voila, you have a hand-painted stationery pack ready to give to a thoughtful note-giving friend!

Still stuck for ideas? Here are a few ideas from TreeHugger for giving gifts that are earth-friendly :

1. Be sure your material gift will get used : It may be the thought that counts, but a gift that the receiver does not use is simply wasted: not a very nice thought. Give material possessions only if you know the recipient well enough to pick out something they were on the cusp of getting for themselves, or which they really need and will certainly enjoy using.

2. Give a consumable gift : Your friend will love your consumable gift twice: once while enjoying the organic teas, fair trade coffee, fresh flowers, fresh or dried fruits and nuts, or other consumable gift; and again when they appreciate that your gift leaves them with no guilty conscience about a gift left unused in the corner of their closet.

3. Buy a local gift : A gift made or grown locally can tell a story or share a unique product you have discovered on your own stomping grounds. Your locally-sourced gift will save the environment from the emissions involved in shipping.

4. Buy high-quality goods : Sometimes a little extra care or money invested will result in finding a high quality gift that will do justice to the materials consumed in the manufacturing by a long lifespan. Try flea markets or vintage and second-hand shops for quality goods you can afford: then make the gift “new” with a personal touch like a special paint job, or some ribbon around the edges. Your friend will enjoy your perfect high-quality gift much longer!

5. Think about your packaging : Use packaging that will not go to waste. Your packaging may be part of the gift itself, such as wrapping the gift in a scarf or enclosing it in a box that can be reused for collecting life’s odds and ends. Reusable wrapping, such as a gift bag, will pass on the fun…

If you do decide to buy baby gifts for Christmas for the children of your friends and family then look online for various baby gift ideas before you go to a store and over-spend on overpriced baby gifts that you didn’t have to buy.

I’m probably a little over excited about this…but just found some pics from the Adelaide Walk Against Global Warming this past Nov 4th taken by Liam Jon. Being the first time I’ve ever done anything “activist-like” I was a bit ignorant and surprised that of the 800, most were families and regular old folk. There was only the occasional stereotypical greenie / hippy type, which made it feel more like a family atmosphere and less like some radical movement of extremists. Mind you there was one bloke wearing a sheepskin and not much else, we think he was supposed to be a polar bear… but aside from him, everyone just seemed concerned with global warming and wanting to make a difference.

BUT, my silly excitement…that’s me sitting down in the crowd in the orange t-shirt lounging about. I couldn’t find a picture from the helicopter that came by for the media, but we spelled out the words “See Change.” I was proudly sitting at the very upper top right on the very end of the top rung of the last letter “E.” Next year we’ll be walking through Adelaide because it’s a voting year…should be exciting!