Materials and sustainability
As I am trying to learn how to live a slow and conscious life and realise there are still many things to improve and learn about. However here are some things I am considering so far, as creating products that are sustainable and earth friendly is very important to me.
When foraging natural ingredients such as soil, rocks, shells, leaves or prunus sap (I am hoping to gather enough locally to substitute the gum arabic in my binder) I always do it in very small amounts. One or a small handful at the time so no-one can see any trace of me being there.
Please share any information with me with any ideas you have to improve further.
Clay
When using commercial clays (all tableware) I have reached out to suppliers to find the least processed clay body available and with components sourced within the least miles. Currently for me this is clay single quarried in Staffordshire by PotClays.
However, I try to process and use as much salvaged clay as possible. My recurrent sources of non commercial clay are: clay dug out during building work in Bristol (BS5) and the sediment from the ceramics' studio sink trap at Bristol School of Art.
Pigments
for handmade watercolours and painted fired ceramics
When not foraged or reclaimed sources, I purchase with natural pigments from ethical companies not further away than mainland Europe, and with pigments being sourced in Europe and Morocco.
Swatches
I make sure all the watercolour paper I use is vegan.
If you are unsure about why paper may not be vegan, this is due to the sizing. A treatment applied to paper to make it more water resistant.
Traditionally gelatine is used for this, but currently many manufactures use pectin.
Packaging
The hessian bags for tins and palettes are made by me using repurposed oakum sacks from Rolt's boat yard.
I reuse anything I can. Any purchased packaging is always recyclable brown paper and card, and brown kraft paper tape.
The glassine bags are a pure 100% cellulose paper manufactured out of pine woods. Transparency and greaseproofness of the paper are achieved by a special mechanical treatment, not by chemical additives.
Postcards & stickers
Printed on 100% recycled paper with smooth and uncoated surface, fully recycleable.
Thick durable vinyl with a water based adhesive. Recybleable in the UK.