By mail:
The Art Treehouse
4805 Jade Lane
Madison, WI 53714
By email:
sales@arttreehouse.com
By phone:
608-819-1765
1) It should be possible to do art in the studio and home without worring about toxic materials. Early on, I experimented with “odorless” thinners, and lead-free painting mediums and found that I reacted to them. A bit of research shows that sometimes these alternatives can be as toxic as their “smelly” counterparts, just with less odor. I also have two dogs and two children. It is not at all hard to imagine the dogs getting into my art materials and getting seriously sick. Not only do I have children at home, I have been teaching children, kindergarden through eighth grade, for many years. Many of the toxic art materials on the market are simply illegal to have in the classroom. Yet, I find my Middle School students love to do oil painting!
2) It should be possible for artists to have a greater mix of both control and freedom when it comes to art materials. Too often the world of art materials can be overwhelming, with sytems and theories both contradictory and confusing. I like to make my own canvas stretchers, and mix my own paints. I can mix small amounts at a time, and know exactly what pigments and mediums I am placing on the canvas. Further, it gives me the freedom to experiment. I can mix my own colors using a limited palette, not feeling that I must purchase every color in a line of paints, or use every technique in a specialized system. These two ideas: the less-toxic studio, and the mix of control and freedom, have been helpful to me in my creative work. Hopefully, these ideas will also be of benefit to you….
Robert Maynord