2 Featured Site - Samantha's Art Studio

My friend Sam is an artist. Her inspiration for her artwork comes from nature so you will see that she focuses on capturing the beauty of brightly coloured flowers, frogs, butterflies and other insects (sometimes spiders eeeekkkk - do.not.want). She is trying to showcase the beauty in the ordinary parts of nature to make people appreciate it more. Our ecosystems are so interconnected that one small change in one insect can lead to major disruptions in an entire food chain.

What I really like about Sam's artwork is that she is bringing nature to life in an environmentally responsible manner. Her canvases and backing boards are made from recycled materials, her prints are on sugar-cane paper and she uses biodegradable plastic sleeves. If the client wants the art framed Sam tries to find used frames that will showcase her work but if she can't find something that is used she will try to buy a frame that is made from FSC certified wood from replenished forests or bamboo. Her mousepads are even made from recycled tire rubber!

If you buy art from Sam don't be surprised if it arrives in an old cereal or cracker box. She also reuses common items from around her home instead of having to buy new art supplies. These are both cheap and easy way to reuse material and reduce her impact on the environment.

I asked Sam what questions people can ask to ensure that the artwork they are puchasing from any artist is as green as possible. Here are her suggestions:

For original paintings most paints won't be made from eco-friendly materials but you can look for canvas made from organic cotton or FSC certified wooden stretcher bars and frames. For a drawing look for paper made from recycled content and pencils made from scrap wood or wood from managed forests.

When you checkout Sam's website you will notice that it is about more than just art. These topics range from bee's (::hides under bed::) to how she is reducing her own impact on the environment. What is Sam doing to Go Green?  She is walking instead of driving her car, keeps shopping to a minimum to reduce her consumerism and is trying to buy more used items. She also uses eco-friendly cleaning supplies, drinks tap water, uses a reuseable water bottle, makes her own tea/coffee at home to avoid waste and use of paper cups and she joined a CSA this year.

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