Heirlooms

My art is created with the intention of it lasting a lifetime and becoming an heirloom. This means I need to consider not only the supplies I use, but also the techniques I use.

Gold

Because composition gold leaf (otherwise known as gold metal leaf or imitation gold leaf) will tarnish due to the metal content, I have changed to using only 23k gold leaf or higher. This is the only way to guarantee that these pieces will be around for a very long time and can be restored if need be in the future.

My gold supplier is Giusto Manetti Battiloro Goldbeater, manufacturer of gold leaf in Florence since 1600. Their family has preserved and renewed the tradition of producing precious metal leaf since 1600, practicing the noble craft of gold beating for over 15 generations. All gold is certified no-conflict gold.

I have studied gilding with the society of gilders.

Paints & Pigments

My paints are from the French companies Charvin (since 1830) and Sennelier (since 1887) based in Paris who used to create art supplies for the likes of Monet, Renoir, Gaugin & Van Gogh.

Additionally, any paints I mix myself are from earth pigments sourced ethically in France by a company who specializes in supplying artists' materials that were used in historical painting since prehistoric times up to and including the nineteenth century.

I have studied paint making from an Enlumineur de France specializing in Illumination.

Paper

My paper supplier is Two Rivers out of the UK. They make hand-made beautiful rag papers for artists at an ancient watermill deep in the Somerset countryside.

The mill is over 400 years old and still retains much of the ancient wooden milling machinery. It’s been restored over the last 15 years to a working water-powered traditional paper mill.

I also use 100% cotton paper made from recycled cotton.

Goals

As I work toward my MA in Sustainable Design, my goal is to create works of art that are ultimately biodegradable with a supply chain that is 100% transparent. This means that I know exactly where every single ingredient in my materials comes from and who makes it. I know for certain that there is no slave labor involved, no unnecessary chemicals involved, no metals or fossil fuels, and nothing that would prohibit the artwork from returning gently back to the earth. This is a big goal and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ll be posting more in my blog and on my instagram if you’d like to follow the journey.