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Blog Entry 1 of 4 Art Tips & Techniques
Meininger Art Supply has been a family owned and operated business in Denver since 1881. With over 125 years of expertise in the art supply business, Meininger's has valuable creative tips and techniques to share with artists, teachers, students, kids & parents. We'll let you know about cool art products, special art events at our store, fun art lessons, and more! Visit our Denver store at 499 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 (phone 303-698-3838); our Colorado Springs store at 201 South Weber, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (phone 719-578-8070); or online at www.meininger.com.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MeiningerArtSupply

Art Toxins - How to Create & Stay Safe

Contributed by: Meininger Art Supply   on 2/28/2008

There are thousands of art materials that are totally non-toxic and safe for use by children and adults. But always remember to read labels and stay informed!
Certain art materials can be terribly detrimental to us and the Earth. There have been numerous human tragedies due to toxic art materials, such as the death of world-renowned sculptor Duane Hanson. Hanson, best known for his life-like sculptures of the human form including Young Shopper (1973) and House Painter (1989), passed away due to cancer caused by toxic resins and fixative fumes. Thankfully, art material manufacturers have been trying to ease this problem over the last few decades. We've accumulated some information to help artists make wiser choices about the materials you use and how to dispose of the harmful leftovers.

• Solvents

Choose solvents wisely: use the mildest solvent that will get the job done rather than a more aggressive, more environmentally harmful solvent. To help artists make a well-targeted choice regarding the solvent potency and the associated health risks, companies such as Eco-House offer solvents and thinners at graduated strengths.

Turpentine is a respiratory irritant, has a fast evaporation rate and a low permissible exposure level. It is absorbed through healthy unbroken skin and can cause nausea and lightheadedness, dermatitis, kidney and bladder disease, and asthma. Examples of Turpentine Alternatives include Gamsol, Sansodor, Turpentine Natural, and NeutralThin. Gamblin Gamsol is 100% pure odorless mineral spirits and has 1/3 the toxitcity level of standard odorless mineral spirits. The harmful aromatic solvent has been removed from Gamsol, and it evaporates slowly, limiting your exposure to solvent vapors. Winsor & Newton Sansodor also minimizes evaporation into the workspace environment. Turpenoid Natural® is a nontoxic brush cleaner and painting medium which is non-flammable, does not irritate skin or eyes and does not emit harmful vapors. Eco-House NeutralThin utilizes an odorless, hypoallergenic formula to help accommodate chemically sensitive individuals.

To better protect yourself while handling potentially harmful art materials, use a high-quailty respirator (not just a dust mask) to avoid inhaling harmful vapors, fumes, and dust particles. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when handling certain materials.

• Color

Most oil color manufactures are now making paints that have low toxicity levels and do not contain lead, arsenic or mercury. Acrylic paints are made up of plastic polymers, but like most water-based paints they release fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than oils. They dry quickly and generally off-gas much less than oils. Watercolors and temperas are also much lower on the toxicity scale than oils, but may still contain harmful pigments. Most temperas are labeled non-toxic, but preservatives are added to kill off any organisms that can form in the egg-, gum- and wax-based paint. For pastel artists, there is a new product called Pan Pastel (pastel in pan form rather than stick form) which has a low dust formulation. Paints made in the USA have information regarding conformance to various ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards and required health warnings on the label. Manufacturer websites, and the staff at Meininger Art Supply can provide you with further health and safety information.

• Disposal

Recycle old canvases by re-gessoing, then painting over them.

Wipe as much paint as you can from palettes, brushes and other tools before you rinse them. To protect the watershed, artists' materials, including acrylics, oil media, and watercolors, should not be washed down the drain.

Do not throw away old or excess artist paints, solvents, etc. Instead, take it to your city's Household Hazardous Waste Depot or schedule a pick up. Contact the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, Customer Technical Assistance Line 303-692-3320(toll-free 888-569-1831) or visit http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/ for more information.

• For great art supplies, visit the art material experts at Meininger's Denver store at 499 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203. Call us at 303-698-3838 or check out our website at http://www.meininger.com.



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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Meininger Art Supply

Denver , CO

Meininger Art Supply has posted 4 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 11/22/2006. Meininger Art Supply's average blog rating is 0.
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