Hello beautiful artist!

I love to use my journal to just play and try out my supplies. Especially if I’m feeling stuck or uninspired, it helps me get back in the flow in no time. Sometimes I’ll just scribble with a new pen or try out all the colors that come in a set of crayons (by the way, we do all this and more in my free workshop about mixed media supplies!).

These simple, experimental backgrounds are also a great way to get rid of the scary blank page. They become a starting point to then journal over and create a visual story. This is exactly what happened in the page I’m sharing today! I created it for a lesson in Wanderlust 2022 on the theme of artist acrylics.

As an eco-conscious person and artist, I’ll admit I have conflicted feelings towards acrylics, yet I can’t really do without them (at least for now). I’m sure I’m not the only one so I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about it here on the blog, and share my best tips for a more sustainable practice. Then I hope you’ll share yours in the comments!

When it comes to paint, let’s face it, acrylics are not the most earth-friendly option. There, I said it. Acrylic is basically a form of plastic, so definitely not as natural as watercolor or oils (or my latest obsession: milk paint!). For the past year I’ve been exploring all kinds of more natural paints but the truth is that for now, I haven’t found anything quite as versatile as acrylics, either for paints, or for collage with matte gel medium.

Acrylics dry quickly, and they’re permanent once dry, which is perfect for mixed media layering. Especially the translucent ones that I love to layer over collage. They’re also more practical in my art journal where I often work on several pages at a time and can’t leave it open to dry for hours or even days at a time. So what if there was a way to use acrylics more sustainably?

In many aspects of my art practice, and in our business and everyday life as a family, we’ve made lots of choices over the years to limit our carbon foot-print. We hardly use anything disposable, we eat mostly fresh, homemade and local food, William and I are vegetarians, and our daughter is well on her way. We buy second-hand or from ethical brands, we wrap presents in fabric, we carbon-compensate our website and online classes, we donate to wildlife and environmental organizations and I could go on and on about the hundreds of little things we do or the habits we have let go of. So of course it bothers me to still be using acrylics!

But it also reminds me that we’ll never get it all perfect. In fact, just like in art, perfectionism is a sure way to get stuck and unhappy, and I have to remind myself that doing what I can is already good enough. And I have developped a not-perfect-but-good-enough-for-now approach to acrylics and I thought I’d share all my 5 best tips with you!

Here are the different ways that I try to use acrylics more mindfully. I hope these tips will inspire you, and would love to hear about any other ideas!

Of course, it’s not just about acrylics and there are plenty more ways to make your creative practice more sustainable. Ultimately, making your art practice more sustainable is a matter of taking the time, assessing your needs and doing a bit of research. And above all keep focusing on what brings you joy because this is how you will make art that’s full of good vibes!

make friends with your art supplies!

Unleash the magic of mixed media in your art! In this video series, I share all about my favorite supplies, (the basics and much more) + plenty of my best tips: From painting tools and acrylics to gesso, inks, mark-making and collage, let’s get painting!

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