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Ever wanted to make your own paints that aren't filled with nasty preservatives and chemicals that are bad for for both you & the earth? Or learn about safe & trusted recipes used in the past that can still be relevant to mixed media artists today? In this workshop we will explore the painting process from the very beginning, by making our own water based paints, primers and adhesives that mixed media artists can use in their work, making their lives a little “greener”. Outside of paintmaking we will also discuss tips for buying earth friendly commercial art supplies. Students will work on a few small scale paintings throughout the workshop that will incorporate the various recipes we create in class. Bring your art journal along if you like!

Earth Friendly Paintmaking

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bio

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Kit Fee: $7       supply list

• - 3 to 5 small surfaces to work on, this can be small canvases, canvas panels, wood blocks or anything else you choose. Look around your home, chances are you may have something that can be painted over. Size should be at least 5”x5”, shape is up to you.
• - a variety of paint brushes- small, medium and large, a couple of flat & a couple of round. You dont need to run out and buy new ones, just bring a selection of the ones you already have.
• - A water container for washing brushes & a rag/towel for drying brushes
• - something to function as a palette for mixing colors, this can be a sheet of wax paper, a round plastic palette, or an old tray.... anything you can put some paint on top of for mixing.
• - drawing pencil or pen
• - paper scraps for adding collage elements
  
  
• Kit Fee: $7- includes all paint and adhesive materials

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Karen Michel is a mixed media artist. She lives in New York where she runs a non-profit art center for kids with her artist husband Carlo Thertus, the Creative Art Space for Kids Foundation (www.caskfoundation.org). Her books, paintings and collages have been exhibited internationally and is the author of “The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery” as well as her upcoming book “The Green Guide for Mixed Media Artists”. To view more of her work visit www.karenmichel.com.