Process

Background: How it all began.

While working in Toronto I became exposed to a deeper side of consumerism and waste than I had previously been aware of. I began to see how much waste is really created behind the scenes just so that companies can market their products to us, even if we may not really need them. I wanted a way to show our real values, our effects on nature and to show that there are always more eco friendly alternatives.

This is the first leaf that I ever painted. I wanted to highlight how I saw Northern Ontario, hockey, outdoors, on a maple leaf.

I figured by painting on leaves, it would avoid; the tree being cut down (this could be a sustainable logging practice or not), shipped for processing, being processed, the processed material shipped to be created into paper or canvas, if it’s paper it is pulped and pressed, if it’s canvas it’s processed, finished and stretched onto other wood, each would then be packaged, maybe at a secondary facility, and then shipped to a retailer.

Leaves are already dropped each fall as trees conserve their energy for the winter. Leaves are important for the tree, to decompose over winter and return any left over nutrients into the soil, but I never take more than a few from one particular area. By painting on leaves, I have a much smaller impact on the environment than conventional art substrates.

First leaf I ever painted, November 2015. — First leaf painted, November 2015.

Working With Nature

Each leaf is carefully collected in the fall. Most are from Northeastern Ontario, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have explored some areas of Southern Ontario and have been able to collect some unique leaves from there as well.

At the time that I began this journey, I became increasingly interested with nature and wildlife. I began reading a lot of books and websites and wanted to highlight conservation areas around Ontario as well as Species at Risk. Each of these are greatly effected by what humans do, even if it is not a direct impact.

One of my most profound influences came from Zero-waste queen Lauren Singer and the one and only Jane Goodall. These women have successfully broken boundaries in their own industries by being true to themselves, following their passions and for calling to action what they believe is the right thing to do, even if it may not be the easiest or most popular way to do things.

Each piece of artwork starts from a piece of information I’ve read or from something I’ve seen that has inspired me.

This may be a wildlife fact or just simply the feeling while watching a really wonderful sunset.

After a piece is planned out and the sketch completed, I get to work to bring the idea to life. This is usually done while listening to the radio or podcasts (Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe is one of my favourites).

Paint

I use Liquitex Basics acrylic paints for all of my pieces. Although this is not an eco-friendly paint, the packaging that they come in is easily reusable. Unlike many paints that come in foil tubes which are not able to be recycled, Liquitex Basics come in large, clear plastic tubes that have removable caps. This makes it easy to wash an empty tube and refill it with anything else I would like (so far it’s been perfect for an apple cider vinegar hair rinse!). I use mostly primary colour paints with the exception of a few premixed colours. I do the rest of the colour mixing myself which helps to keep my packaging waste collection to a minimum and also allows me to create my own unique colours.

My paint palette was cut from a piece of scrap plywood. I have two that I have been using since I started painting. This wooden palette prevents me from creating waste from disposable paint palettes and it only looks better with more paint on it, so I don’t have to worry about cleaning it and putting unnecessary paint waste down the drain or into the garbage.

An assembly of new pieces for the Spring of 2018.

One of the last steps to a final piece is the framing. I do all of the framing myself. I have experimented a lot over the years but have found that repurposing vintage frames aligns best with this artwork. These often have to be refinished or upgraded but extend the life cycle of an item already created and available locally. I have also built my own frames from repurposed wood. These are now mostly used for special projects or odd leaf sizes.

Vintage frames sanded down and ready to be refinished.

Frame built from repurposed wood, set with non-reflective art glass.

Finally each piece is packaged with care. Local pick up/drop off pieces are of course the most efficient and earth friendly delivery but I ensure pieces travelling long distances make it safely. Every shipped item is carefully protected and packaged to arrive safely, in as much repurposed packaging as possible. We hope you are able to reuse or donate (to your local thrift store) any suitable packaging to extend its life cycle.