Many transitions in the materials I painted with over the years led to a great depth of knowledge. Determined to understand the toxicology of the materials required for me to paint my artistic vision safely, I researched watercolor papers worldwide for many years and studied the toxicology of pigments.
I began art classes at a very young age continuing through two bachelors of fine arts equaling 8 years total. Never once did an instructor speak of safe handling procedures or teach toxicology of the art materials we worked with. In fact, one promoted the use of lead white. The M. Graham & Co. representative told me he receives approximately one call per week from an artist struggling with reactions to art materials.
One winter morning, 2023, with no intention to write a book, the first few chapters spontaneously flowed out of me. Several classic books on artist's materials exist, Ralph Mayer and Mark David Gottsegen each wrote one. My book’s focus leans heavily toward and is more in-depth on watercolor, although pigments are universal for all mediums. My book incorporates more current and thorough information on pigment toxicity than found in those two classics. Thanks to generous answers to my many questions by fine arts papermakers worldwide my information on watercolor papers is quite extensive. I provide excellent resources for artists interested in pursuing egg tempera.
Relating our lives and work to the environmental crisis of our times, I explicitly discuss why we should care about the materials we purchase and paint with. My inclusion of examples of the influence of art materials on transitions in Western art history thrills me.
"This book about my journey evolved into its own journey. The original intent to share my research on pigments and papers grew from the opening chapter, Navigating Safely, as negative comments spurred responses and the need for a deeper understanding of how materials and techniques reflect the artist’s times surfaced."
Still in the writing phase, the technical section requires extensive work. I am happy to share a PDF of the book in progress for free at the moment, as long as you provide constructive responses in return.
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