What can Artists learn from the Laboratory?

The Vital Lesson of Health and Safety

In the realm of creativity, artists often immerse themselves in a world of boundless imagination and unrestricted expression. However, amidst this whirlwind of inspiration, there are valuable lessons from science can teach us about health and safety. Artists, like scientists, have a responsibility to safeguard their well-being while pursuing their passion.

Coming from a science background we are drilled to pretty hot on health and safety . So as an artist working in the studio, what lessons can we learn from the lab about how to keep safe personally, as well as reduce our impact on our planet?

Keeping Safe

• Understand what you are dealing with by reading the warning labels. There are international symbols used for hazardous materials that apply equally to the lab and the art studio. Read the safety leaflet and follow the instructions. Just because it is not labelled as hazardous, don’t assume that it is non toxic and treat everything with respect. Some products might not have been tested for their impact on the environment and even traditional materials made from naturally occurring substances can be pretty horrid.

• Wear proper protective clothing and tie your hair back. While an old labcoat makes a great painting overall, most people wear old clothes and shoes kept for painting. Proper protective clothing is needed such as a dust mask, or respirator, eye protection and gloves when handling hazardous materials including powders like pigments or glazes. Dust masks need to cover both your mouth and nose and must be replaced frequently.

• Reduce your exposure to solvents. Keep them in closed containers and only use them in a well ventilated space. If you use aerosols then do it outside to minimise the chance of breathing in the product or its propellant or proper extraction and respirator if indoors. If you have large amounts of solvent to store then invest in a solvent safety cabinet and keep well away from naked flames and heat sources.

• Take care of your health when choosing materials. If you have an allergy to limonene then you will have a problem with ‘environmentally friendly’ turps substitutes made from orange.

• Don’t eat or drink in the studio if your materials are in any way hazardous. If like me, you have to work in the kitchen, make sure food is covered and away and don’t prepare food in a sink full of art materials. Never, ever suck your brushes to a point-yuk!

Reduce Environmental Impact

Labs spend a lot of thought on proper disposal of waste. Get it wrong and a visit from the Environment Agency could shut you down.

• Regard the sea as starting at your plughole. Find better ways of disposing of paint than washing it down the sink. It might mean a trip to the local tip to get rid of white spirit and waste solvents. I let my waste acrylic paint dry completely and dispose of it as a solid. My rationale is that it is better the pigments are bound up than released in the water. Clean your brushes with a (recycled) rag before washing and then allow the rag to dry outside before recycling.

• Reduce your use of toxic materials- find non toxic alternatives. Chemists created some fantastic coloured pigments but included heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, cobalt and nickel so paint can be pretty nasty stuff. Paint manufacturers have been steadily replacing the nasties and finding alternatives. e.g. cadmium free paint. OK they might not be exactly the same, but we need to use them.

• Reduce too use of single use plastics. Wooden skewers make great stirring sticks and cocktail sticks are useful to

• Reuse paint bottles, glass jars and plastics from the kitchen and then recycle when you are done. Put new canvas on old stretchers, draw on the back of waste sketches, collage failures into new work and recycle bubble wrap to pack pictures etc.

Dried acrylic paint for disposal….or collage?

My kitchen sink -no food preparation here! (lots of scrubbing after)

Cambridge Open Studios 2023

This year I am collaborating with Helen Snow a talented local printmaker and great friend. Two Helens, for the price of one!

Helen (Snow) started printmaking 7 years ago with an evening class in printmaking at Swavesey Village College, using very basic tools (eg a wooden spoon!) and intaglio methods. Classes at Cambridge Regional College, East London Printmakers along with courses with local printmaker/tutors Nina Sage and Sherry Rea have added to her practice- all carried out in a tiny utility room! From there she combines the techniques of lino, drypoint etching, collagraph and monotype, sometimes combining techniques e.g. overprinting a collagraph background with lino. More recently a Gunning Little Thumper etching press (for intaglio)  joined the old “nipping” or bookbinding press (for relief) in the tiny utility cum print room! Recently she has been exploring collagraph prints, where a plate is made from collaged textures and can be inked with both relief and intaglio methods and can give experimental and unexpected results adding to the excitement of the “reveal”. You can see more of her work on Instagram @helensprintstagram

Five steps to get the most out of a visit to Cambridge Open Studios

Very excited! While I have visited many artists in the past and have bought artworks, this is the first time I have participated in Cambridge Open Studios. As I write this I am busy varnishing pictures and transforming my home into an art gallery!

For those that have never come to Open Studios it’s really simple and a great day out. Here are my five hints to make the most of your day.

Step 1 Get hold of a copy of the guide or download the App and Plan!

Download the App There is a great video on how to use it on Youtube https://youtu.be/VWsSgNkggfk

Then use it to decide who to visit. You can’t do them all! Single artist or group show?

Which weekend? There are 4 to choose from. If you have fallen in love with the piece in the catalogue then go on the first day of the first weekend to avoid the disappointment of finding it sold. Just browsing? Then go when you like- artists don’t have lunchtime and that’s often a quiet time to visit.

Step 2 Set a budget

Empty walls ? COS can be a cost effective way of filling your walls and home with unique artwork instead of mass printed posters. Set a budget and stick to it. You’re buying direct from the artist with no middleman so your budget will go further and you may secure something lovely. Take cash for small purchases like cards. Many artists do take card payments but don’t rely on it. A banking app on your phone may be useful for rapid payment to secure that piece you have fallen in love with. There’s only one reason to buy art and that’s because you love it!

Step 3 Find an art loving friend and plan your route

Are you walking or driving? Staying close or further afield? The map is really useful to work out where to go but don’t forget to check in the guide if the artists you are interested in are open on the day of your tour. Opening hours are 11 am to 6 pm so you can probably see 5-8 artists in a day. Why not focus on an area or village e.g. Willingham ? OK, I am horribly biased!

Step 4 Talk to artists-they don’t wear strange smocks!

You will meet-up with some really lovely creative people living and working in interesting places and studios. Some studios are working studios where you may see the artist working. Most artists are really happy to discuss their work and techniques and you can get some helpful tips. Don’t see what you want? Ask about commissions and courses too.

If you do buy or just love their work, then sign to go on their mailing list. That way they will notify you when they are exhibiting and you might get invited to a private viewing.

Step 5 Do elevensies, lunch and afternoon tea

While many artists will offer you a soft drink, you need to keep up your energy! Visiting a new village is a great way to discover new eateries. If you do plan to come to Willingham (and why not ?) there are great options from the Duke of Wellington, the Auction Cafe, The Book-warren, The Bushel Box and the Porterhouse.

Had a good time? Then do it all over again next weekend!