SchoolArts - May/June 2011

Remembering to Conserve

An art studio can be a waste- ful place—an errant drawing gets tossed in the trashcan, too much paint is poured and discarded, unfinished clay pieces dry out, and paper towels litter the floor. Or, an art studio can be a place where the space and materials are honored, measured, and seriously considered—a place where the environment is deeply respected.

It is amazing how adeptly students can become conservation minded. The extra thought they put into caring for materials and the space transfers to their work. When they truly understand that supplies are limited and precious, they plan their art with more discipline. My students take great pride in how little waste is generated in our art studio.

Laurie Bellet

the trash accumulation. To eliminate waste, print clear, simple brush washing steps, with illustrative graphics, and post this, laminated, above the sink.

becomes an immediate destination for collage activities. Neatly trimmed scraps are more likely to be selected than torn ones.

Markers

We collect dried-out
markers from every
classroom and turn
them into watercolor
paints. During recess,
students remove the
end cap from markers
with needle-nose pliers,
extract the wick (which
still has a lot of ink), and
place the wicks into a
quart container of water.
A bit of rubbing alcohol
minimizes spoilage
in these homemade
watercolors. We save the
marker tubes for use in
the construction center.

The Green Art Studio The first step in developing an environmentally conscious art studio is to determine exactly what products in your area can be recycled and how they must be divided and collected. Recycling containers need to be labeled and have a prominent presence in the studio.

Paint

For tempera, we use cakes, which com-
pletely eliminate the need for pouring
and waste, and we keep our acrylics in
plastic ketchup bottles. Students learn
to pour a “penny’s worth” of paint (a
puddle the size
of a penny). This
guideline makes
paint pouring
into a focused
effort where
waste becomes
less likely.
An art studio can be a place
where the space and materials
are honored, measured, and
seriously considered—a place
where the environment is
deeply respected.

Paper We have a rule in my artroom: if a paper scrap is worn, ripped, and withered, it gets recycled. Otherwise, the paper goes in the scraps box. By adding this element of consideration, students become aware of the potential uses for paper scraps, and the scraps box often

Brushes

Teaching students how to wash brushes thoroughly is a tiresome and often unsuccessful task. Brushes are costly, and maintaining their good condition helps the budget as well as

Paper Towels

On the shelves near our sink I keep stacks of old cloth towels, some cut into washcloth sizes. My students use these instead of paper, especially for large spills and very messy hands. I keep a laundry bag in the classroom and take the towels home to wash them.

Repurposing items that would be otherwise discarded is a source of endless creativity. In our art studio, discarded bowling pins, vinyl records, wire clothes hangers, shattered windshield (tempered) glass pieces, jewelry pieces, game paraphernalia, and boxes of all sorts find new life. Recycle, repurpose, reuse, and conserve: It’s good for the budget, sensitive to the environment, and amazing for the creative spirit!