1stAngel & Friends

One of the things I mentioned in my first article was HEMP.

Why?

• Hemp requires little fertilizer and is an incredibly hardy crop. It therefore is cheaper to grow, easier, and can be grown in many different parts of the world.
• Hemp is remarkably pest resistant and therefore needs no pesticides
• The Cannabis strain of hemp is actually different from the crop strain and is no good for the uses I am outlying here
• The fibres of hemp can be used to make strong, long-lasting rope, paper, clothing, shoes, baby nappies, canvas, cellophane, paints, chain lubricants, biodegradable plastics, fibreboard, cement blocks, food, cosmetics, soap AND FUEL
• Hemp seeds are comparable to sunflower seeds in their nutritional properties.
• Hemp seeds can be used in cooking and combined with cereal and granola. They can be processed to create a nutritious protein powder. Hemp seeds also contain Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Hemp puts down deep roots which is good for soil and the leaves actually return goodness to the soil thereby allowing crops to be grown again and again on the same land.  In fact it has been known to grow a hemp crop for up to 20 years with no ill effects on the land.  NOT like most produce.
• With no pesticides, no farmland turnover, no chemicals, and easy growth it is far cheaper than most crops.  If therefore we grow locally, less fuel costs too will make this one of the best crops for future farmers.

If therefore every country grew more coarse hemp, we would have a natural, cheap alternative to destroying woodlands and rainforests.

Now trees can always be used, but this would give us time to regrow the tress that are rapidly being depleted worldwide at present.

Unfortunately the industry is not growing trees correctly.  Most trees need a vast number of years to become a proper ‘oxygen machine’ and the industry only replants 30 year trees, quite often not even allowing these to reach natural maturity.

This conversation is continued in our Talk Art Forum that has FREE membership. Come and join in as we explore what it takes to be an Environmentally Friendly Artist

Or read all the posts so far in this section HERE

Nowadays we hear a  lot about conservation.  But how many artists that have their work printed and framed actually know if their prints are part of a conservation project or part of the mass throwaway society responsible for the climate changes and loss of wildlife?

The market is flooded with inferior products from areas that are felled and not regrown properly.  Cheaper yes, but for every tree felled there is another loss to oxygen and wildlife.  Loss of trees is one of the biggest sources of the carbon dioxide warming the atmosphere, accounting for 18% of annual emissions.  We dont need only trees to make paper, hemp for instance makes a great canvas! It is easier to grow too and could be a sustainable alternative to tree pulp.

Consider also the use of the fossil fuels involved in transporting products over such large distances, not to mention the handling time. This is of great concern when you learn that many of our wood and paper is actually imported from other countries rather than using locally grown sources.

So what SHOULD the artist and photographer be looking for?

We need to start demanding from our printers and framers that they use locally, well tended forest trees for their materials.  If enough people demanded this then more trees would be grown and the price would come down.  Less fuel costs and less transport charges would apply so the difference in costs may not be as bad as you think.

Hemp is easily grown and could replace the fields that farmers are told to keep empty by the government. Again, locally grown hemp could then be widely available for canvas, clothes, paper and much more.

My personal opinion is that compainies like RedBubble in Australia and Imagekind in America, to name just two, would benefit by looking at the larger picture now and starting to take control over their businesses to incorporate more and more local produce and not just go for the cheap option.

This conversation is continued in our Talk Art Forum that has FREE membership. Come and join in as we explore what it takes to be an Environmentally Friendly Artist

Or read all the posts so far in this section HERE

In its constant bid to increase the creative options for photographers and visual artists, the development team at theprintspace are happy to announce they will now be stocking two new paper stocks – Fuji Clear and Fujiflex. Both of these paper types are part of the Fuji Crystal Archive standard of printing materials, designed exclusively for digital output on large-format laser printers. The printing material yields high-quality prints when used with a digital laser process, such as theprintspace’s digital C-Type printer, the Chromira. Both of these papers are archive standard Silver Halide printing materials, the current choice for print collectors and exhibitors around the world.

Fuji Flex is a newly developed supergloss surface, which is suitable for a variety of uses, such as large-sized displays and photo exhibitions. Great for fashion and glamour, and with an amazing level of dark and vivid colour, Fuji Flex is a versatile surface which allows for an amazing depth of tone without the excessive reflections of other glossy surfaces. Images printed on Fuji Flex appear as punchy and sharp as their gloss counterparts, but without the surface reflection of resin coated papers – endlessly versatile, perfect for portfolios, and acetate sleeves are no longer necessary! (more…)