All Things Fine Art

Artist, Marc Hanson started an excellent and informative discussion on Facebook recently by sharing an article written by Robert Maynard (printed in Huffpost Arts and Culture, February 20, 2015 edition) which discussed the benefits of using spike of lavender vs. OMS.  This discussion and those I’ve had with some of my art students and friends have prompted me to write this blog post.

Having had issues with allergy like symptoms that worsened over the past several years, I was tested for allergies in mid-2014 to find that all my tests proved negative. The result is that I have what is referred to as vaso motor rhinitis which is a sensitivity to environmental conditions including chemical exposure. Over the past several months, I’ve been diligently going through my home and studio and re-looking at my painting process to see what I can do to reduce my exposure to chemicals and relieve the symptoms. By doing so, my health has improved and I’ve had fewer symptomatic episodes.

I diligently read labels now and always buy products with the fewest chemicals (or none if possible) listed on the label. This also includes foods, clothing, paper products, etc.  I freshen the air in my studio at least once or twice a week by opening the window next to the easel for 5-10 minutes, keep the lid on my solvent and use much less of it in my work. These practices have definitely made a difference. I also rarely use Liquin now which was not always the case. I would like to get a room purifier but for a studio of my size it's very pricey. It’s not in my budget right now so, working with a window slightly opened and airing the room often is essential….and it helps a lot.

The article that Robert Maynard wrote (excerpted at the bottom of this post) was informative and gave me an alternative solvent to consider. At the time of this writing I have not yet used spike lavender (SL) but have ordered it. My greatest concern with SL, is that the flash point is apparently much lower than Gamsol which I’ve been using with some success. For this reason, I will need to be more careful in disposing of used paper towels, etc. that contain the solvent.

I want to make it abundantly clear that I do not recommend any product, as I am not qualified to do so. The information I offer here is strictly that…informational in nature and not a recommendation.  It is the responsibility of every artist to read labels, do their research and determine for themselves what to purchase, work with and to adjust (or not) their process according to their unique personal needs. That said, the following are excerpts from Maynard’s article and his comment made on Facebook regarding SL. There is considerable information available on the web regarding this and other art products and you are encouraged to spend some time checking them out. It’s best not to take any product or product statement at face value.

Excerpt from article by Robert Maynard in Huffpost Arts and Culture…

During the Industrial Revolution, turpentine was produced for much less cost than spike lavender, and artists begin to use it as a cheap alternative. Later, mineral spirits was introduced as a dry-cleaning chemical, and then artists and commercial painters begin to use it. Since that time, research has shown that mineral spirits, marketed as less-toxic than turpentine, actually cause’s chronic toxic encephalopathy with professional painters. In fact, the disease is called Chronic Painters syndrome. However, spike lavender does not have these problems. It has been used by artists for centuries. Further, mineral spirits will not dissolve damar crystals when making various types of varnish for painting, but Spike Lavender will! Thus Spike Lavender is much closer to turpentine than mineral spirits in performance, without the drawbacks.

Robert Maynards response to comments made during the Facebook discussion on spike lavender….

 Hello, all! I wrote the article being referenced here a while ago, so I was glad to see it brought up again. There are great comments above from everyone. Before I wrote the article, I wanted to be sure I had accurate, independent information on Oil of Spike Lavender. With this in mind, I hired a licensed toxicologist to thoroughly research it. His 18 page report is here:https://www.arttreehouse.com/store/data/SPIKE.PDF His notes are interesting - for example, Oil of Spike Lavender is FDA approved for use in foods and cosmetics. He further notes: "Evidential data are supportive that Spike Lavender Oil would not cause a chronic health effect with acute or prolonged dermal or inhalation exposure." 

It is true that I have a small artist supply web site. I try to stock less toxic materials, so I avoid turpentine, OMS, lead, cadmium, cobalt, etc. In regard to the above mentioned need for limiting exposure, this is certainly true of almost all art materials; even the paints themselves (should not be on the skin). The question is how to limit exposure, particularly to the more hazardous elements, while still benefiting from the creative expression made possible by the materials. Oil of Spike Lavender is most often used in small amounts to modify the flow characteristics of the paint. To use it as a brush cleaner would be wasteful and expensive…

Pigments are also a concern. While I don’t believe anyone should consider not painting because of the products we use to create art. We simply need to use caution, make informed choices and be more responsible with our process. In addition, I’ve heard artists say; I’ll switch to another medium (usually water based) and be safe. However, they need to understand that paint can also be a concern and that all paints are made from the same pigments. The need for caution is not limited to oil painters. As Jennifer Young states below, even acrylics have their cautions.

Jennifer Young’s blog: Paintings of France, Italy and Beyond

…And contrary to popular belief, in terms of tubes of paint, it doesn’t seem to me that oil paints are necessarily any more toxic than say, acrylics. In fact, while acrylics clean up with water, many acrylics use vehicles that contain ammonia and formaldehyde that off-gas as they dry.

In closing, the advice I am able to give is to read labels, air your studio, and use reasonable caution in the process you develop in your work. You might also consider keeping food out of your painting area, wearing gloves, etc. If you’re like me, giving up art is simply not an option so, think it through, and enjoy what you do but be responsibly safe in doing what you love best.