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Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

In honour of our “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” sale, we wanted to add to our ongoing series of blogs focusing on sustainability. 

In the past, we did a deep dive into the new, ever-impressive Recycled Canvas from Liquitex in “Old Materials, New Ideas” before discussing materials from Da Vinci, Seawhite, Sennelier & others in “A Focus on Sustainability”.

Today we’ll be spotlighting a long-time favourite with Khadi Papers & the brand-new Studio GREEN range from Pebeo.

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khadi papers logo

Khadi Papers: A Brief Introduction

Introducing Indian handmade papers to artists & designers across London in the early 1980s, Khadi Papers opened their first mill over 20 years ago & work closely with papermakers in India, Nepal & Bhutan. 

In a stroke of genius, their mill is located just outside of Tarihal, South India.  A prominent cotton growing area, the nearby Hubli also features the biggest open air cotton market in Asia, providing an almost tireless supply of raw materials for their paper. 

Now directly employing over 60 people from local villages, they also provide indirect work for printers, technicians & carpenters.  Irrigated using run-off water from the mill, they even have their own organic farm with mangoes, bananas & organic vegetables.

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white rag image

White Rag Sheets

Incredibly versatile, White Rag is ideal for a broad variety of painting, drawing & crafting applications including watercolour, ink, gouache & calligraphy techniques.

Handmade using 100% long-fibred cotton rag, this naturally acid-free paper features an absorbent medium-textured surface internally sized with pH neutral size (with the 320gsm additionally surface-sized using gelatine).

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white rage envelopes

Envelopes

Available in packs of 20 across several sizes (C7, C6 & C5), these acid-free & pH neutral envelopes include an attractive deckle edge along the flap.

Although less robust than their White Rag counterparts above, the 100gsm surface is similarly absorbent, perfect for adding handmade touches & creating something truly unique.

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pebeo logo

Pebeo: A Quick Catch-Up

A long-time collaborator for us, Pebeo has been committed to creation & innovation for over 100 years now, with a particular focus on quality, knowledge & sustainability.

Studio GREEN is the first range of eco-designed acrylic auxiliaries devised from 100% recycled raw material, offering sustainable alternatives kinder to both people & the environment without sacrificing quality.

Encompassing several additives & mediums, Studio GREEN materials replace petrochemical resin with 100% recycled resin, which generates 6-7x less CO2 emissions than traditional binders whilst boasting comparable performance in terms of adhesion, strength, flexibility & durability.

Even their jars & bottles are 100% recycled & further recyclable (minus caps & lids!).

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Studio GREEN Phosphorescent Gel Example

Studio GREEN: Phosphorescent Gel

Have some fun & add intense Glow in the Dark effects to your drawings, paintings, sculptures & more with this exciting additive!

Best applied using a palette knife or painting knife, this thick, translucent gel dries to an attractive satin finish.

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Studio GREEN Bindex Example

Studio GREEN: 3-in-1 Bindex

Suitable for a variety of projects & techniques, this water-based, non-toxic binder provides depth & transparency without sacrificing colour intensity. 

Available in 2 sizes & incredibly versatile, 3-in-1 Bindex can be used as a medium, a varnish or even a glue for glazes, collages, inlays, colour or image transfers & more!

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Thanks once again for joining us.

Did these eco-friendly products give you some fun, creative ideas?
Give them a try yourself, see what you think!

If you have any questions, or want to share what you think, let us know!

Emailadmin@cowlings.com
Telephone:  01303 290550


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