From paints and brushes to paper, ecologically conscious materials are top of mind for these regional artists

While chatting one day with an artist friend who moonlights as a librarian, I mentioned a studio in Taiwan that sells badger and wolf hair paintbrushes. She flinched, subtly and not judgmentally, but noticeably. Based on her reaction, the conversation shifted to eco- and animal-friendly art materials—and those that are not, from paintbrushes made from wild animal hair to watercolor paints that incorporate ox gall (the extracted gallbladder of cows). 

“The fact that animal cruelty creeps into art supplies makes me so sad,” my friend said—and I agreed.   

Fortunately, as the art world evolves, artists are becoming more conscious and better educated about how the materials they use affect the environment, animals and communities. We caught up with a couple of regional artists who are extra mindful about what they put out into the world.

Jennifer Peart, standing in front of the backyard studio she built with her father, prepares a marigold plot for her experimental dye garden, courtesy photo

Jennifer Peart

Growing up in rural El Dorado County, where she was surrounded by granite, forest and rivers—and the Northern California coast just a few hours away—Jennifer Peart has always felt a deep connection to nature.  

She started drawing the landscapes around her from a young age and later studied at Mills College in Oakland under the tutelage of famous artist Hung Liu, earning a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in studio art. After obtaining a master’s degree from UC Davis, Peart then taught elementary school students in Sacramento, Oakland and Lake County for 11 years. She left her teaching career three years ago to become a full-time artist. 

“I loved being a teacher and integrating art into the subject matter, making it more equitable,” she says. “My classroom was always camping themed.”

Peart views her landscape-style art as a connection to our human relationship with nature, using a variety of materials and processes to help that message shine through.

A Great Rendezvous by Jennifer Peart, courtesy photo

“I paint on wood panels that I make myself, and primarily use oil, acrylic and ink that I paint onto FSC-certified wood,” Peart says, referring to the Forest Stewardship Council. She sources her planks from a local lumber yard and builds the panels in batches with her dad. “He’s in construction, so I grew up unafraid of power tools,” she adds with a smile. 

She finds inspiration everywhere, even in her backyard, where she grows her own dye garden with marigold, coreopsis and goldenrod flowers. 

“I’ve dyed handkerchiefs, scrunchies and other fabric, but it’s making the dye permanent that continues to elude me,” she admits about dialing in the chemistry to make lightfast pigments, which don’t fade over time.  

When not tending to her garden, Peart does site sketching and watercolor paintings in the field and will also borrow photos from rock climber friends of places she can’t physically reach. She likes using Beam Paints, an indigenous brand. 

“I connect most with the earth when I’m sitting out in nature with my sketchbook,” she says. “I love to collect water and always ask the river for permission.” 

In addition to using natural materials, Peart tries to be socially responsible. She will not buy products from big corporations she doesn’t align with, like Home Depot, Amazon and Hobby Lobby, which she believes actively cause harm to communities.  

“Art is about helping communities and our human relationship to the land, so I think it’s important to consider all aspects of the [art] business,” Peart says. “Between the paint, wood I’m painting on and even packaging and shipping processes, the world would be a better place if we took this all into consideration.

“I taught kids how to change the world for the better, and now I paint the future for my world.”

Jackie Peacock finishes a misty forest painting, courtesy photo

Jackie Peacock 

Reno/Tahoe watercolorist Jackie Peacock’s “moodscapes” are best described as ethereal, elusive and serene, often featuring thick forests and fog intertwined. As a child, her family would vacation on the Northern California coast, where the days were “dark, misty and moody,” which to this day inspires her art.  

Photography was Peacock’s first creative love before she picked up a watercolor paintbrush in 2018 and started painting with intention. She didn’t start taking watercolor art seriously until she returned from a trip to Banff, Canada, in 2021 and after her friend gifted her a watercolor picture of a misty forest that she connected with. She soon found that she had a knack for teaching watercolor painting and started a YouTube channel that has since amassed more than 50,000 followers. 

In the Arms of Mist and Pines by Jackie Peacock, courtesy photo

“With photography, it was just about studying nature, capturing the vein of a leaf or a close-up shot of bark, but then I was able to capture that more accurately in paintings,” Peacock says. “I dabbled in it as therapy, just painting trees at first, but then when I got back from Banff—which was overwhelmingly beautiful—and my friend gave me that painting, I jumped into it and started painting professionally.

“A lot of people think I live in the Pacific Northwest because of the dense trees I paint, but you can see that thick fog in Truckee, too,” she adds. 

Preserving the environment has always been important to Peacock, who is a big fan of Daniel Smith paints. Based in Seattle, the company sells a line of eco-friendly “EnvironOxide” pigments in yellow, red and brown iron oxide, essentially made of iron sludge recovered from abandoned mine discharge sites. 

“They are based in and originated in the U.S. and are hands down my favorite professional watercolor brand,” she says. “Not all their paints are vegan, but most of them are.”

Peacock also works with DeepDeepLight, a brand of handmade artisanal watercolor paints shipped from a tiny factory nestled under a big oak tree in Latvia. She became an ambassador for DeepDeepLight in 2023. 

“They are handmade watercolors, the texture coming in powders or dyes,” she says. “The pigments are really gorgeous. I love their products and their connection to nature.” 

DeepDeepLight handmade paints from Latvia, courtesy photo

She is also a fan of Beam Paints, created by the M’Chigeeng First Nation people in Ontario, Canada, and the same brand that Peart supports. “Even their packaging is mindful,” Peacock says, describing paints nestled in plastic-free containers made of cotton, beeswax, kraft paper and reclaimed wood. 

As for environmentally friendly paper, Peacock uses Hahnemühle, a company founded in Germany in 1584 that is popular among watercolor artists. She says some artists use pulp paper, but she questions if it will hold up in 10 or 15 years.  

Peacock prefers using synthetic paintbrushes, her favorite being Princeton’s Neptune series, which “hold a ton of water,” she says. But she warns that using synthetic brushes can be controversial as well because they are made of plastic, prompting the question: Is it biodegradable?

“There’s synthetic versus natural hair, versus a natural/synthetic blend. I think the debate will forever go on about which one is environmentally better,” she says. 

Ultimately, Peacock simply does her best to be aware of the art products she uses and how they impact the natural environment. “I try to be mindful of the brushes and intentional in how I paint. I just always try to do my best by the animals.”

Kayla Anderson is a longtime Tahoe resident and author.