The ability to design is the essence of art. All artist work by a set of rules that they know from the heart or have acquired through study. These rules include perspective, proportions, compositional structure, color theory, and other techniques which give form to a work of art.
Sustainable design, also called green design, in art simply means the artist uses sustainable concepts and materials to make art. A few simple ways to employ sustainable design include:
1) Use canvasses and papers that are made from recycled materials.
2) Use products made with renewable energy.
3) Use local made materials.
4) Use old boxes, boards, or other materials to produce art.
5) Sell your art locally or regionally to avoid long distance shipping.
An artist can also make their art green by the subject matter they choose. Artists of the Renaissance did not confine their work to the canvass. They boldly designed buildings and machines for everyday use. Often they made their own paints, too.
Abstract art was a regression in art that nearly destroyed any tangible trace of true art forms. Abstract art was part of the modernistic society that also designed buildings and cities without regard for their use. All abstract art proved is that anything will sell. It has no cultural value.
Today's artist should break with the art of the 20TH century and return to the true art forms of drawing, painting, designing, and building things that have meaning and purpose. The new artist must not be confined to only the canvass. The new artist must express art in everything, from the garden to the design of cities and regions.
