In 2009, professional artist, mom, and environmentalist Leah Fanning had a large, one-woman gallery exhibition planned and needed to paint full-time for a year to prepare for it. She also found out she was pregnant with her first child around the same time. To protect her baby’s health, she ditched every toxic art supply in her studio, including paints, thinners and primers. 

But what was alternative to conventional paints? Leah drew inspiration from the cave painters through the Renaissance masters and took to nature to find her supplies. The founder went to the woods herself and harvested all the pigments. She would never leave home without a trowel and a bag. If she saw beautiful colours on the roadside, she would jump out of her car and gather the pigments. She discovered that using natural pigments and oil created paintings that are even more radiant and archival than conventional paints. And without added fillers, heavy metals, additives and petrochemicals, natural paints have a brilliant luminosity that can’t be found anywhere else. 

After discovering that even mainstream children’s paints (that are labelled as non-toxic) contain harmful toxins including formaldehyde and heavy metals, she had an epiphany. She needed to spread the word. No one was talking about the fact that you could create higher quality works of art with absolutely no toxins. 

A year later Natural Earth paint was born. 

True to the brand’s eco-friendly roots, Natural Earth Paint continues to be committed to eco-friendly products and practices reflected by the prestigious Gold certification from Green America, the highest rank for green business. The brand use locally-made, 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, home compostable paint pouches, recyclable glass, and aluminium bottles. The company operates using 100% solar power and gives back to organisations and causes that protect Mother Earth.