Make Moss Graffiti

As people become more eco-friendly and environmentally aware, the idea of making living, breathing graffiti has become an exciting outlet for graffiti artists. Also called eco-graffiti or green graffiti, moss graffiti replaces spray paint, paint-markers or other such toxic chemicals and paints with a paintbrush and a moss "paint" that can grow on its own. It can also be considered another form of guerrilla gardening. Learn more about this simple technique after the jump.

Ingredients

  • One or two clumps (about a small handful) of moss
  • 2 cups of buttermilk
    • You can also substitute with yogurt (vegan yogurt can be used) NOTE: not flavored yogurt
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • Corn syrup (optional)

Steps

Finding the moss

  1. Gather up as much moss as you can find or buy. Where you gather the moss is important. The kind that grows on trees won't necessarily do well on walls.
    • Gather moss from pavement, damp bricks, cement walkway, etc. Moss from the woods doesn't work as well and should be left in the wild. If there is no moss on the walks and walls where you live, the moss milk probably won't work in that climate.

Preparing the moss

  1. Wash the moss to get as much soil out of the roots as possible.
  2. Break the moss apart. Break into manageable pieces. Then place the pieces in the blender.

Making moss milk

  1. Add the buttermilk/yogurt, water/beer and sugar. Blend the mixture until completely smooth. You'll want it to have a paint-like texture.
    • If the mixture is at a consistency where you feel it will drip, add corn syrup until the consistency you desire is reached.
    • Alternatively, use one cup of ordinary milk to 1 to 2 tablespoons of moss.
  2. Pour mixture from the blender to a bucket. Whizz around but do not liquefy it because the moss cells must stay intact.

Applying the moss graffiti

  1. Use a paintbrush to apply the moss-paint to the surface on which you wish your design to grow.
  2. If possible, check back weekly to either spray the design with water (to encourage moss growth, especially if you live in a dry environment) or apply more moss-paint.
  3. Check your moss graffiti regularly. Depending on your climate, sometimes it takes a while to grow your moss.



Tips

  • Moss grows best on porous surfaces such as bricks or other stones.
  • If for any reason you wish to get rid of the design or parts of the design, spray it with lime juice as this will kill the moss.
  • The best times to plant your graffiti are in the spring or fall, and keeping the moss moist will encourage its growth.
  • Condensed milk can be used in place of buttermilk or milk.
  • This paint is very tasty to slugs. Start your graffiti well above ground level or it will just get eaten.
  • Apply your paint in a moist area that receives a moderate amount of sunlight.
  • Try to only use a blender from a garage sale, or one that you are about to throw away.
  • Moss can also be used as a decorative element indoors.

Warnings

  • Graffiti art, unless done with a public art permit, is probably not legal in your area. This article does not endorse illegal art, but does suggest that the graffiti can be done in or around your home or with a permit.
  • If you're doing this because it's the green thing to do, be careful of how you obtain your moss. Please do NOT gather it from public areas. You can buy it from nurseries or online sources who grow it commercially. It's not exactly anti-establishment but the right thing to do.

Things You'll Need

  • A paint brush
  • A blender
  • Moss

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Sources and Citations

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