From the category archives:

Art supplies

Recent Fabriano Quadrato Artist Journal Drawings and the story of how I got this sketchbook

About two weeks ago I got two brand spanking new journals to draw in! Happy!
The Fabriano Quadrato Artists Journals are 9×9 inchs in size and are no where to be found in North America. I scoured the internet until I located some in the United Kingdom but sadly the company did not ship outside of [...]

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Playing with colour and varnish and strolling the aisles

Size – 8.5 by 11 inches (21.5cm by 27.8cm)
Medium – Acrylic with varnish on acid and lignin free paper
I drove to Michaels one snowy day not to long ago and perused their isles of dream’s. I really did get lost that evening in that store, along with the other 12 or so women and a [...]

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The painting of the boxes and coming soon – the trunk!

I seem to float between drawing on paper and the need to paint three dimensional objects that are useful. Each little wooden box starts out naked… then I clothe it in Gesso and let it dry and harden overnight and upon waking, sand it smooth before decorating it’s skin.

When my mind is restless and full, [...]

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The 2009 Christmas Wishlist

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens, five each of super fine nib, brush nib & medium nib and two Fine nib all in black and one package of four sanguine and sepia colours
Pilot G-tec C4 Pens – two Black ones please
Moleskine Colour a Month Daily Planner
Medium Length Winter Coat (maybe a red semi formal but [...]

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Hand painting Christmas balls or is it really about sex?

Each year, well almost every year I sit down and paint Christmas balls for gift giving as I finally did finish setting up that area in the living room to paint at earlier this week. I needed an area that could remain creatively messy. Thus far I’ve painted four Christmas balls and sadly have run [...]

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Sneak peek at the soon to be published children’s book illustrations and my living room

Sometimes the creative work overflows into the living room from the studio and onto the floor on top of a carpet my mom hooked in the early seventies. I love lying down or sitting on the floor surrounded by inks, papers, glues and best of a all a children’s story entitled Something & Nothing, propped [...]

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OLDisNEW Thursday – Antique Babbitt’s Cleanser Paper Coupons

These coupons were cut and saved by many people in the early 20th century including my Great Uncle George! There are various marks and cut edges surrounding each coupon from removing it from the original label.

Each coupon was cut from the paper wrapping surrounding a tin of Babbit’s Cleanser sometime in the early 1920’s. I [...]

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OLDisNEW Thursday – Vintage Road Signs

I love old paper and have been known to take apart a book or two to get at certain sections contained within that book to use as an art supply in collage or to draw upon. There are 13 actual pages from the Civics and Government section printed in the first edition Readers Digest Great [...]

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Artist Tip #21 – How I created children’s paper scrap packs for Christmas gifts

Last night I assembled three paper scrap packs for my nieces; ages three, six and eight.
If you are like me you have many many paper scraps, oops prints and papers that are too small to use. I cut down a larger sheet of cardboard with teddy bears printed on it which now doubles as the [...]

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It arrived! New printer, the Epson R2880

And it is so pretty just sitting in the box.

Me – It arrived!
Missy the grey cat – MEOW!
McGandy the orange Cat – Meow!
Me – Isn’t it cool! (Trying to hold back tears and jumping up and down while the delivery guy is still there waiting for my signature at the front door)
Missy – Meow. Can [...]

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New Art & Craft Supplies and Introducing itsy-bitsy Greeting Card Sets

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In search of supplies, systems and the middle class dream

Beginning your own business from scratch without going into debt is a fun challenge. Add to that a student loan that is 10 years old that must continue to be paid down. So far so good.
The next immediate need is bookkeeping software to track my incoming and outgoing costs, supply, packaging and advertising costs as [...]

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NEW art supplies and finishing what you started

I ordered these art supplies from DickBlick a few weeks ago and they arrived early last week. I feel like a kid again. I love mail order.
Sadly I would buy all these things locally but they are non-existent here. Square unlined artist quality journals never. Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens… nope. And finally itty bitty [...]

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Artist Tip #16 – Why on earth did you buy that?

Have you ever stuffed your cart so full of art supplies, paid for them, lugged them 1000 clicks across an international border only to be strip searched for stolen erasers!

OK, I did buy a few bags full of paper, pens and other artist sundries while visiting New York City in the Spring of 1994 [...]

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Now for the Positive and the Smiling Woman Portrait

It wasn’t all gloom and doom where I worked. There were times and days when things were good and not so bad. Here is a list of positively great things associated with where I was employed.

1. I paid one of my student debts totaling $3700 off in full in the six months I worked there.
2. [...]

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Artists Tip #13 – Would you glue or tape it?

Would you glue or tape it?
Why tape it when you can glue it. Choose colorless, acid free and archival glues for your collage and art pieces.
Scotch tape is good for wrapping gifts. Masking tape adheres the edges of watercolor paper to a board when painting to keep it flat. Double sided, lined with aluminum, PH [...]

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About trading pens around the world and two more fabulous artists to watch out for this year!

Early in December 2007 I did an international cross-country boundaries artist pen trade with Shane Vorhaben.

He sent me Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens that I couldn’t and still can’t buy here as I live in a very small city. I sent him Pilot G-tec C4 pens that he can’t purchase in the United States. As [...]

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Artist Tip #11 – Why you should never put your art supplies away

Why you should never put your art supplies away
If you put them away they will not be there when you need them. What good are art supplies when they are shoved in drawers or packed in boxes in a room you’ll never go into to create in?
Leave them out, open and in an area where [...]

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Where I Paint

At the time of taking this photo I was and still am in miniature painting mode; painting itsy bitsy wooden beads and containers some measuring no larger than 1.5cm by 3cm or 3/4″ by 1 1/4″.
:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: [...]

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Artist Tip #9 – Where to find the best art supplies – a top five list

Where to find the best art supplies – a top five list
1. DickBlick – one of the largest retailers of art supplies online I am learning. I have yet to buy from them but will be soon as I can’t find what I need locally.
2. Your local flea market – great for found art objects, [...]

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