Another great artist supply company: Dick Blick

When I was a teenager, rollerskating was cool and I can't believe I actually wore my rollerskates (pre-inline days) down into the subway in NY one time but that's a discussion for another day.

In those golden days of wine and roses, bff Bindy studied art, first at The New School, part of New York University, then at Parsons in California. I was in my office design phase, tooling around on a drawing board for Prudential Insurance Company's Eastern Regional Office, hanging with creatives in Parsippany, NJ and soaking up art appreciation 101 (Benito Sierra, where are you my long lost friend?) I had a long commute from North Jersey to Parsippany each day and didn't realize what a gem of a job I had at that time, and left too early and with regrets. The thing is, Bindy introduced me to Dick Blick at the time.

This tangent is to sing the phrases of Dick Blick, and please, get your mind out of the gutter! It's not what you might think! Dick Blick is a great artist supply retailer that was started in 1911 at the Illinois kitchen table of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Blick. Bindy introduced me to the company the first time when they had a store in Northern New Jersey. To me it was nirvana! I didn't understand or care what all the different things were and what they were used for, it was just a haven of writing and art instruments, colors, paints, and what-have-you.

Although the Northern NJ store is no longer, Dick Blick is still around, with a store in Manhattan, and a number of other retail stores in major areas around the country. Happily Dick Blick also has a great internet site to buy from too.

What really impresses me these days is something I discovered while scouting around on it recently. I found a section at the bottom for teachers, including lesson plans, educator forums, and "Blick U", and while touring this area, it occurred to me it would be a great vehicle for self-learners, homeschool parents, and the like.

As a bargain shopper, I love their "hot deals of the week, Blick Brands, and clearance section.

Dick Blick: Worth a look.

My Dragon Theater "Opus" - Done?

I open with a question mark because I'm sure, each time I pass this painting, that I will find something to tweak.

I gotta say, though, I love it! I made a heck of a lot of changes to it, along the way. First, my teacher, Hazel King, recommended revising the mountains in the background to make the church/theater stand out more. Then, she helped me get the different layer of mountain colors better. I tweaked the village, and with my husband's help, got the wall to work perfectly, using the crosswalk stripes in the street between the wall and the church/theater, narrowing as it moved farther away.

I love the sky - again, Hazel King helped me get this right, and with the exception of one maybe too pointy mountain (right side) and the grid mark of the repair tape, I'll be proud to consider this painting my "keeper."

Loveitloveitloveit! Thanks for coming by!

Yep, I went! And spreading the love of painting too!

Yeah, I went. Here's the brother, sister-in-law, and one adorable niece painting away! My bro and his wife are great parents, realizing that participating with the kids, whether they are into it or busy or not, is so very important. Like me, my brother grew up accepting he had little/no artistic talent and, as a fellow left-hander (with even worse handwriting), is not comfortable with a pen, much less paintbrushes. Les, my sister-in-law, is another story and I can see her getting into this with the girls. It helps that she already had an artistic bent, designing and selling gorgeous jewelry to local folks. And even more helpful, she is committed to introducing the girls to as many artistic endeavors as possible to develop them as individuals.

Painting with the (older) girls is a blast and both are very enthusiastic about it and about learning. I brought them a few good basic paintbrushes to use, and a set of pan paints, watercolor paper (140 wt), and three duct-tape covered boards that I've trained them to tape the paper to to produce watercolors that dry flat and with attractive borders.

While the Hubby's Away!

David has gone to England for a week to visit the family. I only asked for two things from him: 1.) Photos of beautiful or striking that I might be tempted to paint, and 2.) The catalogs, cards, or websites of any good art supply retailers over there in the U.K.

My brother is trying to talk me into flying to the D.C. ar if I come, I'm so bringing my painting supplies.

Without the typical wifely demands (get your minds out of the gutter, people) - cooking and cleaning, I'm tempted to stay here and just paint. Since David left, I have been playing around, drifting back to watercolors for some stretching of tea to visit him and his family - lovely wife and three adorable daughters. I'm tempted but told himhose creative muscles.

So, should I stay or should I go?

The Wall - what to do with it?

Insertion of a hint of a bikerace? Create a fictional race called the Barmouth to Snowdonia Trek? Helmets and a bicycle wheel? The jury's still out but at least inserting this little gimmick will give the depth between the wall and the Theater structure. Any other thoughts or suggestions?

ARGH!!! This has been tough!!!

Damn Taxes!

I can't work on the painting or any other stuff until I get the taxes done. The place is a mess with receipts and forms and spreadsheets all over the place. I promised myself I'd feel much better and more free to paint if I get these damn taxes filed and outta here.

In the meantime, when I need a break and can't take the time to set up and really paint, I have discovered this guilty pleasure: watching painting videos on the internet.

Jerry's Artarama, is a North Carolina-based art supply retailer with several "superstores". Fortunately for me, there is one less than 15 miles away, has training videos online!

And from doing my taxes, I can tell you, I blew more than $1,000 in the last quarter of 2009 at my local Jerrys! The good news is, I'm done with both personal and business, and for a change, we're getting a refund! YEAH!

Dragon Theater - Getting there.

So, as I wrote previously, I've decided to tackle this gorgeous converted church in northeastern Wales called the Dragon Theater. It looks a little different today, but my version is from a photo I took while visiting my hubby's mom's family there in 1995. I absolutely fell in love with it - the town, region, and especially that church/theater.

The stained glass window is what caught my eye and I think I've nailed it here, or at least come close. I'm not sure about the rest of it - the village building surrounding it are my interpretation, and the stone wall had cars parked there which I've discarded. It definitely needs some punching up but I know I'm gonna love the end result, no matter what because of the memories it evokes.

Working with a torn canvas

With the nasty weather outside, there was nothing better to do today then paint! I'd found a photo on my computer that I thought was lost - of a stone church converted into a theater from Barmouth, Wales that I'd shot 15 years ago! Only problem was, the sole 16 x 20 inch canvas I had around the house was torn near one corner and I thought unusable. Well... almost. I decided slapping a bit of gesso over sheetrock seam tape would work. The jury's still out but I'm hoping I can hide the tape, which I cut intentionally small for the front. I also repaired the back of the canvas. I plan to keep this painting forever, so figure I can live with the minor flaw.

Here's what it looks like now... Wish me luck and post if you have other ideas for torn canvas repairs.