You heard it here first, ColArt will be pre-launching (pre-book) the LIQUITEX SPRAYS at NAMTA! Stop by ColArt  booth #631 to see this amazing innovation in artist color and pre-book your order for this unique new (water-based) spray color! Liquitex Professional Level Spray Paint Spectrum: 100 Colors Properties: Highly Pigmented, Water-based Technology Finish: Matte Caps: Standard cap ideal for detail work or filling in; skinny caps and fat caps also available Size: 400ml Low Odor Uniquely low odor, Liquitex Professional Spray Paint is formulated using revolutionary water-based technology. Durable and Permanent Durable, permanent and lightfast, Liquitex Professional Spray Paint is ideal for interior and exterior use. Brilliance 100 vibrant colors matched to the Liquitex color spectrum.…

Gamblin is pleased to announce the expansion of its award-winning FastMatte Alkyd Oil Colors from 8 to 24 colors. With this expansion, all FastMatte colors will be available in both 37ml and 150ml sizes and a new display will house the full range in a compact, 16″-wide footprint. Developed in collaboration with oil painters and introduced in 2010, FastMatte has become America’s leading fast-drying oil. Take your painting further. Inspiration shouldn’t have to wait. With FastMatte, artists can stay in the flow and take their paintings further, faster than ever before. The fast drying rate means artists can use color and texture freely, and add layers without stopping, waiting or…

Fashion illustrator and artist Steven Broadway showcases how to get the most out Prismacolor’s brand new product, the Brush|Fine Art Markers in his fashion illustrations. Steven takes you through his illustration focusing on the flow and technique of the new tool! Find out more information on Brush|Fine at www.prismacolor.com and be sure to check out all of Prismacolor’s videos by subscribing to our channel! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvdsPa6melA&feature=relmfu

Michaels Stores has filed with regulators to raise up to $500 million in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) that could be one of the year’s largest IPOs in the retail sector, writes Reuters. The offering comes six years after private equity owners Blackstone and Bain purchased the Texas-based arts and crafts company for more than $6 billion. Michaels operates 1,066 retail stores in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. It posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $661 million in 2011 and had total debt of $3.5 billion as of Jan. 28, 2012. With sadness we report the passing of Ainslie Smith Quick, mother of Jack Quick the head of Rhino Art in Encinitas, CA. She…

To our valued customers, I’d like to provide an update regarding our supply issues.   As most of you know, we consolidated our UK factory into our France operation, along with a considerable expansion of our France factory,  in 2011.  Art material factories consist of many different production lines, many of them with different technologies and skillsets.  While we were able to successfully transition in over 80% of our items that we offer for sales, there were transition issues on some of our lines and items, most notably in Mediums, Sets, and some of the series colors in some of the ranges. Our factory and staff have been working around the clock to…

NAMTA Art Materials World 2012 is Right Around the Corner! We’re looking forward to seeing all of you at the upcoming trade show! Please take a moment while at the event to stop by our Booth (#110) to say hello and see some new and exciting items from GOLDEN. In addition to what you’ll see in the booth, we will also be holding two specific events for show attendees (detailed below), so be sure to check them out too!! • GOLDEN Booth Panel Giveaway – The GOLDEN booth is again a creative collection of handmade panels sharing the story of GOLDEN colors and textures. To extend the message of these panels beyond the show, GOLDEN would like to share them with…

Click here for the full details : MacPhersonsAtNamta2012

Strathmore Artist Papers™ 2012 Online Workshop Series continues with a new Watercolor Sketching workshop that starts on March 1, 2012. It features experienced art instructor Cathy Johnson using a variety of media and materials to teach and share techniques about how to sketch from life.  The workshop includes instructional videos, downloadable instruction sheets and inspirational tips. Strathmore 2012 Online Workshops have already attracted over 10,000 students, including many returning from last year’s program. The classroom has been very active since January 1, 2012, the start of the first workshop. Students are already sharing their art with each other, exchanging ideas, and building new friendships. Last year, Strathmore’s 2011 Visual Journal Online Workshops attracted over 8,600 students and earned the NAMTA 2011 Business Innovation Award. Considering hosting your own in-store…

We are sad to report that Stacey Brown, our Denver-based sales rep, will be leaving MacPherson’s on March 15th. Stacey has accepted a position at Grimstead Commerford representing their product lines in the mountain states and New Mexico.  Stacey started with us in the summer of 2006 and during her time at MacPherson’s she made a significant contribution. We will miss Stacey and wish her all the best. We are seeking qualified and art materials experienced candidates to fill her territory, serving independent art & craft retailers in the mountain states, Kansas and parts of Iowa. If interested please send a resume to Steve Robinson at stever@macphersonart.com . Golden Artist Colors…

Who says Urban Art doesn’t pay? Artist David Choe was asked by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg to paint a mural at their headquarters. Mr. Choe said Facebook originally offered him $60,000 to paint murals in the company’s Palo Alto offices in 2005. Instead he was given the equivalent in company stock. Today, the stock he took could be worth more than $500 million. What paint did Choe use in creating the mural? Montana Black of course. Here is Barbara Walters, painting with Montana Gold, as she interviews Choe. httpv://youtu.be/QfV665kWoSg  

New Williamsburg Oil Colors Blog Golden Artist Colors continues to engage the citizens of the art community with the launch of its new Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors blog. Williamsburg Oil Blog Since the beginning, Williamsburg was always known as a ‘painter’s paint.’ Partly because the company founder, Carl Plansky, was first and foremost a painter. Everything he made was infused with a painter’s sense of touch and passion for color. The hours spent over a mill or mixer were in constant dialog with the hours spent in the studio. As the company grew, the dialog continued to expand far beyond Carl’s own paintings and practice to include the constant conversations and feedback painters provided when calling or visiting the factory and eventually, to…