Catherine Monahon, MacPherson’s Copywriter Dots ‘N Doodles Art Supply in Astoria, Oregon recently hosted a two part event honoring the work of Vincent Van Gogh and encouraging modern day oil painters! Staff kicked off the event by showing the movie Loving Vincent on Friday night, with a workshop led by artists Charlene Mosely and Tiffanie Mang, who worked on the set of the movie. The event sold out, and there was so much interest that they added an additional workshop later in the weekend. With an Art Alternatives canvas roll, Rembrandt oil paints and effusive enthusiasm, artists created a large scale painting in the iconic style of Van Gogh. Dennis…
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Jerry’s Artarama of Hartford, CT Turns 25
Catherine Monahon, MacPherson’s Copywriter Jerry’s Artarama of Hartford, CT celebrates its 25th anniversary! Owners Jeff and Susan Shoham were featured in the Hartford Courant in an article that details their incredible journey, from building their business from the ground up to becoming a community staple as the go-to art supply store for creative endeavors in Elmwood. They celebrated the big 25 with a 25% off sale over the weekend, door prizes and of course, cake. When thinking back on the the years of hard work that brought the business to where it is today, Jeff reflected on the rewarding moments that make everything worth it. “Talking with customers. My time…
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Art Dog of the Month: Wonton
Catherine Monahon, MacPherson’s Copywriter Wonton has mastered shaggy-chic – a perfect look for the beloved mascot of Raw Materials in Downtown Los Angeles! Not only is he always at the store, an employee with a knack for illustration incorporates him into promotions, sales, events and insta pics. His humans are Jim and Celia of Raw Materials.
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Concrete Jungle Sparks Imagination: New Forstall Art Mural
Catherine Monahon, MacPherson’s Copywriter Murals are a wonderful way to support local artists, draw attention to your store and jostle people out of their everyday routine. A drab concrete wall becomes a photo opportunity, an invitation to reflect, or a celebration of your town or city’s personality. Phillip Forstall, owner of Forstall Art Center in Birmingham, Alabama, recently installed a mural in collaboration with Shane B., a local muralist and tattoo artist. The jungle scene is vibrant and full of life. We wanted to learn more about how the mural came to be and its effect on the community and gave Phillip a call to learn more. Who created this…
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Industry News – June 2018
New Officers at iAmArt iAMart is a coalition of independent, locally-owned art-materials stores committed to helping artists of all experience levels succeed by helping them purchase the best supplies for their individual needs. President: Nick Gallo of Blue Rooster Art Supplies Vice President: Victor Davis of Spokane Art Treasurer: Scott Rote of Herweck’s Secretary: Jessica Dumitru of Art Creations Vendor Chair: Dan Ebert of Central Art Supply Asst. Vendor Chair: Luke Randall of Endeavors Membership Chair: Kate Mitchell of Arch Art and Drafting Past President: Kathy Brennan of Preston Arts Center Art Community Rallies Around Walnut Studios After Fire Oftentimes retailers in the art business have the privilege of forming relationships with local artist collectives, non-profits and studios. One of the…
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Powerful Engagement Tools: Art Demos Videos from Strathmore
When engaging with customers and artists, well-curated content and interactive video are the king and queen contenders. Strathmore is excited to share 3 new art demo videos made by professional artists Minnie Small, Lena Danya, and Graham Smith. These three artists have earned the title of influencer – someone who has access to a large audience and impacts purchasing decisions by sheer virtue of their authenticity. The best part? You are free to download these videos and use them in your stores, on your website and on your social media channels. This is a royal lineup of content and video that will drive engagement and ultimately help sell products. The How and The…
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In-Store Paint Pouring Demo
by Mia Fesmire, MacPherson’s Account Manager in Southern California Summer is a great time to showcase the pouring trend – unstructured time lends itself to spontaneous art, and it is a project that works indoors or outdoors for kids and adults alike. We recommend merchandising several options of acrylics and pouring mediums to fit every budget in one location in your store. Check out videos on YouTube, which are easily shareable on your social media accounts, and don’t forget to provide finished examples next to the merchandise so interested customers can easily identify what they need. Paint Pouring Demo Materials you need: Surface: Primed Wood Panels, Canvas Panels, 3D objects…
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New Video Details Unique Product Application from GOLDEN
Encaustic painting is popular, but somewhat complicated to set up. Achieve the look of Encaustics using GOLDEN Matte Gels and Mediums – no heating, fusing or waxy clean up necessary. Share this new video with your customers or follow along to create an in-store demo! Learn how with this new video in the Video Library. More videos coming soon, so please check back! Achieving an encaustic look with Golden Matte Mediums from Golden Artist Colors on Vimeo.
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Jesse Lane Introduces Derwent Lightfast
Original post can be found on the Derwent Blog Derwent is proud to announce the launch of the Derwent Lightfast range. After being announced in January at CreativeWorld, artists and retailers were abuzz with excitement about our latest range. Boasting 100% lightfastness, the oil-based pencils have a smooth and creamy finish with a beautiful laydown of rich colour. To celebrate, Cindy Wider has interviewed Jesse Lane, award-winning coloured pencil artist who was commissioned to create the inspiring eye image that adorns our latest range. Find out how Jesse started out as an artist, his passion for coloured pencils and the Derwent Lightfast range in the latest Derwent Blog! Jesse, could you tell…
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Jackson the Art Dog
Meet Jackson, this month’s Art Dog! His human is Susan Smith from the Art Coop in Champaign, IL. A pup with an appreciation for the arts, Jackson is rocking an official Art Coop t-shirt while strutting his stuff at a recent store gallery opening. The in-store gallery showcases local artists and non-profit groups throughout the year; this most recent show featured longtime employee and fine artist Jason Patterson, who has his last day with Art Coop in the coming weeks. He uses dry media on canvas and, until his departure, they are having a 20% off sale on “Things Jason Patterson Loves” – pastels, pencils, charcoal, spray fix and canvas.…
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Studio Designs: The Prime Drawing Table with Shelf
Retailers and customers will love the price and style of the Prime Drawing Table with Shelf by Studio Designs. This modern and sleek drafting table is available in a sharp White/ White or Silver/Black finish, making it an eye-catching yet practical addition to any space. It features a 35.5” wide by 23.5” deep top with a 23.5” wide, slide-up pencil ledge to keep pencils or markers from falling while tilted. The 31.75” wide by 4.25” deep bottom shelf keeps extra supplies close. Start small… Because it is small enough to fit in a bedroom, spare room or apartment, this table is the perfect solution for emerging artists or students looking…
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Legion: Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress
Making possibilities a reality is why Stonehenge Aqua came to be. Watercolor is all about possibilities. Because it’s not just about beautiful paint. There’s another factor: a wonderfully, whimsical element – water. Together, they allow for form and flow, chaos and connection, beauty and structure. Stonehenge Aqua is as finely crafted as it is affordable. Performing way beyond its price point, it has been tested to its limits and as it turns out, it has no limits. Wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry, it has a wonderful crispness that anchors beautiful work across every task and technique. With Stonehenge Aqua, blending is effortless, lifting is no longer a chore. It welcomes masking…
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MacPherson’s Dealer Workshop – A GOLDEN Success!
By Bill Hartman Director of Sales at Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Thank you to MacPherson’s personnel for hosting an incredible workshop in Las Vegas. Their detailed organization and preparation led to a very valuable event. The demonstrations were interesting and informative for all. The team at GOLDEN was pleased to see so many retailers in attendance. Having such commitment and enthusiasm from our retail partners in support of all three GOLDEN brands is appreciated tremendously! New GOLDEN Staff in Customer Service & Sales Departments I am pleased to announce the addition of 3 new employees joining the Customer Service and Sales staff here at GOLDEN. Taralyn Loewenguth has joined us as our…
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Welcoming David J. Schofield
Today, we welcomed our new CEO, David J. Schofield! We kicked off his first day in Emeryville with a Town Hall meeting and employee breakfast, and we’re all excited to have Dave on board! As we mentioned in our initial announcement earlier this month, Dave has already been working closely with our senior leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. It’s an exciting time for MacPherson’s, and we hope you have a chance to meet or speak with Dave very soon.
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Industry News – May 2018
Allard’s in Fresno, CA hosted their annual Customer Appreciation Day . The event featured great promotional pricing, in store demos, make and takes, and a local Food Truck feeding hungry shoppers! UC Davis hosted their annual Picnic Day. The event features over 200 booths, live music, parades, and a chemistry fair. The UC Davis bookstore hosted a table featuring activities for all ages. Artist & Craftsman in San Diego CA, as a part of their local Art Walk, used POSCA paint pens to create a mural. They had over 1,700 participants! Hyatts in New York is nearing their 60th anniversary! They will be moving to a new 40,000 square (wow!) feet facility in…
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Slice® Cutting Tools: Precise, Ergonomic, Safe
Cutting tools are in every art kit. But do they live up to artists’ needs? Do they create clean, detailed cuts, time after time? Do they provide excellent control and maneuverability? Are they ergonomic for prolonged and repetitive use? Are they safe? If your toolbox features Slice products like the Ceramic Precision Cutter, Ceramic Safety Cutter, and Ceramic Pocket Cutter, the answer to all these questions is yes. If It’s Slice, It’s Safer Slice safety blades last over 11 times longer than metal blades. The finger-friendly® grind, which may feel dull, makes clean cuts through a variety of materials, but the edge is safe to the touch. The Ceramic Precision…
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New Wave® POSH® Glass Palettes
POSH® Glass Palettes provide retailers with a versatile product compatible with all media that offers numerous uses – artist palette, mulling surface, mono printing surface and craft surface. Available in grey, white and clear, as well as multiple sizes, 9″x12,” 12″x16” and 16″x20.” This product uses 1/8″ tempered glass for maximum strength and safety, along with custom corner guards for added protection and surface traction. The edges are seamed, the underside (grey and white) is finished with a dense solvent and the water resistant formulation has excellent color fastness. The palettes are super easy to clean. Dried acrylic paint peels away, and dried oil paint can be removed with artist…
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NEW Strathmore® 400 Series 3”X9” Recycled Sketch Pad
Our 400 Series Recycled Sketch pads are among our most popular items and have become a classic favorite for artists. They come in a range of pad sizes, including a brand NEW 3”x9” size that’s great for taking on-the-go. The landscape format is the ultimate planning weapon for cartoonists, urban sketchers, painters, lettering artists, and any travelling artist. It easily fits in a purse or a back pocket so it’s always ready at their side. We asked artists on Instagram what they’d do with this fun new size, and here are a few of the responses we got: Sequential motions Short comics Lettering projects Cityscapes Storyboards Bookmarks Floral panoramas Landscapes (sketching…
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Krink
Krink recently partnered with Draft & Draw, a monthly meet-up in NYC for illustrators, calligraphers and doodlers that features a creative professional who shares their story. This meet-up featured artist and designer Ricardo Gonzalez (@itsaliving) and Krink supplied one of his favorite markers, the K-42 Paint Marker. Attendees used a range of K-42 colors on the paper-covered tables and got to take home Krink swag in a custom glass.
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Jacquard Alcohol Inks: A Versatile Tool in the Creative Arsenal
When Jacquard launched Piñata Colors in 2002, alcohol inks were virtually unheard of. Since then, alcohol inks have become extremely popular, especially among artists working on hard surfaces like tile, metal, YUPO, Clayboard, glass, plastic, stone, leather, polymer clay, etc. Recently, Piñata has also become a staple among resin artists for creating “petri” artwork. The process is simple: Piñata Colors are dripped onto the surface of the mixed resin after the mold is poured, and as each drop sinks, the resin hardens. The result when the cast is removed from the mold is a magnificent, psychedelic world of blooming color—what artist Josie Lewis calls a “petrified rainbow.” Whenever a “new”…