| Everything you own must be able to fit inside one suitcase; then your mind might be free. ~ Charles Bukowski |
It’s easy to overwhelm ourselves with options. Whenever I pack for a trip, it takes me about 5 minutes to pack my clothes and such and about an hour to pack my art supplies. (Sort, choose, pack, debate, resort, repack, etc.) After the trip I unpack and realize that I used roughly 3% of what I hauled along.
- This week’s artist is – Anthony Avon – who I recently heard interviewed. I’m not a digital artist but was fascinated to hear more about his experiences and process. The series of master studies he’s worked through. Not to mention what art can do for a life! Check out his portfolio and instagram for more!
- You may have noticed, but we changed up our acrylic paint section, dropping one brand, bringing in another, and expanding what we carry in a third. Here are some of our thoughts behind the change. (And if you haven’t noticed the change last year, swing by to check it out!)
- Strathmore has a free intro to charcoal drawing course available.
- Join The Hive and In The Weeds in supporting local families with financial assistance through the winter! In partnership with Lola’s Cafe and The Soup Pallete, a local Guest Chef will cook up fresh soup to sell for a $10 minimum donation per quart. Come warm your hearts with delicious soup at 725 E 2nd Ave, Thursday, from 5-6:30!
- This article about the radical author of Goodnight Moon caught my attention (it helps that I’ve been reading and re-reading it at bedtime over the last year or so).
- In news of more modern authors, an 8-year-old boy slid his handwritten book on a library shelf. It now has a years-long waitlist.
- Here’s a bit of history of polyhedral dice.
- Interested in perusing Duchamp’s work? A research portal has opened, making available 18,000 documents and 50,000 images related to the artist.
- Ansel Adams would have been 120 on Sunday.
- There’s live music scattered about town all week. See what’s available here.
- The Skijoring race will be returning to Silverton this weekend. Events are Saturday and Sunday. Here are more details.
- The Scrapbook Nook has a week full of classes and projects, if you’re looking for something creative to do. Call them to reserve your spot.
- Our last order for the store included some rolls of paper. As a sample, we’ve got rice paper in 2 width, tracing paper in both white and yellow, kids art easel drawing paper rolls, and 2 widths of Strathmore drawing paper.
I recently celebrated my birthday with a trip. I resolved to carry only a small set of supplies, that would be easy and comfortable to carry with me on hikes, and be useable with a toddler around. It only took me about 30 minutes to sort and pack my supplies and I used about 95% of them.
There are certainly times when I need access to the full array of supplies in my stash, or that I need the larger materials that aren’t easily portable. But not always!
Here’s a reminder to use your art supplies. Play and have fun with them. Make something serious. Express yourself in some way. If you’re stuck, sometimes eliminating options will expand your creativity. What can you make with just 3 colors? How can you use those two random materials in one project? Only you can decide. As always, the world needs your art!
Cheers!
Matthew & the Art Supply House crew