Art Store’s Art Insider October Edition

October Edition

~Harvest Promotion Starts

~Mixed Media Collage Class Starts – Also……

~Local Artist Spotlight – Jordan Palmer

~Senate Committee Advances WWII Art Recovery Bill

~Eyesore No More: Scholars Reassess Degas’s Later Works

~Painting, with Feet

~Artist in Ink: Diane Crawford Uses Alcohol Inks to Create Works of Art

~13 Reasons Why Original Art in the Home is as Important as a Bed

Harvest the Savings!

Make time in October to harvest your energy. Everybody enjoys receiving a handmade art project. Start now and you could give someone a piece of yourself that they will never forget. Reap the rewards of our latest promotion and give your love ones a heartfelt holiday gift.

Harvest Sale Items not to miss:

The Buy – Get Promos from Golden Colors, Holbein & M. Graham are limited in quantity so when we are out, we will not have any more available.

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The Art Store & Ampersand is offering a special to you on their smooth texture painting panels. A savings of 30% off their MSRP.

Make your own sale! Use this coupon before or after our Harvest promo is finished……but use it before it expires.

Experience! Mixed Media Class – Session One

Our Mxed Media Class being held on Friday mornings has been well received. This class is repeating in November & January. If you wish to learn more about this class you can do so by clicking the “monthly scheduler” button below.

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To view our entire schedule of classes and promotions for October, November & through the holidays, please feel free to click the button below

**Our next Customer Appreciation Day is November 29th. See details of this event by clicking here or read more about this below as you peruse the newsletter.

December Class Schedule

The studio space will be turned into an art material wonderland for the entire month of December. This event will be discontinuing classes and workshops during this month only. Classes and workshops will continue in the month of January.

Local Artist Spotlight – Jordan Palmer

Sometimes creativity comes from your environment and your love of another’s art or style. Local artist, Jordan Palmer was inspired by the American horror and science fiction genre while growing up in Prescott. October brings the annual celebration of using ink to express yourself. Taking inspiration from classic movies like the “Invisible Man”, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Friday the 13th”, “Frankenstein” & “Mars Attacks!”. His inking style is raw, edgy and so very graphic. The Frame & I recently framed his art very creatively for Inktoberfest! You too can be part of the Inktober movement.

These popular ghastly images by Jordan Palmer celebrate Inktoberfest in shall we say a sharp, royal wit that is transparent in detail but also catching the viewer’s energetic focus. You can see these creatively black framed prints and originals in the Frame & I’s front window until the end of this  month. Inktoberfest! can be so delightful to participate. To view more of Mr. Palmer’s art, feel free to click the image below to see what comes from a mind left alone in a small, mountain town with a lot of time to make a mark.    – Keith K.

Bruynzeel Design Colored Pencils – New to the Art Store

Painting, with Feet

MINNEAPOLIS, MN: The studio — a long rectangular corridor — is lined from floor to ceiling with works‐in‐progress.   Elvis Costello plays loudly in the background; a pug roams.

In the center of the floor is a canvas, still recovering from hosting the palette knife dance that is Shawn McNulty’s preferred painting technique.

McNulty, a Minneapolitan abstract expressionist painter, is lounging in the artistic freedom of having recently completed a painting for the U.S. Bank Stadium.

“Focusing on the Vikings project for so long, just being released from that and going back to open form is exciting,” McNulty said.

Two of his paintings will be on display in the stadium’s Valhalla Suites. McNulty was one of 34 artists chosen from almost 1,200 submissions.

McNulty, a Minnesota native, studied art and psychology at St. John’s University. He never anticipated a future as a painter.

“We had a house in Uptown. Somebody moved out and as an artist I was like, ‘Can somebody paint in there?’” McNulty said.

Since his humble beginnings in an abandoned room, McNulty’s career and technique have burgeoned simultaneously. “The method itself has evolved to be shoe‐palette‐knife almost exclusively,” McNulty said.

The shoe‐palette‐knife, a painting utensil that McNulty invented, is at its core, a palette knife attached to sneakers. The tool is used to accomplish his signature aesthetic of soft color fields amid sharp, geometric textures.

To be clear — no eccentric marketing plan is at work. “I wouldn’t come out and say I paint like this,” McNulty said about his technique.

“I think the method is important, [but] I think the piece that exists is of ultimate importance.” In fact, McNulty spoke very little of his unique technique. Instead, he chose to elaborate on the unique forms and colors that inhabit his pieces.

“I think the forms happen organically, but they need nurturing,” McNulty said. “I allow enough spontaneity in the first layer that the forms appear and I just choose.”

Abstract expressionism is nothing new, but McNulty has made his own space on the gallery wall.

“My paintings are a weird combination where my process is more action painting. It’s jagged and violent, but the result is more peaceful,” McNulty said, addressing predecessors like Jackson Pollock.

McNulty isn’t worried about being labeled with modern and abstract art’s oft‐pretentious reputation.

“I think that people who aren’t into art in general don’t get abstraction,” McNulty said. “It’s like music or jazz. Like, why is Miles Davis good and why is someone else bad? I think a lot of it is instinct … I like to say, ‘If you like it for whatever reason, then that’s fine.’”

McNulty’s personal affinity for abstract painting comes from the ambiguity.

“It’s more mysterious — more confusing — to some people. You can be on two totally different sides of things, and I like that,” he said.

Despite a degree in psychology, McNulty wasn’t too interpretive of his painting’s deeper meanings. He did, however, settle for one explanation.

“One interpretation of my work that I kind of like is an interaction between the id and the superego … I think the paintings could represent that.”

McNulty will be exhibiting a painting at the Fall Fine Arts Show for the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association from Sept. 16 to Sept. 25.

As for his future with painting, McNulty wants to continue to explore the medium. “There [are] still places to go with painting that we haven’t gone yet,” he said.

One shoe‐palette‐knife at a time. Minnesota Daily

New to the Art Store

Qor Modern Watercolor Sets

QoR Modern Watercolor is formulated to embody all the subtlety, transparency, and flow of a great traditional watercolor, yet the colors embody the fire and vibrance of the best acrylic or oil paint — even after drying. This exceptional performance is thanks to a unique polymer binder called Aquazol, which is exclusive to QoR. Not only does it enable incredible color effects, it offers greater flexibility and resistance to cracking than traditional watercolor binders.

Senate Committee Advances WWII Art Recovery Bill

that would extend the statute of limitations for Holocaust families and heirs trying to retrieve artwork seized by Nazis during World War II. The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act [materials] was introduced [Dallas Morning News report] in April and co-authored by Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz [official profiles] with the intention of allowing rightful heirs to have their day in court. In support of the bill, Cornyn has stressed the importance of bringing further justice to Holocaust victims and restoring their lost culture. Cornyn also amended the bill to not retroactively apply to those that have already declined the opportunity to pursue a claim for any artwork of interest. The bill was passed by the committee on a unanimous vote and is expected to be approved by the full senate.

The new bill is meant to fulfill a 2009 agreement made between the US and several other countries to fairly resolve disputes over Nazi-seized artwork. Should the bill pass, it will aid families who have often struggled with museums to reclaim their lost artwork. In June Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, claimed [Dallas Morning News report] that museums and collectors have demonstrated a pattern of “running the clock” to keep Holocaust artwork away from their rightful owners. Courts have also tended to side with museums [AP report] in court disputes over such artwork. Last month a California judge sided with a museum in a 10-year dispute over Nazi-seized art after determining that the family abandoned the art by not seeking restitution

Tis the time for the Art Store’s  Limited Batch of Pumpkin Spice Oil Paint

 The Art Store does not recommend consuming any paint or to bake with. However if you need to take time to smell the baked items of the season, you may want to add a little nutmeg to your oil of choice……… just not your painting oils.

Artist in Ink: Diane Crawford Uses Alcohol Inks to Create Works of Art

Diane Crawford uses alcohol inks to make a painting of a face.

BEMIDJI — When Diane Crawford teaches an art class, there are no paintbrushes or cups of water.

YUPO Paper – Perfect for Alcohol Inks – Now translucent!

Yupo is a compelling and unique alternative to traditional art papers. It’s a synthetic paper, machine-made in the USA of 100% polypropylene. It is waterproof, stain resistant, and extremely strong and durable.

This extraordinary, non-absorbent surface resists tearing and buckling and remains perfectly flat, eliminating the need for soaking, stretching, or taping.

Watercolor professionals have found Yupo to be receptive to a variety of aqueous techniques, but it is also ideal for offset printing, silkscreen, debossing, drawing, acrylic painting, and more.

Choose Bright White or Translucent sheets. Pigments applied to the Bright White sheet retain their true clarity and brilliance while the Translucent sheet allows for special layered effects and tracing.

Yupo is pH-neutral, flawlessly smooth, and recyclable.

Because of the unique qualities of this paper, dirt and oils hinder its performance. We recommend removing spots and fingerprints with soap and water before use.

Pads are tape bound on the short side.

The classic white is still available at the store as well.

If Mrs. Crawford just tried Jacquard’s Pinata Alcohol Inks before anything else, she would have found her way sooner. – Keith K.

Piñata Alcohol Ink

Piñata Colors are highly saturated, fast-drying alcohol inks for any hard surface, including glass, metal, plastic, ceramic, stone, leather, polymer clay and more. Indelible and impervious to water once dry, Piñata Colors clean up with alcohol and re-wet themselves, allowing for unique effects and techniques not easily achieved with water-based systems. As a dye-based, highly transparent ink*, Piñata Colors are unparalleled for vibrancy, and only the most lightfast dyes have been selected for the palette. Acid-free with excellent adhesive properties, Piñata Colors have become the go-to inks for any non-porous surface.

Click here for a short project video by Mark Montano!

Why Art? Why Not!

Childhood participation in arts and crafts leads to innovation, patents, and increases the odds of starting a business as an adult. It was found that people who own businesses or patents received up to eight times more exposure to the arts as children than the general public. psychology today.com.

Eyesore no more: scholars reassess Degas’s later works, when the artist’s sight failed him but his ingenuity did not

An exhibition coming to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston reveals a new view of the Impressionist painter

Twenty-eight years ago, the Grand Palais in Paris opened a retrospective devoted to Edgar Degas, the first in more than 50 years. The 400-work show, which later travelled to the Musee des Beaux-Arts du Canada in Ottawa and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, was lovingly reviewed by critics like Michael Kimmelman in the New York Times—although he had reservations about the late work. “In the 1890s, Degas’s work became more searching and haunted,” he wrote, adding that the painter’s “sight failed him”.

This was, for the most part, the consensus on late Degas, says Gary Tinterow, who organised the 1988 exhibition as an associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum with the Musée d’Orsay’s then-curator Henri Loyrette and the late Jean Sutherland Boggs, the first female director of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. “One had to apologise for the late work,” he says. “It was thought to be that of an old man who could no longer draw, or a reflection of frustration and a loss of manual dexterity.” Loyrette is even more blunt: “People said Degas was a blind man.”

It took time and scholarship and subsequent exhibitions, but that feeling has largely dissipated, which gave Tinterow and Loyrette reason to return to Degas with another retrospective, which opens next month at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), where Tinterow is the director. Loyrette, who became director of the Orsay and then the Louvre, is now the chairman of Admical, a French philanthropic organisation. Degas: a New Vision (16 October-16 January 2017) includes around 200 paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculptures by the artist and covers the entirety of his more than 50-year career. The show opened at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, in June 2016, but Houston is the only US venue.

Degas’s work from the 1870s onward tends to be perpetually “in progress”, Loyrette says. “He is always repeating and adding new elements, so the work is much more open than before.” He often kept these works to himself, constantly reconfiguring them.

Developments in recent art have helped change how we see these works, Tinterow says. “For many artists of the past 50 years, process is the key aspect of their work. In other words, what matters is what the artist is doing in his or her studio, not necessarily what is being shown to the public.”

But what will the non-specialist who strolls into the MFAH looking for a nice afternoon see in Degas? “He wanted to startle rather than to please,” Tinterow says. “He wanted to provoke, so you could slice through the facades of daily life and show what it means to be human.” Which is another lesson that takes time.

Where do you see art in your world?

Ida and I was recently invited to attend the opening reception of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West as the Alper Coleman Gallery was unveiled. This new museum opened in just the last few years. A respectable homage to our nation’s history and fine artists that have explored the western subject. Ida and I enjoyed the museum when we could take the time to tour the entire museum including its sculpture garden.

The museum was gifted by the Alper family a Prescott artist’s diverse collection of his life’s work. Many of these sculptures that now reside in the Museum of the West were cast by local Prescott area foundries. Skurja Art Castings and Southwest Bronze enjoyed working with Mr. Coleman over the last 20+ years of his art career. The highlight of the museum for myself was this collection since most of the bronze sculptures had been cast by these local foundries that I had worked for as well as managed. As an artisan, team leader, manager and owner throughout my foundry career, I always enjoyed the technical challenges our local artists could offer. Seeing these sculptures now being on display in museums especially as permanent collections is truly an honor for Mr. Coleman as well as the teams that put these amazing works together.

The museum is multi-leveled so there are many exhibitions to view and also be part of. No, really, you can be part of a painting if you wish.  As well as enjoy the craftmanship of talented leather workers with the museum’s saddle collection. Some art is even fun to experience as you walk around it. Forced perspectives always are. Their Lewis & Clark exhibit is amazing to see if you have seen the book illustrations by these artists. Most of these illustrations are oil paintings finished to a museum quality.

Over the years working in the arts, Ida and I have framed lots of prints and many originals. A few of these originals have found their way into museums. Most recently, Mr. Coleman has been broadening his western art techniques into oil painting and charcoal drawings which can also be seen at this Scottsdale museum exhibition. Around these charcoal drawings are the frames we made for each original. Of course listening to the direction of the artist. Many of John Coleman’s sculptures and paintings  can be seen in the Alper Coleman Gallery until May 31st, 2017.

Left is John Coleman with his original clay of the Rainmaker. This was my favorite sculpture to cast and assemble. A recent article on the exhibition in the Alper Coleman Gallery within the museum can be found by clicking the image below. It has been a pleasure to be part of John’s work over the years.  Mr. Coleman’s newest pieces unseen at the museum unveiling will be released during the opening on the 5th of November at the Legacy Gallery.

As for the show at the museum, this show is a retrospective of John Coleman’s work. John has not always painted and sculpted western art. When most artists get started they paint what they are passionate about at the time. As John said on our facebook post about this museum visit he stated,”The last two paintings (shown at right) on your post we’re done 50 years ago,that’s the great thing about a retrospect. The show has one of my last paintings ,and one of my very first.”

The museum has a theater, sculpture garden (including two local sculptor’s work, Doug Hyde and John Coleman), a large art collection of varying styles, materials and artists on multiple levels. Ida and I enjoyed the entire museum and is worth the admission fee if you have a passion for the arts. – Keith Kendall

Faber-Castell’s PITT Graphic Sets – New to the store!

Faber-Castell’s PITT Graphic range provides all creative artists with an extensive range of pencils and crayons in different grades of hardness for sketching, graphic design and shading work. The “green pencil from Faber”, which was already being mentioned with approval by Van Gogh and Goethe, has now become part of everyday life. The 16 different grades of hardness range from a delicate grey hue to a deep graphite black, and offer artists a wide range of possibilities. The PITT Graphite Pure leads are ideal for creating contrasts and shading extended areas. These pencils offer unparalleled possibilities for spontaneous expression, creating different effects based on the pressure applied and grade of hardness. The PITT graphite crayons are an ideal and very economical medium for working on very large sketches and areas.

Upcoming Art Store Promotions

For November, the Art Store is offering a customer appreciation day on the 29th of November. On this day, we are lifting our one-per-day coupon usage of our register printed coupons*.

We are also offering a free pastel demo given by Don Rantz. This demo will be occurring in the morning of the 29th of November (Tuesday, 10am – 1pm). To register for this free demo, please email, call (443-0749) or stop by the store.

On the afternoon of the 29th of November, we are also offering to any registered student for November’s Pastel Class on Tuesdays to extend the usual four sessions in November to receive a free 5th session by attending this time slot (November 29th, 2:00pm – 5:00pm). The space is limited so please check in with us at the front counter or call us to register for this space.  You must be attending the November Pastel Class to register for this bonus time slot.

Molotow Crossover Acrylic Markers – New colors now on the sales floor

The acylic-based 127HS-CO marker, with the exchangeable extra strong 1.5 mm Molotow Crossover-Tip, is optimized for rough surfaces like stone, concrete, leather, tiles, cardboard, terracotta and so on. Thanks to the shape of the tip, the marker is applicable from any angle. Available in 40 colors and refillable with all Molotow ONE4ALL refills.

The original molotow markers were released as 1mm (black and white only) and 2mm nib sizes (all colors). Molotow has now made a paint marker that does not puddle, flows continuously (a new technology nib), is refillable and the nibs are replaceable. Even better is that they are now a 1.5mm tip for colors!

13 Reasons why Original Art in the Home is as Important as a Bed

Having original art in the home is vital to your well being. Art is a key piece of furniture for many reasons and yet it is sometimes put on the back burner in comparison to other home objects. This list is dedicated to the understanding of importance of art from perspectives of interior design, well being, social atmosphere, creating a mood in the home, and more. One quote that stands out about the importance of original art is the following, “You would never put fake books on your bookshelf, so why would you put fake art on your walls?”

1. Creates Mood 

Brain scans have revealed that looking at works of art trigger a surge of dopamine into the same area of the brain that registers desire, pleasure, and romantic love (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/201109/love-desire-and-art). Romantic, sublime landscapes provoke contemplation of nature and purity. Such works then create a mood of peace and are good for relaxation rooms such as the bedroom.

2. Adds Personal Character to the Home 

We all love to express ourselves, be it through clothing, accessories, social media – the list goes on! Original art in the home is a perfect way to express your artistic and aesthetic interests in a way different from most, for original artworks are one of a kind.

3. Makes Memories

Buying an original work of art is an experience. For whatever reason, you were drawn to a specific piece (or multiple). You may have seen it at a show opening, had a nice trip to the ice cream shop before hand. Whatever happened leading up to/during/after the purchase of a meaningful original work will be remembered every time you see it. This will not happen with a poster from Ikea.

4. Provides a Colour Palette 

When rooms have a lot of colours, or many shades of the same colour, it can become overwhelming. An original work of art is a beautiful, meaningful way to tie everything together and create a general focal point.

5. Makes a Room Feel Finished 

When walls are empty, a room does not necessarily look bad, but by no means does it look finished. Rooms with empty walls are functional rooms in a house. Rooms with original art work are comfortable rooms in a home.

6. Inspires and Fosters Creativity 

This one is simple – in rooms with no art, artistic expression is lacking and therefore the need and want for creativity is not very prominent. On the opposite end of the spectrum, original artworks foster creativity, expression, artistic inspiration. This is particularly important in homes with children as being surrounded by artwork will allow creative thinking. This idea is expanded on in reason 11.

7. Conversation Starter 

As mentioned in reason 2, hanging original art in your home is a way of expressing oneself. That being said, guests will always be curious about the choice of artwork, the story, have questions about the artist, etc. It is a way to show off your art collection while having passionate conversations with house guests.

8. Supports Artists 

One of the most important things about buying original artwork is that you are supporting an artist’s career. Each time you have a look at a work in your home, it provides a feel-good emotion that you are assisting an artist in achieving the success and recognition they deserve.

9. It is an Investment 

Building off of reason 8, not only does owning original work in the home allow you to support artists’ careers, but it is also an investment. These artworks can be passed down through family and friends, be shared with loved ones for many years all while increasing in worth. This is never something that will be achieved with a $12 print from Walmart.

10. Creates a Livable Environment 

Art can make rooms that are not necessarily “home-y” become comfortable working and living environments. A home office, for example, can transform from a place of work and business to one of relaxation and productivity all the with addition of an original work of art. Attached is an article explaining how artwork in office spaces improves employee productivity (http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhendricks/2015/01/12/can-office-artwork-influence-employee-productivity/#243c119d2c44).

11. Keeps the Brain Active 

Art is very conceptual, artists use it as a medium to express personal thought, political or social issues, and to make us as viewers think. Some people do quizzes or crossword puzzles to keep their brain active, but another way to do so is to own original artwork in the home, to just sit, look, and think.

12. Relaxation 

In a busy, fast-paced world that demands speed and productivity, home should be a place of relaxation. Coming home from a busy day at work to sit on your couch and stare at a TV or a blank wall is not as recharging or relaxing as enjoying an artwork purchased with the means to create a positive mood.

13. Curating Your Own Gallery is Fun! 

Last but certainly not least, curating a gallery is fun! Attending show openings, going to galleries, chatting with artists even, it is a fun experience! After a while you will start to notice a theme, in subject matter, colour, concept, etc. Playing with moods, composition, placement in the home, of all these reasons why to have art in the home, let’s not forget the fact that it is simply something fun to do.

Time for Hern Blowin’

The Art Store donated a firing of ceramics to a Big Sister & Little Sister this month.