The Art Dog Blog

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is pleased to announce that Rene Haag, owner of Blaine’s Art Supply in Anchorage, AK will be honored as one of the nation’s top state small business winners in Washington D.C. May 20-25, 2012 for the National Small Business Week Awards. Congratulations Rene! Read the entire press release here: Blaines Small Biz award 2012

Congratulations to Nick Gallo (Blue Rooster Art Supplies in Los Angeles), his wife Sheryl and their son Seiji on the birth of twin girls April 11th. Naomi Marie and Keiko Rose are both healthy; Seiji loves his 2 new sisters and has been a very good boy!  Nick reported “The days are bleeding one into another as we have been absorbed into a world where eating is every three hours or so and there is no concern for either night or day……….  It’s all the same……….. Blissful.”

Andrew Lenz of Lenz Art has announced that Jim Hair, formerly with Sakura and MacPherson’s will be joining their Santa Cruz, CA retail store as their floor manager.  Jim recently moved to Santa Cruz to be closer to his daughter and son-in-law who are expecting his first grandchild very soon.

Victor Torres has joined Jerry’s Artist Outlet, West Orange, New Jersey as their General Manager of Retail.

According to a company spokesperson, John Menzer, Michaels’ Chief Executive Officer, was recently hospitalized due to a medical condition. No further information was disclosed. John Menzer has recently been mentioned in a New York Times series investigating business practices at Wal-Mart’s Mexico subsidiary in 2005. Before joining Michaels he was vice chairman and chief administrative officer of Wal-Mart.

Colorbok, LLC announced the acquisition of the paper crafting business of ANW/Creativity Works (formerly Andrews, Nelson & Whitehead) and Making Memories. Last month, key management and Lazear Capital Partners, a merchant banking firm, purchased the assets of Colorbök, which was founded in 1984.

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.

Intermixes with Liquitex Acrylics

Use Liquitex Professional Spray Paint with Liquitex acrylics, mediums and varnishes for maximum versatility!

Check out the video:

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 compromising. The matte surface beautifully grabs paint from the brush or knife and gives colors a deep, soft luster that let’s the work speak directly to the viewer with complete fidelity to the artist’s intention, use of color and mark-making. FastMatte colors are compatible with Gamblin painting mediums and our traditional oil colors. The 24-hour dry-time, matte surface and compatibility make FastMatte colors ideal for underpainting.

New assortment available to ship now, at Special Discounts!
The full assortment of FastMatte colors (Item #GBFMFULL) is available to ship now. Now thru the summer, Gamblin is offering a placement discount of 15% off net – their best new placement discount ever! The display measures 16″ wide and comes with quantities of three for each color in 37ml and quantities of two for each color in 150ml. Net price from MacPherson’s is about $1,095 net for the full display. Assortments drop-ship from Gamblin with free freight and a generous supply of FastMatte color charts and paint samples. FastMatte is a truly innovative product that solves real problems artists have struggled with for decades.

Gamblin will be giving a 10 minute sales training and hands-on demo at their NAMTA booth…every hour, on the hour. Stop by and see them at the show or contact your friendly MacPherson’s rep for more information.

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!

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 was 81 years old and throughout her life she was forever close to her community’s art scene and had dedicated her life to all things creative.

The NAMTA Board election winners have been announced. All the new board members will take office at the meeting held at the NAMTA Convention in Orlando, FL in May of this year.
Domestic Retailers:  Phillip Forstall, Forstall Art Supplies; Howard Krinsky, Binders Art and Frame
International Retailer:  Fred Gold, Above Ground Art Supplies
Independent Rep: Rick Comerford, Grimstad Comerford Group

The seven Ben Franklin stores in the Richmond, VA  area will take on the name of their new parent, A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts. The conversions are part of an expansion of A.C. Moore by its new owners lead by Pepi Piperno of Sbar’s in New Jersey.

Well, the day has finally come! Tess Caldwell our fearless, smart and passionate leader has officially retired. Tess joined Artcraft in Georgia when it was founded in 1974 and was an integral part of the company’s success from day one. When MacPherson’s and Artcraft merged in 2000, Tess was key to the successful integration of the two companies. She headed the Atlanta branch of MacPherson’s and later became the leader of our Key Account management effort. We will miss her warm heart, great sense of humor, dedication and huge contribution to MacPherson’s as well as the entire art materials industry.

Eileen Miller

At Michaels, Brigid English has been promoted to Vice President – Private Brands and Global Sourcing, reporting to Wilson Zhu. Her responsibilities include strategic oversight and partnership for  Frames & International, General Crafts and Fine Art and Craft Paint. Susan Allison has been promoted to Director Private Brands and Global Sourcing reporting to Brigid English. Susan will support the Frames and International Division. Eileen Miller Director Private Brands and Global Sourcing will now be responsible for Seasonal reporting to Kris Ventura.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the selection of Edo van der Burgt as Vice President, Product Strategy for MacPherson’s. Edo joined the Company in November 2006 and has served MacPherson’s and our customers in several important roles from his vast experience in retail merchandising, product design and quality control.

Bill Kaplan

Bill Kaplan has joined MacPherson’s as our Merchandise Manager. Bill spent the first 14 years of his career at Standard Brands Paint Company in various management positions including District Sales Manager, Director of Distribution and General Merchandise Manager and comes to us with broad experience as a senior level manager in the home improvement store channel.

Former Michaels Exec VP of Merchandising Harvey Kanter was named CEO of Blue Nile, an e-commerce jewelry retailer located in the Seattle, WA area.

At JoAnn Stores, Joshua Belt has been promoted from Sr. Assistant Buyer to Buyer of Foodcrafting, Bridal, Dec Paint, Clay, Fine Art, replacing Eric Bell who has been promoted to Divisional Merchandise Manager for Crafts.

Here’s something very cool. The TED award for “Ads Worth Spreading” recognizes great ideas in advertising, and Sharpie was named one of 10 recipients of the 2012 award for the Sharpie’s webisode featuring pen cup artist “Cheeming Boey”. Ideas are what make the world go round. They’re the foundation of the future. They’re what inspire us to dream big dreams and climb big mountains and solve big problems. Every once in a while an idea comes along and somebody notices. It showcases Boey as he takes us on his artistic journey and the role Sharpie played along the way. Check out the webisode below:

TED is a nonprofit group devoted to ideas. Since it started in 1984, it has become a driving force in advancing open dialogue, creativity and innovation in the areas of Technology, Entertainment and Design.

With extra care and effort, artists can make almost any type of soap or cleaner work for studio clean-up. Some products consume a lot of water, some are much harder on brushes than others and some leave sticky residues behind. But most all do a decent job with extra effort.

And though we at Gamblin feel it’s never a good idea to wash pigments down the drain, each artist gets to choose the clean-up method that works best for them.

For modifying oil colors and mediums, however, alternatives to true artist’s thinners, even in very small amounts, can create major and unpredictable problems in artists’ paintings.

Effects on Paint Layers
Gamblin has tested a range of alternatives to true artist’s solvents, with some important and concerning results.

One family of products are corn-based solvents, sometimes sold as “bio-solvents” or “green” cleaners. These products had a biting smell, cut through multiple paint layers and dissolved the natural bristles of brushes.

In other tests, only a third to two-thirds of some alternative solvents evaporated, leaving behind a sticky residue in paintings.

Others thinned colors okay, but evaporated so slowly that they became trapped in paint layers. This caused clouding and matting as well as pocked, weak paint layers that could be easily scratched away.

Create without compromise

Gamsol has the ideal solvent strength ñ strong enough to effectively thin oil colors and clean brushes, but not so strong that it will dissolve dry paint layers or the bristles of your brushes.

Gamsol also has the ideal evaporation rate to support the flow of one’s painting and to allow artists to work in a safe studio without compromising artistic possibilities or permanence.

We want to caution artists of the significant and unpredictable risks that alternative solvents pose when they get into their paintings, even in very small amounts.

For modifying oil colors, we have always recommended Gamsol for its balance of performance and safety. Other true artist’s solvents can also do the job of thinning one’s oil colors, albeit with some to a great deal of compromise in Studio Safety.

Gamblin’s family of Galkyd painting mediums, Cold Wax, Gamvar Picture Varnish and Ground are all formulated with Gamsol. For this reason, as well as the range of other solvents available to artists (and their shifting formulations), we recommend only Gamsol for thinning these materials.

Doug Johnston

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 catch up and have reduced our order backlog to them by over half in the last few months.  For example, Medium production in the month of February and March was over double what our normal demand is and a considerable amount of product is on its way to us.  We expect to see continued improvement in April and be back to normal fill levels late April.

Thank you for your patience and continued support.  It is our partners that make us great.

Kind Regards

Doug Johnston

President, ColArt Americas

Click here for more details

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 retailers who would be interested in displaying the panels within their store. Anyone who would like a piece of GOLDEN for their store, please plan to attend the Booth Panel Giveaway at 10:00 on Wednesday, May 9.

• Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors Assortment Raffle – As a benefit for attending NAMTA, all retailers are invited to participate in a raffle for the Williamsburg section of the GOLDEN booth. One lucky winner will be drawn from entries submitted during the show to win one 24” Williamsburg Assortment of their choosing. If you don’t have Williamsburg yet, this could be your lucky day, or if you already have Williamsburg, you can expand your offering with an additional 24” Set-Up. The winner will be drawn at 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 10.

Golden Artist Colors Launches MSA Solvent

The Ideal Solvent for Thinning GOLDEN MSA Varnishes

As other solvent manufacturers change their formulas to comply with legislative restrictions it’s becoming harder for artists to locate a compatible solvent for our MSA Varnishes. With GOLDEN MSA Solvent, artists now have access to a competitively priced solvent designed especially for use with our MSA Varnishes. Traveling from store to store to find what they need is no longer necessary. MSA Solvent can be purchased right in your store on the same shelves as the rest of our materials. It’s a ‘must-have’ companion item to the MSA Varnish.

MSA Solvent is available in 8 oz., 16 oz. and 32 oz. (237 ml, 473 ml and 946 ml) sizes and is packaged in the same containers as the MSA Varnish and will carry the same type of “Red X” health and safety warnings. MSA Solvent will be available late May from MacPherson and the items numbers are GD7751-5, GD7751-6 and GD7751-7.

Please contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative regarding shelf tags for MSA Solvent.

M012468- 4 oz. / 8 oz. Varnish & Archival Varnish Shelf Tags

M012469- 16 oz. / 32 oz. Varnish Shelf Tags

GOLDEN Introduces New Vertical Banners for Retailer Support Program

One of the exciting changes being introduced in 2012 will be new hand-painted vertical banner point of purchase tools. We have redesigned the Modular Vertical Banners for improved appearance and updated information. The new design incorporates many changes, including:
• Banner length that aligns with the length of a GOLDEN rack.
• Addition of OPEN Acrylics to the ‘Color Banner’.
• Elimination of banner holder by instituting a magnetic application system.
• Addition of QR codes that link to related product videos.
• Addition of product line symbols to indicated the application (Heavy Body, Fluid, etc.). The symbols are the same as those used on the Store Locator and other GOLDEN materials.
• Addition of product names used in the dried sample applications

There continues to be three banners available; however, there are new item numbers for what we are calling the new Vertical Banners:
• M012590 – Vertical Banner: Color
• M012591 – Vertical Banner: Texture
• M012592 – Vertical Banner: Varnish

As part of the redesign, we were able to reduce the Support Dollar price from $100 to $80 per banner. All of these new Vertical Banners are available for ordering immediately. Please note that because these are Retailer Support Program items, they must be ordered through your MacPherson’s Sales Rep.

Sharpie Oil & Water based Paint Markers – NEW LOOK! A new design is now available for both Sharpie Oil and Sharpie Water Based Paint marker displays. The Water Based Paint Marker display has an updated assortment to include some of the recently launched new glitter and metallic colors. Water based paint markers are great for scrapbooking, art projects, posters and signs. The water and fade resistant ink will not bleed through heavyweight paper. The markers are acid free, archival quality, and available in vibrant colors for light and dark surfaces. Oil based paint markers mark opaque and glossy on light and dark surfaces. Use on virtually any surface: metal, pottery, wood, rubber, glass, plastic, stone, and more. They are quick drying, resistant to water, fading, and abrasion.

NEW Sharpie Metallic Markers

An extension of the current Sharpie Metallic Permanent marker business will now include the colors Gold and Bronze. The Sharpie Metallic Permanent Marker is designed to provide brilliant sheen on both light and dark surfaces with the same bold, smooth, no-shake performance of the current Sharpie Metallic writing system.  Available in open stock and carded sets, the NEW Sharpie Metallics will be available in May.

Prismacolor Double Ended Brush Tip Sets  The NEW Double Ended Brush Tip marker sets start shipping in April, followed by open stock and the new display in May. The new Brush Tip markers will feature a brush on one end and the traditional Prismacolor fine point nib on the other end. Take a look at the exciting new packaging calling out the features of the new Brush tip markers. Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative for more details.

Click here for the full details : MacPhersonsAtNamta2012

Nina Deckert succumbed to her battle with cancer on March 14, 2012.

From Mark Golden:  We lost a remarkable person as Nina finally yielded to an illness that took her away so quickly. To all of us who had the great fortune to know Nina, this news leaves in all of us, a hole in a life full of creativity, passion and love cut much too short. After hearing the news of her illness in the fall of 2011, it was assumed that no matter the seriousness or aggressiveness of this illness that Nina, ‘the fighter,’ would overcome this challenge as she had overcome so many challenges before. Nina was a fighter for all of us. My conversations and emails are full of requests from Nina fighting for her customers, fighting for us to continue to be a better and stronger company; challenging all of us to learn more, do more, to be more. It did not matter who she was speaking to, her convictions wouldn’t allow her to back down when she felt she could add value to a relationship or the service she could deliver. Nina was thoughtful and thorough, as was her manner, but it was her passion and care for her colleagues and friends that allowed everyone to so clearly hear her voice. That voice will be missed by us all. To her family and friends, our thoughts and prayers for your strength and courage to be able to move past this time, onto the memories of a beautiful person.

From Nina’s family:  There will be a memorial for Nina Deckert on Saturday, April 14th, 11am-2pm in the Brazilian Room at Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA. You are invited to attend for as long or as short as you are available. We plan to serve light refreshments. This is a casual event and Nina would want you to dress for comfort, whatever that means for you (ok, so maybe no au natural!). There are no planned speeches, just plenty of time to share memories. There will be a showing of her art work at Gruenwald Press in San Francisco in the week before and the day of the memorial. More details for both of these events can be found at www.ninadeckert.com including ways to RSVP.

Zora Sweet Pinney, an art supply industry pioneer passed away March 2nd at her home in Los Angeles, CA. She was 91. Those of us who knew Zora counted on her passion for art materials, an acerbic and penetrating humor as well as straight talk and a relentless honesty. Her store was appropriately named Zora’s, located in the tony Brentwood area of Los Angeles, and was stocked to the gills with unique art products from around the world that had one thing in common; quality.  Her staff was for a time the best in the industry and they were world renowned for their knowledge and dedication to the artists they served. Products were made or broken at Zora’s. She cared little about the memes of a stodgy old art material establishment and made lots of time to help and nurture newcomers with different ideas about serving a changing industry. In the 1990′s Zora and her husband Ed moved the store to Santa Monica. They struggled in the new spot and soon after sold out to Standard Brands Paint who renamed it to fit into their newly created Art Store chain. Most of the original employees drifted away and Zora went on to help create the Namta Essential Resource Guide (ERG) with Spokane Art’s Claudia Myers. In 1995 she was inducted into Namta’s Hall of Fame for her giant influence on the modern American art supply scene. Zora, you will be missed!

Former Search Press sales and marketing lead Susan Kocsis is earning her entrepreneurial chops with a new tailgate party storage box called the Prepster. She has entered WalMart “Get on the Shelf” competition and she would love your vote. Check out her website first luckystarllc.com or view her video here, then vote at her website:

Michaels launches “Craft Masters” Reality Show, a web-based craft competition that kicks off just in time for National Craft Month. Not exactly Project Runway, but there are some funny moments all the same:

Reminder: GOLDEN Spring Promotion — PROVOCATIVE YELLOWS!

Make your purchases while supplies last!

Following right on the heels of the Uncommon Blues promotion is the new GOLDEN Spring promotion — Provocative Yellows! For artists who have a vision for going beyond the ordinary, GOLDEN introduces a 22 ml limited edition set of Provocative Yellows featuring three yellows from the Heavy Body line, each with unique qualities:  Aureolin Hue, Bismuth Vanadate Yellow and Nickel Azo Yellow. Available for Spring only, this set of three extraordinary yellows is sure to pique the curiosity of artists looking for the strength of yellow, while seeking ways to differentiate themselves with something unexpected.

During the promotion, the Provocative Yellows set will be available at a low introductory retail price of $9.99, representing a 29% savings for consumers over open stock.

Designed to generate interest in the full range of yellows offered by GOLDEN, the set will include an informational piece of literature and will be supported by a series of pages on the GOLDEN Web site highlighting all the yellows in the GOLDEN line.

They are sold in case pack quantities only – 6 sets to a case pack. The case pack includes a clip strip for easy merchandising. Sets will be available through May 11, 2012, or while supplies last. The sets (#GD00P76-0) are in stock in the warehouse now, so place your order promptly!

Bonus!  Provocative Yellows is one of four promotions we will be running throughout 2012, so stay tuned for details regarding future opportunities.

Golden Artist Colors
Launches Color Mixing Set Based on Modern Theory

The New Modern Theory Color Mixing Set from GOLDEN provides the ideal starting place as artists begin to assemble their aesthetic approach to colors and painting. Based on a selection of Organic (Modern) pigments, this set allows artists to mix a wide range of remarkably clean and intense color blends that retain their brilliance even in the thinnest wash or glaze. This set provides one of the most complete resources to begin to understand pigments and their mixtures.

The eight color Modern Theory Color Mixing Set contains primarily organic colors that provide a warm and cool selection from each hue space, plus Phthalo Green and Titanium White.

Also included in the set is the Modern Color Mixing Guide, with proportion suggestions to walk the artist though color exploration and the development of color mixtures. This valuable resource illustrates the wide range of modern mixtures that can be achieved using a limited palette of just eight colors.

This new Modern Theory Color Mixing Set (GD912-0) will be available through MacPherson’s starting in late March, so please contact your Golden orMacPherson’s Customer Service Representative if you have any questions.

Just Paint #26 is Now Available Online and in Print

Twenty-six issues of this technical newsletter and Golden is delighted to share its still-continuing dialogue of color!

In this issue, Christopher Farrell, Golden’s Creative Director, shares the significant differences in color ranges possible with commercial printing processes and real paint. Our Director of the GOLDEN Certified Working Artist Program and author, Patti Brady, shares her painterly insights into the new Modern Theory Color Mixing Set (GD912-0) for artists, which takes just the opposite tact from Chris, in working with a limited set of colors to produce an enormous range of mixing colors.

Continuing the color theme, Amy McKinnon, from Golden’s Technical Support team, uncovers the 18 new colors being added to the Williamsburg Handmade Oils line. Ulysses Jackson, from Golden’s Technical Support and Research & Development groups describes the new experimental acrylic products which have always been an exciting jumping off point for artists to test and play. And finally, you get a chance to meet yet another colleague from Golden’s Technical Support team, Lori Wilson, Application Specialist.

To read these articles and much more, go to Just Paint or you can visit justpaint.org, a new web site dedicated to housing all past issues of the Just Paint newsletter and so much more!

If additional printed copies of Just Paint are required for in-store presentation or staff distribution, or if you have any questions about any of the above information, contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative.

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 workshops? You can use our online workshops to help you develop and customize content. As an example, Spokane Art Supply has embraced the opportunity to inspire customers and grow sales with an active schedule of Mixed Media Workshops.  They educate and engage with potential attendees in store, via their website, Facebook, Blog and Pinterest.

MaryJo McGraw, Spokane Art Supply, shares her insights on creating successful workshops. “Ideas and techniques are based on materials we have in the store consistently, and then I choose other product to display for add-on sales. Customers bring limited supplies, or none at all, making them more likely to buy that night so they are sure to have the product at home. People interested in Mixed Media tend to buy in every category, including framing, which adds to the day’s sales receipts. These artists are also interested in social networking, which makes it easier to see what they are interested in and keep them updated.”

Interested in learning more? Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative for all the tools and information you’ll need to help start planning your own event or workshop. And visit Strathmore Artist Papers at strathmoreartist.com for more information about the 2012 Workshop Series.

It’s here. It’s time to get your Torrit Grey on!

Getting your Torrit Grey
We’ve got 2012 batches of Gamblin Torrit Grey in-stock and ready to order. Gamblin’s Torrit Grey promotion is a fantastic way to engage your community of painters and drive sales.
Gamblin retail partners receive one free tube of Torrit Grey for every three tubes of Gamblin Artist Grade oils purchased. Please add item #GB992670 to your Gamblin order in the appropriate quantity…plus a little extra, if you like. Torrit Grey is available March 1 thru May 31, while supplies last.

Using Torrit Grey to drive sales
Torrit Grey is a great reason for oil painters to come to your store and stock-up on paints, brushes, canvas and other materials. Gamblin suggests offering a tube of Torrit Grey as a free-with-purchase item for all Gamblin purchases of $25 or more.
Don’t miss the opportunity to promote Torrit Grey thru your Facebook, email and web communications. Watch Gamblin’s Facebook page for announcements you can share with your community of painters.
Gamblin suggests retailers give painters a tube of Torrit Grey for every $25 purchase of Gamblin oil painting materials. To support your efforts, Gamblin is mailing new Torrit Grey rack signs to all retail partners this week.
To promote Torrit Grey, you can easily create communications using the images and copy available at Gamblin’s retail portal: http://www.gamblincolors.com/retail Click “Promotional Copy & Photography” and then click for Torrit Grey.

What is Torrit Grey?
In celebration of Earth Day, each spring Gamblin’s Master Paintmakers recycle the pigments captured by their Torit Air Filstration System into a limited edition color: Gamblin Torrit Grey.
Torrit Grey reflects Gamblin’s – and our – shared commitment to sustainability. Every batch is unique, ranging from warm grey to cool, bluish grey. To learn more about Torrit Grey and the Torrit Grey Painting Contest, visit gamblincolors.com

The mission of Williamsburg is to provide painters with the best quality pigments that serve as a connection to the past while continually expanding the depth and scope of the colors painters depend on.

In keeping with that tradition, Williamsburg is very proud to re-introduce 2 old favorites that had been discontinued in the past, plus 3 additions to families of pigments that help round out their spectrum of hues, and 13 French Earth Colors from the oldest operating mine and pigment supplier in France.

Returning Favorites: Two Beloved Colors Return
• Indanthrone Blue
• Green Gold

New Single Pigment Colors:  Expanding & Deepening Color Ranges
• Cadmium Purple
• Cobalt Green
• Mars Orange Deep

Introducing French Earth Colors
• French Yellow Ochre Deep
• French Ochre Havane
• French Brown Ochre
• French Burnt Ochre
• French Burnt Umber
• French Raw Umber
• French Raw Sienna
• French Light Sienna
• French Terre Verte
• French Ardoise Grey
• French Cassel Earth
• French Noir Indien
• French Rouge Indien

Orders for the new Williamsburg colors are being accepted now. Pre-order specials on French Earth Set-ups are available at an extra 15% off through May 18, 2012. Shipping begins May 14, 2012. Contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative for more details.

Introducing Liquitex Professional Spray Paint! According to ColArt Americas this really cool new water-based, low-odor spray paint is available only in Michaels stores through the end of 2012. In early 2013 it should also be available at independent art and craft material stores across North America. There are  100 colors that coordinate with Liquitex acrylic paints and mix with all Liquitex paints and mediums!

Check out the video:

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 announced recently that Scott Weller has joined the company as its new Director of Marketing. In this position, Scott will manage the company’s brands and global strategic marketing initiatives. As Director of Marketing, he will support the company’s connection to the arts community and growing the educational resources. Prior to joining GOLDEN, Weller was Director of Dressings Category Development at Unilever, where he was instrumental in growing sales and developing several next generation innovative ideas.

Susie Coliver, owner of Arch in San Francisco, and her partner Bob Herman are principals of Herman Coliver Locus Architecture. They were recently recognized for their work on affordable housing by the Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco. Way to go!

Michaels announced recently it will be expanding into the Québec market in Canada with 7 stores in the greater Montréal area in the fall of this year.  This expansion means Michaels will have stores in all 10 Canadian provinces. “Opening seven stores in a single year makes a strong statement that we are committed to Québec,” said John Menzer, the company’s president.  “We have taken a lot of time carefully preparing to enter this unique market to ensure we do it right with respect to the language and culture.”

Brent Beebe, VP Merchandising at Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft, announced recently that Eric Bell has been promoted to Divisional Merchandise Manager of Craft.  Eric has been with Jo-Ann for 13 years and in his most recent role was responsible for the foodcrafting, Fine Art and Decorative Paint categories.

Helix has been acquired out of “administration” (UK-speak for bankruptcy) by the French company Maped. Maped’s business focuses on school supplies, office products and writing instruments in over 130 countries around the globe. They also have 16 manufacturing and marketing subsidiaries in major markets around the world. This is now the leading school supplies manufacturer in the world.

COMPLETE NAMTA’S RETAILER SURVEY TODAY

Every three years NAMTA sponsors a major study of our industry to help all of us — but most importantly, you, our industry retailers — succeed. Please complete the anonymous NAMTA Retailer Survey today at  Namta Retailer Survey or go to namta.org and click on the Retailer Survey button on the home page for more information. Either way, complete the survey today.

The 2012 U.S. and Canada retailer and artist survey results will include information to benefit your business:
•    Marketing best practices, including use of social media
•    Areas of opportunity: products, artist segments, trends
•    Retailer financial benchmarks
•    Retailer feedback for suppliers
•    U.S. and Canadian market sizes

Plus, NAMTA is offering a prize drawing as a way of thanking you for your participation. The winner will receive the full U.S. and Canadian retailer and artist survey results, a hotel room at NAMTA 2012 Orlando, and a ticket to the festive President’s Reception on May 9th (total value $486).

Quite a few North American Art retailers traveled to Frankfurt and the Paperworld show in January. A brave few faced the unseasonably cold weather in Germany to pay a visit to the Montana Cans factory and headquarters near Heidelberg, Germany. From let to right are Lisa Slauson (MacPherson’s), Mimi Baer Comerford (AGA), Fred Gold (Aboveground Art), Howard Krinsky (Binders), Betsy, Henry & Judd Meininger (Meininger’s), Scott Cronshaw (Opus), Eric Zelenko (Plaza) & Michael Scaringe (Dakota Art).

Jerry’s Artist Outlet in West Orange, NJ commissioned a 15 foot + mural  to celebrate the main wall of Jerry’s new Urban Artist Outlet. Using Montana Cans & Paint Markers  Jersey graffiti legend SUE WORKS & Jersey stencil artist :01 (JOE IURATO) did an amazing job!

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.

Strathmore has added Artist Trading Cards designed for beginning artists to its Kids® Series line. Along with Art Journal Kits, these ATCs are another example of Strathmore’s commitment to develop innovative products that help grow the market and create in-store news and excitement for retailers.

Market research shows that “artists are clamoring for high-quality, creative products for all kinds of artwork”, and that “kids’ art supplies” are a “growth category” for retailers.*

Strathmore Artist Trading Cards allow kids to create their own miniature works of art, then swap and collect with other young ATC enthusiasts. These official ATCs are created with high quality-eco-friendly Strathmore papers. Higher count value packs provide plenty of ATCs for classroom projects, special occasions or everyday use. Easy step-by-step instructions for two fun projects are included inside each package.

Strathmore Artist Papers™ partnered with Art Projects for Kids to select artwork and develop project sheets for these Artist Trading Cards.

Art Projects for Kids Website features classroom-tested art projects for K-5 and beyond and lots of inspiring artwork.

Art Journal Kits offer kids a place to explore their creativity, learn fun drawing and collage techniques and use artist quality materials. These unique, environmentally friendly kits were selected for the Sustainability: Design for a Better World Display at this year’s New York International Gift Fair.

Learn how Strathmore Artist Trading Cards for Kids and Art Journal Kits can increase the productivity of your kids’ or educational program.

Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative for details today.

*NAMTA Artists and Art Materials 2009 Study