2019 Gift List for Artists
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I love looking at art supplies at Christmas, even though I know that when it comes to painting goodies, I buy for myself. Because I set goals in January for my painting through the year, I always try to stock up on supplies that will inspire me and strengthen my painting habit.
I’ve made a list of some of my favorite supplies, things that will help you if you are growing your own painting habit, and a few delicious luxuries you and I can dream about, and maybe, splurge on!
Growth & Learning in 2020
I always set goals for my artistic growth at the beginning of the year, so Christmas is a great time to start planning for that. I like to buy a year’s supply of watercolor paper at end of year sales (usually about 25 full sheets of watercolor paper), although I buy smaller sized pads and sketchbooks throughout the year as needed. And I make a plan for an area of desired growth to focus on; one year it was trees, another time I fixed my sights on value. If you are setting goals for your own artistic growth, a year’s membership in my Fearless Artist Watercolor Community would be a great tool to help you. In the community I post weekly learning content for my Fearless Artist members, and membership includes enrollment in over twenty of my online classes.
Plein Air Painting:
En Plein Air: Watercolor, by Ron Stocke
Ron Stocke’s book is full of tips for plein air painting, in a beautiful and expressive loose style.
Portable Painter - you’ve seen me use the Portable Painter for my plein air painting. I love the compact design of this travel palette, not much larger than a cell phone!
Brush Grip Rotating Brush Holder - this I don’t have, but I am always juggling brushes when I’m painting on location. This fastens to an easel or tripod so brushes stay right at hand.
Daniel Smith Half Pans - Ultimate Mixing Set - Daniel Smith in a portable format and 15 different colors. What’s not to love?! The Ultimate Mixing Set comes with a second, empty palette and you can pop out the half pans and fill and rearrange them to suit you.
Studio Enhancement:
My studio is my favorite room in our home. I didn’t realize until I got my own space how important it is to me to work in a pretty room, a peaceful room, and to make my work space conducive to an ideal flow of creativity.
Queen Size Cabinet Bed - the best thing I bought for my studio all year. My studio serves as a guest room, but only a few days a year, so a guest bed gets in the way. The studio looks so much prettier with the guest bed out of sight, and the cabinet top is a great display for smaller paintings.
Good lighting in the studio is so important. I switched all my light fixtures to daylight bulbs, but it still didn’t feel like enough. I added some lamps with LED daylight bulbs and it was just the extra push I needed. It’s so much easier to paint in the evening now! I love that LED lighting gives you bulbs that don’t break and last so much longer, in a more compact size.
Bose SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth Speaker - I like listening to music and podcasts when I’m painting and this little speaker has pretty good sound, a long battery life and a very consistent connection to the Bluetooth in my phone. I can pick a playlist in Google Play Music and enjoy a mini painting concert!
Playful Painting:
You know experimenting is a big part of my painting style. I find that my most creative work comes when I surprise myself, and I often use tools and supplies to help me do that. Here are a few of my favorite “breakout” supplies:
Brusho Crystal Colors Set - this is the pigment powder set I love the most. The colors in this 8 color set are beautiful and unexpected (they don’t even match the names on the jars, really). The deal with Brusho is, you need a light touch. I poke a tiny pinhole into the lid, seal it with the pin or a piece of tape, and just tap lightly when I want to sprinkle it on my painting. Voila! Splash of color!
Kafka Design Longliner Brushes - I’ve been told that a longliner brush (traditionally used for pinstriping) would be great for my painting style, but I’ve never stumbled across one before. I can’t wait to try this one; look at that whippy length! A long, soft brush is unpredictable, it means your brush strokes become more organic and natural because your hand has less control.
Kinwashi Paper - I learned about watercolor batik recently; what a fun way to explore wax resists and masking. A good rice paper makes watercolor batik a lot easier.
Schmincke Aqua Bronze - This beautiful shimmery powder comes in four colors and can be mixed with water like a paint or sprinkled on a wet wash. Personally, I love the sprinkle!
Creative Mindset
I’ve been mentored by some wonderful authors through their books on creative mindset. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Artist’s Journey - Nancy Hillis
Deep thoughts on the nature of the artist’s journey and the source of heart-led, authentic art.
Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk - Danielle Krysa
This book is a kick in the pants for any artist struggling under the weight of self-criticism. It’s a great reminder to be kind to yourself and let go of hurtful reminders that might be holding you back from creating your own unique work.
Paint Yourself Positive - Jean Haines
Jean’s gentle, loving approach is so nurturing. I love following her example of painting for the joy and the love of this beautiful medium.
Creative Luxuries:
I have almost bought this beautiful wooden box set of Schmincke watercolors so many times. It’s just so beautiful! I don’t need it, but I love it.
Sennelier French Artists’ Half Pan Watercolor Set of 24 in Wooden Box - another beautiful wooden box set of watercolor, in a more affordable price range.
View my full wish list from from Blick; my Holiday Gift Ideas: http://bit.ly/2pCkxl2
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