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problems. The growing payroll will cut into profits, which caused the stock price to drop by 20 percent, or $120 billion, in July. Still, Facebook was not something I had lost any sleep over last year, so after I watched that program in December I googled “Facebook scandals of 2018,” and hit the jackpot. It’s important to include “2018” in the search, because Facebook has had continuous controversies since it was founded 15 years ago in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dormitory room. The first time he was accused of deceit and unethical behavior was about six days after he set up the website, which was then called FaceMash. The 2018 scandals generally grew out of the 2017 scandals, which related to the presidential election of November 2016. Facebook was accused of disseminating fake news, and allowing Russian trolls to mislead voters leading up to the election. The Russians spread a variety of untruths that were intended to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump, and may have helped tip the election. Zuckerberg declared that his goal for 2018 was to fix the problems at Facebook, but through the year it seemed as though the extent of those problems continued to grow. In February, special counsel Robert Mueller

continued on page 6

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In late December I was watching one of those year-end wrap-up shows about the biggest news stories of 2018, in this case concentrating on financial news. As you would expect, the trade war with China, turmoil in the stock markets, and the bankruptcy of major retailers such as Sears and Toys “R” Us were all prominently featured. The biggest financial story, though, was the controversy over Facebook. I was astonished by that assessment, but I don’t doubt the judgment of the financial press, and I readily acknowledge that my avoidance of social media has created a blind spot in my view of what’s going on these days in business and culture. I knew a little bit about Facebook’s travails, of course, just from occasionally watching cable news in the evening, which takes a few moments out from its wallto-wall Trump analysis now and then to cover other events. I’ve seen Mark Zuckerberg testifying to Congressional committees about the company’s efforts to protect its customers’ data, prevent immoral or illegal use of the platform, and generally become a good corporate citizen. I’ve also heard customers and investors railing about Facebook’s failure to do any of those things, in spite of hiring thousands of people to address safety and security

Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

For People Who Sell Art Supplies See us at NAMTA Booth 644!

Perspective

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NAMTA’s show in San Antonio promises a host of exciting products, in-booth artist demos, interactive educational sessions, and one highly competitive Cornhole tournament!

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30 36 6

Facemash by Kevin Fahy

Quarter 1 2019 Volume 22 No.1

For People Who Sell

Art Supplies

Q1 2019

People in Portland, Maine, love the laid-back vibe of its downtown art store, plus the abundance of products and over-the-top service.

HomeHobby, a brand of 3L, answers the question, “What are artists creating with your products?” plus the “shape of things to come.”

The good ideas in The Self-Determined Manager by HR expert David Deacon are effective at every level, from store owners to first-time managers.

Endcap

About the Cover Art Materials Merchant Keith Christy is also a musician and artist -- here’s his view of Congress Street.

An Interview with Kyle Richardson, Royal Talens

New & True Products Industry News

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

39 44

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indicted 13 employees of Russia’s Internet Research Agency (IRA) who had created false personas on Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns. The operatives placed ads, posts and videos on the site which were designed to cause resentment and enmity between those on the left and right. To be fair, Facebook was not alone. Twitter announced that it had more than 3,800 accounts that belonged to Russian trolls, and that around 678,000 of its users had unknowingly followed or responded to content that was generated by the trolls. It also acknowledged that Russian bots had re-tweeted Donald Trump a half-million times in the weeks leading up to the election, or 10 times as often as Hillary Clinton. Other social media platforms

Kogan went to work for Cambridge Analytica to design an app for gathering personal data. Dr. Kogan took his app to Facebook, which at that time had a policy of working with researchers, provided the results were to be used for academic purposes. The Cambridge Analytica app was added to Facebook, and about 300,000 users agreed to share their data, with the understanding that it would be used for academic research. Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. The data was shared with political campaigns, first for Ted Cruz and then for Donald Trump. Oh, and it was slightly more than those 300,000 users. The number that Facebook finally disclosed was 87 million. So Congress hauled Mark

had been manipulated as well, and they might have all shared the blame in roughly equal measure had it not been for a bombshell that exploded last March. The New York Times and the British Guardian/Observer published simultaneous reports that linked Facebook to the political data firm Cambridge Analytica, which provided voter data to the Trump campaign. The details are complicated,

Zuckerberg in for questioning in April of last year. It accomplished very little because most of our elected representatives have no idea what Zuckerberg is talking about, and seem more interested in scoring political points off the other side. Mostly, he just strung together a lot of platitudes about how much harder everyone at Facebook was going to work. That was reassuring, and

but basically here is what happened as I understand it. Cambridge Analytica was founded several years back by conservative Republicans, including mega-donor Robert Mercer and then Breitbart chief Steve Bannon. In 2014, the company approached Cambridge University’s psychometrics center to gain expertise on profiling voters. The university declined to cooperate but one of its professors was interested. A Russian-born psychologist named Aleksandr

perhaps the public would have accepted the mea culpa and moved on, but the drip, drip, drip of damaging revelations kept coming throughout the year. In June, The New York Times reported that Facebook had also shared the personal data of its users with hardware developers, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Blackberry. It got still worse a couple of weeks later. In response to written follow-up questions stemming from Zuckerberg’s Congressional testimony, Facebook revealed that

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it had data-sharing agreements with dozens of private firms, including a major Russian internet company which has ties to Vladimir Putin. That’s about when Facebook’s stock fell out of bed. To give you an idea how serious a problem that was, the lost equity in the company was greater than the entire market value of Ford and General Motors combined. The list of Facebook’s problems goes on, but I think you get the point. Taken as a whole, the issues are so large that I heard a discussion on NPR this week about the viability of the company going forward. Some people have wondered aloud whether Facebook could shrivel up like its old rival Myspace, or previous internet giants like AOL. I understand that Facebook is important to your business, whether it’s part of a formal strategy or not, and it may also be important to you personally. Even if it were to go away, however, I don’t think it would ultimately do any real damage to our industry. There are plenty of social media platforms in the sea. I’ve got 99 things to worry about in 2019, but Facebook isn’t one of them.

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PUBLISHER J. Kevin Fahy kfahy@fwpi.com

EDITORIAL Tina Manzer, Director tmanzer@fwpi.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com

ART Mark Stash Production Manager mstash@fwpi.com

ADVERTISING SALES Ashley Cavanagh ashley@fwpi.com

Maia VanOrman Designer maia@fwpi.com

E-NEWLETTER & ONLINE ADVERTISING Rick Kauder rkauder@fwpi.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Amy Colburn amy@fwpi.com

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boom of the early 1970s. A prominent rancher and possibly the largest landholder in the state, Briscoe never revealed his full wealth during his public career. His family remains actively philanthropic in the region, donating $4 million to help fund the museum, and $3 million to endow the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. The museum campus features the restored, historic, 1930’s art deco museum building (the former San Antonio Public Library) and the three-story Jack Guenther event Pavilion and McNutt Sculpture Garden. It is considered “a spectacular oasis” in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Then on Monday, February 25, from 5:30 to 7:30, NAMTA attendees under the age of 45 are invited to The Next Generation Reception. The venue is Casa Rio, the oldest restaurant on the River Walk. In 1946, Casa Rio was the first San Antonio business to take advantage of the setting and open its doors to the river. The restaurant sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. Remnants of the original hacienda, including the cedar door and window lintels, the fireplace, and thick rock walls are still evident inside. story continued on page 12

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

For the fourth year in a row, NAMTA’s Art Materials World will co-locate with The Campus Market Expo (CAMEX) hosted by the National Association of College Stores. Scheduled for February 24 through 26 in San Antonio, the tradeshow of the International Art Materials Trade Association will feature 125 exhibitors plus in-booth artist demos, interactive educational sessions, a highly competitive Cornhole Tournament, and three parties! Everyone is invited to the Welcome Reception at the Hilton Palacio del Rio across the street from the convention center. Sponsored by Winsor & Newton, the party will be held in the Salon del Rey Ballroom of NAMTA’s headquarters hotel, and offer light hors d’oeuvres and complimentary beer, wine, and soft drinks. Then on Sunday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., NAMTA President Jeremy Franklin and the board of directors will host the President’s Reception at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, just steps away from the Hilton on the Riverwalk. The Briscoe, opened in 2013, is named for Dolph Briscoe, Jr., governor of Texas during the oil and gas

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World’s Fair roots

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

The Next Generation Reception will be held here at the oldest restaurant on the River Walk. about 50 acres including the 30-acre site of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Some of the land was redeveloped in the late 1980s with cascading waterfalls, fountains, playgrounds and lush landscaping, but little else was done until 2009. That’s when the city council established the HemisFair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC). Its goal is to create a spectacular public space at the heart of San Antonio, with plazas, courtyards, green space, art and cultural amenities, residences, and local businesses. continued on page 14

If you haven’t been to a tradeshow in San Antonio for a while (or at all) you’re in for a treat. A $325 million renovation of The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center was completed three years ago with spectacular results – more space, more flexibility, advanced technology and an innovative design. The “Liquid Crystal” digital fountain in the atrium lobby – with 3,510 LCD interactive panels – “flows” depending on the amount of people and activity in the atrium. It was created by London-based artist Jason Bruges, known for creating art that intersects architecture, installation sculpture, and interactive design. The original convention center was built 50 years ago for HemisFair ’68, the official 1968 World’s Fair that coincided with the 250th anniversary of San Antonio’s founding. It opened in April just two days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., so its VIPs – First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and Texas Governor John Connally among them – toured the site under heavy security. When the fair closed that October, ownership of the property was divided among the State of Texas, the Federal Government and the city. San Antonio owns

NAMTA Booth #231

“The CAMEX arrangement has worked well for NAMTA,” said NAMTA Executive Director Reggie Hall in a recent interview. “The arrangement was originally for three years, but after the success we experienced in the first year, we agreed to do a fourth.” With 500 or so exhibitors, CAMEX is a much larger show than NAMTA'S and serves a much larger industry – $10 billion annually. The stores sell a wide range of categories from apparel to tech, convenience items to gifts, and art supplies. “The co-located event created new buying/selling opportunities for some of our members, plus it was a good financial partnership for NAMTA,” Reggie continues. “We were able to reduce and/or share costs with CAMEX each year and that was beneficial.” However, NACS is currently undergoing a dramatic, strategic organizational change that will impact CAMEX, he says. The two associations will go their separate ways after this year’s show. In 2020 Art Materials World will be a standalone event in Chicago, scheduled for April 26 through 28. “Chicago has always been the number-one choice of Art Materials World attendees but, historically, it has

been cost-prohibitive,” Reggie explains. “We had had some conversations with Chicago Convention Bureau staff who told us we should explore it again because the city was ‘more negotiable.’ We did, and found that using the combination of the Chicago Hyatt and Navy Pier fit our budget … so well, in fact, that we signed a two-year agreement.” Based on the favored location, the association is hoping for a significant turnout from retailers and exhibitors next year. “People are excited about Chicago,” he says, “and we are optimistic. We won’t know for sure until they start registering and purchasing booth space.” He adds: “The NAMTA Board has been aggressively pursuing co-location partners and we’ve spoken with several – AFCI, formerly CHA; and the Stationery Show, for example. But it’s challenging to find an association that isn’t contractually obligated to hotels/convention centers several years into the future and is a match in terms of dates, locations, conference format, etc. For the foreseeable future NAMTA does not anticipate colocating.” To find out more about Art Materials World, visit namta.org.

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by Claire Sykes Keith Christy has followed his passion for the arts since high school, when he drew charcoal portraits of his friends and played rock-and-roll guitar. In the ’80s, with his big hair and spandex, the Portland, Maine, native made a decent living doing what he loved – touring with a band. But did he really want to be a rock star? As talented in math as he was with a guitar, Keith also enjoyed handling the band’s finances. He got an accounting degree, cut his hair, put on a suit and opened up his own practice. One of his clients was an artsupply store. When the owner unexpectedly passed away a few years later, Christy was left to manage the debt (liquidation paid it off), but the unresolved two-year lease was a sticking point. In July of 1994, driving home one night he thought, “Hey, why don’t I take over the business?” The next day, he did just that. The Art Mart reopened a month later. “When the lease expired, I moved the store downtown to the recently designated Arts District just one block away from the Maine College of Art [MECA],” Keith explained. “In 1997, I took over a second art-supply store in MidCoast Maine and opened a third in Kennebunk. Before long, I’d realized I’d spread myself too thin. I closed the two satellite locations and focused on the Portland store. Then things really started to take off.” Here he explains why.

Art Materials Retailer: How did The Art Mart evolve into the business you love today? Keith Christy: The first thing I did was create a more fun and relaxed atmosphere. The store had been too uptight; more like an office-supplies store where all the products remained carefully stacked in tightly sealed packages. Today, customers know we enjoy their presence. They like to wander around and touch and experience the art supplies, and they’re welcome to do that. There are always good tunes MULTIMEDIA ARTBOARD 1/4 PAGE AD playing – New Orleans jazz or ’70s acoustic rock – to create a SIZE: 3.25” x 4.75” great shopping vibe. FONTS*: FUTURA PT If a customer isn’t sure if she wants to buy something, BD#: MMA-18-002 I’ll open it up and show it to her. Artists love that, and it creates good customer relationships. Being part of the arts Date: 12.18.18 | 12.19.18 • • community in this way is really fun for me. *IMPORTANT FONT NOTE: Berry Design has been licensed to use these fonts specifically for design purposes. Other vendors and end users of these files may need to purchase additional licenses forYour their uses, including production store is celebrating its 25 •

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anniversary. Has the welcoming vibe kept it going so long? That, and the fact that I’m really flexible. If someone needs a specific tool or brand, I go to great lengthsto get it, even if it’s not a big seller. I once traveled to Connecticut to pick up a hard-to-find item for a customer! And when students in MECA’s

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Keith's two sons Josh (here with Keith) and Maddox are artists and musicians like their father. furniture-design program needed milk paint, I stocked it. Most large retailers don’t have the freedom to provide that kind of customer service. Being an independent store allows me to stock unique items that may not move quickly, and also take risks on bringing in new items. People say The Art Mart is one of the best “real” art-supply stores they’ve ever seen. I like the overstocked look, as you can see. There isn’t an empty spot in the entire store. I like having customers’ original artwork on the walls.

Who are your customers? A lot of them are professional artists. When I started out, before computers, I sold a lot of supplies to graphic designers. Today, many

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There’s not one particular paint brand, brush, or canvas that sticks out for me as a “bestseller.” We serve customers who buy the finest oil paints, watercolors and handmade papers, and other customers who buy the student range of those brands. Little sketchbook journals are always popular, along with a variety of pens, especially brush pens right now.

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Hahnemühle Harmony Watercolour 300 rough · 12 Sheets · 29,7 x 42 cm · Ref. No. 10 628 841

surface sized oberflächengeleimt

Obviously we serve students. And tourists. A hundred cruise ships come to this port every year and dock about 10 blocks away. Many come here to shop.

We support environmental projects

Watercolour

S TA N D

H ahn e mü hl e F in eA rt Gm bH D-3 7 586 Da s s e l w w w .ha h ne mueh le . com

Hahnemühle Harmony Watercolour 300 cold pressed · 12 Sheets · 29,7 x 42 cm · Ref. No. 10 628 041

Harmony

Rev. 00

OF THE CE

AN DS

S TA N D

OF THE CE

pro

BR A N

of them are back to using vellum and pencil, and I’m getting these customers again.

Harmony Watercolour

surface sized oberflächengeleimt

hot pressed satiniert grain satiné grano satinado

Watercolour

Aquarell

Aquarelle

Acuarela

acid free age resistant natural white surface sized hot pressed

säurefrei alterungsbeständig naturweiß oberflächengeleimt satiniert

sans acide inaltérable blanc nature collé en surface grain satiné

libre de ácido resistente al envejecimiento blanco natural encolado en superficie grano satinado

300

g/m2 29,7 x 42 cm 140 lbs 11,7 x 16,5 inch

Rev. 00

cold pressed rough

Ref. No. 10 628 841

Ref. No. 10 628 761

hot pressed

raditional Hahnemühle artist papers are produced according to ancient methods, using high-quality resources and pure spring water. Inspired by artists since 1584, Hahnemühle continues to grow and progress by combining experiences and knowledge gathered over the course of many centuries.

Harmony Watercolour – A natural-white paper for all wet-painting techniques. Harmony Watercolour features surface sizing. Colours stand out excellently on the paper and impress with their natural brilliance, thus giving every subject its very own, unique presence. Masking fluids or masking tape can be used and removed residue-free. While wet colours can be easily corrected or taken off. Harmony Watercolour is acid free, light-resistant and features extreme longevity. It is available in Cold Pressed, Rough and Hot Pressed. And all are eraser resistant due to the surface sizing.

www.hahnemuehle.com

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

"The well-stocked look"

Where do you get ideas for new products to bring in? I go to shows. My favorite is the one hosted by wholesale distributor SLS Arts. I fly to their location in New Orleans every November to rub elbows with other art-supply retailers and pick their brains. I also seek out new products from trusted manufacturers and take advantage of their deals. I’ll browse through their catalogs for something interesting that I haven’t carried before, maybe a funky brush or new type of waterproof pad. My customers ask for materials, which helps me add new products. I also contact local art instructors to see what students will need.

WE’RE MAKING A SPLASH IN POURING. NEW GOLDEN COLOR POURING MEDIUM MATTE AND GLOSS open the door to new creative possibilities. The first (and only) MATTE acrylic medium for pouring colors in combination with our proven GLOSS formula form an intuitive pair of products that give artists control and flexibility in paint pouring. Competitively priced, GOLDEN Color Pouring Mediums will be available in 8, 16, 32 oz. jars as well as gallon jugs. Contact your GOLDEN Distributor or Representative for more information and ordering.

1/11/2019 10:48:42 AM

Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

vices

Keith with his wife Ginna and granddaughter, plus his right-hand man Tony. Daughter Ashley and sons Maddox and Joshua are in front.

Wherever I am, I’m on the lookout for unusual products. I could be in Mexico, for instance, and spot something really interesting that I feel I could use as an artist – like soapstone pencils for drawing on dark paper. I’ll bring a supply back to the store. At hardware and surplus stores, I might find tools or products that aren’t designed for artists, but are a good fit for my store. I once spotted a set of cleaning tools for mechanics that a ceramicist could use to make marks and carve.

How many square feet is your store? And what about parking? It’s about 3,000 square feet. One of the drawbacks of a downtown location is that there’s only metered street parking and a

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

parking lot a block away. But I have been known to deliver orders to customers at no charge.

How many employees do you have? Are they artists, too? My wife Ginna is the store’s bookkeeper. Our son Maddox works here part-time and his brother Joshua works for us fulltime. They are both artists and musicians. Our daughter Ashley is also here, but very part-time. We have four other part-time employees; three of them are MECA students. Typically the students stay with us throughout their college years. My longtime employee Tony has been here for 25 years. We played in bands together back in the 1980s and ’90s. Tony is very

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reliable, so I can have some flexibility and travel. He’s a character, and a great right-hand man.

Who are your competitors? There are craft stores in the suburban malls and an art-supply store on the other side of the city. The Art Mart is the only one downtown. If a customer needs something that we’re out of or don’t stock, we’ll call our competitors. They do the same with us. We need to support each other to keep the bricks-and-mortar art-materials sector strong. Online selling is not fulfilling to me. I like to keep my head out of the “cloud.” That venue is too vast. I’d rather put my efforts into creating a great atmosphere of art supplies that people can see and touch. Also, deep down, I’m a performer. The Art Mart is sort of my stage.

Over the years, what has been the biggest challenge? Wearing all the hats. I want things done a certain way, so I end up doing most everything myself. I have a hard time delegating, and yet I’m frustrated when I don’t have time to finish a task, or I’m rushing and forget to place an order, or I answer the phone in the middle Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

NO.AM010819

Monoprint, Stencil, Paint, Mixed Media

Grafix Dura-lar ®

The walls are decorated with customer-created artwork.

of helping a customer standing in front of me. To compensate, I try to have more than one employee in the store at all times. Another challenge is making sure my inventory is well stocked, so I’m investing more in it, buying in bulk.

What does the future hold for The Art Mart? The arts in Portland are strong, and our business is consistent and still growing. I’m hoping The Art Mart will be part of the Arts District forever. My wish is that ® one of my children or maybe a grandchild will keep the business in the family, and have the passion to carry on the tradition and, perhaps, open other locations.

Meanwhile, what do you like best about owning and operating The Art Mart?

nemtrstyles ossa wen www.grafixarts.com no sreffo sa llew sa Clear, Matte and WetstMedia info@grafixarts.com in rolls, pads and sheets 3829-826-008 • ecivreS remotsuC

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

SCILYRCA DIULF LANOISSEFORP • • • • • •

Archival, versatile films for all your artistic needs.

One of my slogans is, “I’m not in business to make money. I’m in business to make people happy.” I like my customers and I’m a people pleaser. I have a lot of tnenam reP & tsafthgiL ,detnemgiP regulars who come in and just want to talk. I enjoy it. roloc foBeing sreyapart l evof issthe ecclocal us garts niwcommunity olla ,y rd nemeans hw tnaalot tsisto er-retaW me. sroloc 76 fo egnar elbaxim retni ylluF I like being surrounded by all the art materials. sroloC gniremmihS & tnecseroulF ,tnecselraeP ni elbaliavA It’s nice to just pull something off the shelf and start sbiNwhich tnemeI cdon’t alpedo R &enough. srekraSpending M elbaeall sueday R elitasreV painting, in the store is great, and I’m really proud of what I’ve egnar WF eht no noitam rofni erom rof evitatneserper ruoy tcatnoC created here. When I walk into my store, I say, “Wow, this is awesome.”

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Artful Behavior

“ What are artists creating with your products?” Painting a Perfect Pear by Tina Manzer HomeHobby, a brand of 3L, has introduced a line of all-inclusive studio kits for beginner and intermediate artists. With them, people of all ages can practice artist how-tos (how to mix colors, gesture draw, create texture, add depth, use a grid, create shading) using a variety of materials – from fine-point pens to watercolor and acrylic paint, and watercolor and sketching pencils. “The kits are wonderful as teaching tools for people who want to sketch, paint or watercolor,” explains artist Kristin Ranney. “The materials are easy to use and everyone gets great results. The kits can also open doors for people in senior centers, memory loss institutions, hospitals, after-school programs, and much more.” Behind each of the 19 kits available now is a different award-winning professional artist who selected and tested the kits’ tools and supplies. Using the materials, they then created an original piece of art and developed step-by-step instructions for creating it. Among the artists are illustrator Gary Wing from the UK, acrylic painter Nicholas Choong from Malaysia, and watercolor artists Robin Berry from Minnesota, Gerard Hendriks from Holland, and Ranney from Massachusetts. Her Watercolor Studio Kit for Beginners features 53 pieces: watercolor paint, pencils, pastels and a pad of watercolor paper; plus brushes, a paint tray, a pencil sharpener, a color wheel, and Ranney’s instructions for painting “Trio of Pears.” Like many of the other kits, it also includes opportunities for practice based on the artwork of illustrator and graphic designer Helle Koed from Denmark. 3L Ludvigsen A/S is a Danish manufacturing firm begun in 1988 by two brothers in their family’s kitchen. It developed office products and specializes in adhesives,

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

but quickly grew with line expansions into other markets. Today, its Scrapbook Adhesives brand of tapes, mounting squares, foam products and photo corners is a bestseller in the craft industry. The company’s headquarters and production facility remain in Denmark just a few kilometers from where its original products were developed, and it is still owned by the Ludvigsens. Research & development, manufacturing, production, and sales and marketing all take place there as 3L has continued to grow its range of products. They are available in more than 70 countries. Its U.S. headquarters is in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Hans Lyhr, director of production and purchasing at 3L, is an old friend of Ranney’s. “He came to see me with some of HomeHobby’s original products and asked if I would test them and offer feedback. We’ve been working together ever since. The Studio Kits were years in the making. “Any aspiring artist will find their step-by-step guides useful,” she adds. “They provide a real working knowledge of how to paint, and generally how to use paints and pencils without fear, and to experiment with their own creativity. “When I tell people I am a watercolor artist, 99 percent of them respond, ‘Oh, I’ve always wanted to do it but it’s so hard.’ These kits are the perfect way for them to jump into the water.” Kristin is an award-winning transparent-watercolor artist whose work often features a dog. “I paint other things, too,” she insists. “I always have many ideas floating around in my head and many projects going on at the same time.” Her work has been shown in juried competitions throughout the U.S. including The Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Exhibition and the Art Show at the Dog Show. Kristin studied figure drawing and etching at the Art Students League and “discovered” watercolor 25 years ago.

“Miz Bourbon”

“I’ve been using Heritage for over a year and I l-o-v-e it! ” “It is a great paper! I have already painted several watercolors on this very good, very soft paper! ” “Awesome paper. It handles anything.” “I’ve loved Canson ever since I started painting and you’re making me love it even more with Heritage! ” cansonpaper_northamerica #cansonheritage

A beautiful and distinctive 100% Cotton watercolor paper made on a traditional cylinder mould machine with next generation, non-gelatin internal & surface sizing. Offers ideal absorbency, exceptional rendering, perfect washes, superior strength, and color intensity. Available at Fine Art Retailers canson.com

The Shape of Things to Come

At about the same we read about the coin trend, we came across an article about The Original Coaster Show in Los Angeles. After six years, it has become one of the most anticipated events of the L.A. art scene. Painters, illustrators, animators, tattooists, sculptors and collage artists at all levels are invited to transform a 4-inch coaster

into a museumworthy exhibition piece. “This annual event gathers 1,000 or so unique pieces of artwork by hundreds of individual artists, many of whom are making their gallery debut,” said the website of Gallery 30 South, which hosted the 2018 event. “By placing the maximum possible price of $250 for an individual coaster (with many priced between $25 and $50), those with a limited budget can become legitimate patrons of the arts and even deep collectors, without compromising taste, integrity or lifestyle.” “You can get coasters from your local bar or you can make your own from poster board, balsa wood, or whatever, as long as they are round or square, and between 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch thick,” reports Art Nerd Los Angeles. A new product opportunity for someone, perhaps?

Last fall in Gradient, the publication of the Association For Creative Industries, mixed-media artist and designer Candy Rosenburg discussed Artist Trading Coins. The 2.5-inch discs of heavy cardstock are artist trading cards with a twist, er,turn. Like the cards, they are being swapped all over the world. “I have created and/or traded many cards that are sewn fabric, metal, chipboard, plastic and even good old paper,” wrote Candy in Gradient. “The cards and coins are a fantastic way to get your mojo going. “There is a huge market out there hungry for products, especially tools and punches that make little art easier to create.”

STEP-BYIris-STEP Robin Berry WHEEL & byCOLOR SKETCH TECHNIQUES

amount (0.5 inch/ plain water. Put a small such as a large jar, with or cloth to wipe off my Preparation: Fill a container, Tray. I use a paper towel Learn see thethe instructions small wells in the Paint basics the THE of colors and sketching 2cm) of each color in FORMAL COLOR paper does not buckle and warp, to start your SECONDARY: To be sure that your WHEEL Mix twoready Now you're primaries brushes as I am painting. The color wheel isblog: WE MADE IT EASY FOR 123-creative.online. to help on the one way and you will get a secondary YOU! Paper you understand how to mix for stretching Watercolor In this Studio Kit you will colors. color. Orange, find colors green and violet It is an idealized way to premixed. Experiment watercolor painting. look at are secondary colors. with some your paints. of these to find your favorite STEP 1 Line Drawing color drawing tones. The brown colors of this Iris, use the line TERTIARY: For your first painting that are If you mix PRIMARY: There• are a primary the pre-made want to photocopy three primary Youamight do not need further in this kit.and secondary color, you will this colors: yellow, redincluded mixing, but experiment and blue. These or practice drawing paintings with these a tertiary color. Following drawing for futureget colors cannot be made insert.to achieve different this by mixing the Color Wheel oncan shades. method, you Use the instruction mix just about other colors, but all yourself. colors can be any color you want. made by mixing them.

YELLOW GREEN Mix no. 1 Lemon Yellow with no. 11 Deep Green = no. 12 TERTIARY GREEN Mix no. 1 Lemon Yellow with no. 9 Prussian Blue = no. 11 SECONDARY

LEMON YELLOW PRIMARY

ORANGE: Mix no. 1 Lemon Yellow with no. 5 Crimson Red = no. 3 SECONDARY

BLUE GREEN Mix no. 9 Prussian Blue with no. 11 Green Deep = no. 10 TERTIARY

YELLOW ORANGE: Mix no. 1 Lemon Yellow with no. 3 Orange Red = no. 2 TERTIARY

BURNT SIENNA BURNT UMBRE

OCHRE YELLOW ORANGE RED: STEP 2 First Washes Mix no. 3 Orange and Red within the Mix Blue visually. no. 5 Crimson Red • Color mixing is best done WHITE Wheel insert.) Color (See = no. 4 Paint Tray to create violet. By will be more blue-violet. the colorTERTIARY • By adding more blue To gray will be more red-violet. BLACK adding more red the color the petals add a throughRED CRIMSON show the light shadows that PRIMARY the painting. Dry touch of yellow or green. sheen. so that you can see the • Wet the area of the shadows the desired with a light mixture of Touch a brush loaded This is called BLUE area. The paint will spread. color to the wetPURPLE: dries Mix no. 7 Violet with to remember that watercolor is good Mix no. 9 Prussian Blue no. 5 Crimson Red wet-into-wet. It VIOLET with no. 7 Violet = no. 8 Mix no. 9 Prussian lighter. when the Blueare / =too repeat the above step no. light, 6 TERTIARY Ultramarine • If the colors Blue Visit the 123-Creative.online TERTIARY with no. 5 first is completely dry. Blog layerRed Crimson for more techniques and tips on =7 how to use the color wheel. SECONDARY

PRUSSIAN BLUE / ULTRAMARINE BLUE PRIMARY

FREE HAND SKETCH ITEMS NEEDED Sketching Pencil 2H orSteps STEP 3 Next HB or Watercolor Pencils violet color Watercolor Paper or Canvas part of the Iris, mix your Sheet • Moving to the lower of light Studio Image from your kit color. Notice the variation

to a more concentrated shadow. This indicates light and dark on the Iris petals.

to Hand Use the Free Sketch technique variations, and dry the light to the learn the skill of sketching. Place petals, noticing in front of Paint you byboth the Studio Image hanging it upright on a wall or a board. Your Watercolor must be placed painting. and in front of you at a slightlyred for the Iris beards Paper or Canvas orange and slanted angle. Study the drawing the shapes wet yellow, and positions • Then to determine of the image. Pay attention Let the colors to the outlines wet-into-wet as well. shadows. Use Paint one of stems. the these it the surrounding pencils and draw what When in doubt, try and image, it is important yellow to red. you see. Start with the basic figure vary blend and to getfrom of the the right angles and shapes in place before you go details. further with first on a scrap of paper. Iris. Mix the green painting the green stalk

of the

• Continue that WINDOW TRANSFER a touch of red, noticing from blue and yellow with ITEMS NEEDED varies the color of green. the amount of each color Sketching Pencil varying 2H or HB or Watercolor add more yellow. Pencils light hits the stalk, Watercolor Paper Where orthe Canvas Sheet on the beards and Studio Image a second wash of paint addkit from your • Finally varying the color.

red, again Additional Items with yellow, orange and Needed: stalks

Double-Sided Tape Runner

Dots Repositionable Adhesive

This is it – you have made

a beautiful painting!

Use the printed line drawing and one piece of blank Watercolor Paper or Canvas. Watercolor Paper or Canvas Place the on top of the printed line drawing. To prevent the and the blank paper from Studio Image shifting, apply Double-Sided Tape Runner Dots to the front side corners of art work Repositionable Adhesive of your see your work! – Tag your of it. Apply Double-Sided We would be happy to Studio Image and adhere the Watercolor Paper Tape Runner Repositionable on top Adhesive Dots to the back with #homehobbyby3l Studio Image online and adhere side of your it to a window. The light from the window will No. 08-14307 - 1 the Studio Image onto © Robin Berry allow you to trace the Watercolor Paper or Canvas.Watercolor 2018 10.39 AM When done, gently rubbing with your 17. January remove the adhesive by finger. Color Wheel & Sketch Techniques

– No. 14032 12. February 2018 2.23 PM

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

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Are You a

Great

Manager A

manager’s job is to get things done by marshalling the efforts of others. Great managers are self-determined managers, and self-determined managers are extremely rare. “Being the kind of manager who creates a high-performing business is exceptionally difficult,” says David Deacon, author of the book, The Self-Determined Manager, A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers. “You can never rest. You can never let things slide. You can never waste an opportunity. You are responsible for creating an environment in which people can achieve in ways they did not even imagine.” Being a self-determined manager is not so much about mastering a vast array of technical skills. It’s less

about task and more about attitude. It’s about creating environments of overachievement where people thrive and great work gets done … as opposed to an environment in which there’s little openness or honesty, or where everyone curries favor rather than focusing on performance.” The ideas in Deacon’s manifesto are for managers at every level, from store owners to first-time managers. Regardless of your level or the scale of your

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

impact, you will get a better outcome when you strive to be a self-determined manager. If you want to be among their number, here are 10 changes you may need to make right now.

Set aside time to reflect on your own agenda. “This is a biggie,” says Deacon. “It’s really easy to lose sight of how (and if) your current situation fits with your overall aims. If you don’t have a clear sense of what your purpose is, why you’re doing what you do, and how it fits with your life, you cannot hope to make consistently good decisions for yourself and others. You’ll just be condemned to react to your circumstances.”

Choose, deliberately and actively, the type of environment you want to create. As manager, it’s your job to decide the kind of environment that the team will experience, for better or worse. Think of the best teams you’ve worked on. What was the prevailing atmosphere? How did the team members

work together? How were problems solved, issues resolved? At the heart of all that you’ll find a manager who set the tone and created the atmosphere.

Be more restless. Each week ask yourself and your team: What can we do better? The best managers have impatience (if something is worth doing, why wait?), an instinct for continuous improvement (good enough is never good enough), and a lingering sense of constructive dissatisfaction (how can we do this better next time?). They set for themselves and others very high standards of performance and conduct. “This demanding impatience for ever-greater impact and ever-higher standards can make self-determined managers very difficult to work for,” admits Deacon. “Just be sure to always balance the high expectations with encouragement and a positive approach.”

Treat employees like adults. Work is not school. Adults do their best work when they are treated as adults. Therefore, great managers don’t bully, shout, patronize, belittle, play favorites, name-call, behave aggressively, or condescend. To generate trust and respect, you must create an environment where adults can do great things.

Curb any tendencies toward selfserving behavior. Avoid the urge to take the glory for victories or shirk responsibility for failure. When you do this, you create an environment where people quickly learn not to volunteer, to not trust the intentions of their leader, and to be busy on projects away from the team where there will be recognition or reward for their efforts. If you feel the need to take credit or protect yourself at the expense of your team, remind yourself that it’s all about them, not about you. Your ego, fears, and ambitions are not relevant to your team, so keep them to yourself. Let people know when they do great work. This creates confidence. The best managers make it clear to their people that they have confidence in their abilities and in their potential to make a big contribution to the team’s success. The message is, “I saw you do something really good today, and I know you will continue to do great things going forward.” This is an incredibly powerful combination.

Learn something new. Take a class, master a new skill, take up a hobby. The best managers are interested, curious, open, and alert.

They are forever seeking knowledge. This extends far beyond their professional work and reflects their interests, passions, pastimes, and preoccupations. First, thinking “widely” opens possibilities by helping you foster connections, recognize new opportunities, and find better ways to do things. Secondly, broad knowledge and curiosity make you adaptable; a key part of career success is about applying what you have learned in new situations.

Master the art of friendly, informal, light interaction. While you don’t need to make everyone your friend, it’s important to eschew formality and standoffishness at work. Be gentle and kind with others as well as yourself. Work on creating positive interactions, where people come away feeling good, feeling they have some standing, that they can be themselves to a large extent, and that they are meeting with a good member of the human race. Learn to like the people you work with. (Yes, even the unlikeable ones.) It’s crucial that you enjoy and appreciate the people you work with. If you deal with someone who is unlikeable, find something to appreciate in their person. Here’s why: it changes the nature of all interactions and maximizes the chance that you’ll be successful. You get a less cooperative, less inventive, and less engaged relationship with someone you do not like. It also furthers the chance that your team members will overlook your unlikeable qualities and focus on your best traits. Everyone responds well to being treated well.

Figure out why the work of the team matters and articulate it to them. Without this sense of purpose, it’s hard for people to make greater effort, direct their energies, and self-correct. Further, they will struggle to relate their actions to their employer’s performance, substituting instead other purposes, such as pleasing their boss or doing only work that interests them. Striving to be a self-determined manager is incredibly hard work, but the payoffs are immense, says Deacon. Not only do you get to witness personal breakthroughs and join in team celebrations, you get to watch your store’s performance escalate over time. “Managing others is not for the faint-hearted,” he concludes. “Doing it well is a conscious and tough choice you need to make every day. But I can’t think of a better way to spend your time.”

David Deacon has been a human resources professional for more than 30 years and has worked for a variety of the world’s leading companies, including Credit Suisse and MasterCard. He is a thought leader in the fields of learning and development, talent management, and leadership development. For more information, visit selfdeterminedmanager.com.

Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

new true

Plein Air Linen Artist Panels from Multimedia

Sienna Counterweight Easel

The

from Jack Richeson is versatile, easy to adjust, and user friendly. Four 5-pound standard weight plates (not included) counterbalance the easel. Just lift or lower with a touch of the handle. It accommodates small, 8- by 10-inch painting panels up to giant 72-inch-tall canvases. 30 by 30-inch footprint; compact height: 67 inches 800-233-2404 richesonart.com

Artboard are the lightest, thinnest panels available. Claessens 100-percent Belgium Linen is dry mounted on 1/32nd- inch-thick Multimedia Artboard panels #15, #13 Double Oil Primed, or #109 Double Primed Universal. Five-packs are available in these sizes: 6 by 8, 8 by 10, 9 by 12, 12 by 12, 11 by 14, 12 by 16, 16 by 20, and 18 by 24 inches. 770-271-4753 multimediaartboard.com/vendor tcarney@multimediaartboard.com

GILDERS paste wax from Artists

Each of the single-pigment colors in the improved

MaimeriBlu watercolor range from Canson is made with natural Kordofan gum arabic and glycerin – no blending powders or additives – for maximum lightfastness. They are extraordinarily transparent according to the particular characteristic of the pigment. New Half Pan sets come in a metal tin with cavities for mixing colors. 800-628-9283, orders@canson.com

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

Supplies & Products provides a firm, colorfast finish. Add subtle hues or soften the wax and extend it into a cream, paint, stain or wash for picture frames, wrought iron, plaster, polymer clay, furniture, canvas, gourds, and more. Over 25 colors mix an endless palette. See us on Pinterest and Facebook gilderspaste.com

The Beginner 2-Blade Craft Carver Set from Flexcut Tools features two blade profiles – a V-tool and a gouge – plus a basswood blank, a DVD with step-by-step instructions for carving a leaf, and an owner’s manual. Great for professionals and students, palm tools provide control while making cuts. Perfect for lino printing, relief carving, and close detail work flexcut.com

The Clairefontaine Goldline Mixed Media Journal from Exaclair USA features 100-percent cotton heavyweight 180g archival paper that’s smooth on one side and has a light grain on the other. For wet and dry mediums: watercolor, graphite, markers, collage and more. The cover can be personalized. It’s a perfect travel companion for urban sketchers, plein air artists and others. exaclair.com

The new user-friendly

FW 180ml

bottles by Daler-Rowney hold six times

the amount of color as regular FW bottles so they’re perfect for big projects. They come with a nozzle for easy filling of FW Mixed Media markers. All colors are fully intermixable and compatible with other Daler-Rowney fluid ranges. 800-628-9283, orders@canson.com

When accuracy and preservation count, the 003/005 extra-finepoint nib Micron set from Sakura offers smooth, skip-free writing and crisp ink colors – even when making the most delicate marks. Available in black and sepia for users who need the thinnest point size. sakuraofamerica.com

Pro Fillet Tape is designed to

The Activ-Tools: Clay Tools Set from ACTÍVA features four tools to cut, sculpt, shape, embellish, texture, scribe, and add fine detail to any clay project. Durable and dishwasher safe, these tools are great for beginners and professionals alike. activaproducts.com

attach the fillet or slip to the picture mount in the framing industry. It is also used in the furniture industry to mount decorative trims such as PVC profile, and for fastening nameplates on a trophy or luggage tag, and for wooden trims and signs. protapes.com/products/profillet-tape

• ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

new true Trimar Enterprises introduces the newest option in custom canvas stretchers. Become a partner with Trimar in your marketplace, and let us show you how our aluminum stretcher can substantially improve your profits. Contact Marvin or Jonathan. 1-800-874-6271, trimarstretcher.com

Explore GOLDEN acrylics with a self-guided workshop experience-in-a-box. The instruction guide will help you experience the unique properties of Heavy Body, Fluid, OPEN and High Flow Acrylic Colors, plus a range of Pastes, Gels, and Mediums. The exercises are easy to execute, and increase understanding of the materials – a foundation for translating the experience into your creative process. goldenpaints.com/A-Zsets

The Flyer by Sparmax revolutionizes the airbrushing experience. Swap paints instantly with the proprietary pop-and-plug system. The ergonomic handle helps artists work longer, and introduces airbrushing to beginners in an all-new way. Adjustable 0.4mm nozzle, standard fitting, additional bottle sets sold separately info@sparmax.com.tw store.sparmaxair.com

Xiem Interchangeable Sculptor’s Wire Tools, The Original Paint Puck is every painter’s new favorite tool. Take any amount of our silicone Paint Pucks and stick them inside your rinse cup of choice. During the painting process, paint comes off the brush instantly while also protecting your bristles. Never again wrestle your brushes into disrepair! 703-328-6662 paintpuckproduct.com

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

available in several sizes, are designed for artists at every level. They can customize their favorite wire-tool tips for their specific needs to make the job more enjoyable and efficient. xiemtoolsusa.com

.AM NO

The Waxmelter Palette is a great tool for batik and encaustic artists. It heats to 180 degrees F and melts all types of wax including wax/resin encaustic sticks or blocks. It has 10 removable cups (plus one extra) and includes a Squeeze Pen to dispense melted wax. See the video on our website! UL listed, made in the USA by Witzend Workshop waxmeltingtools.com.

Where space is limited, Specialty Racks from Saturn Rack/A.W.T. World Trade are an efficient solution to your drying and storage needs, whether it’s artwork in a classroom or prints in a studio. They feature all-steel construction, a rust-resistant, powder-coated finish, and a variety of shelving options. A wide range of models helps optimize your working environment. sales@dryingandstorageracks.com dryingandstorageracks.com/rack-it-specialty.php

Strathmore 500 Series Ready Cut Watercolor paper comes in standard-size sheets for readymade frames and mats, making framing easier and less expensive. This 100-percent cotton paper has excellent surface strength and provides greater water hold-out, improved color lifting and blending. 140lb (300gsm), available in cold and hot press surfaces. strathmoreartist.com

Now available from Artzee – Bronzee Liquid Finish 2oz mini jars for use on all porous surfaces: air dry clay, ceramics, canvas, fabric, gourds, leather, metal, paper, wood, and stone. The art medium dries rock hard into a lustrous enamel finish. Available in Bronze, Copper Bronze, Red Copper Bronze, Golden Bronze, Black Bronze, Platinum, Lime Bronze, and Turquoise Bronze; certified ASTM D-4236 dkincaid@artzeeliquidsealer.com sculptedanimations.com

RENDR No Show Thru Paper from Crescent Cardboard allows you to use 100 percent of the sketch book; no more limitations to what type of media you use in your work and no more tearing out the next page. Our patented paper will not allow any bleed or show through from the other side of the paper, no matter what media is used! Even oil paint and juicy ink markers! 110 lb white heavy weight sheets. Acid and lignin free. www.crescentcardboard.com Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

new true Finally: a snazzy way to merchandize Soda Ash. Easily merchandise this essential dye auxiliary with Jacquard’s new Soda Ash POP Displays! Colorfully printed boxes come pre-packed with 1-pound or 5-pound bags (6x and 3x, respectively) and then easily fold out into eye-catching displays. Great companions to the Procion MX display. 800-442-0455, service@jacquardproducts.com, jacquardproducts.com

Paper Connections’ Taja Papers are handmade in India using 100-percent cotton rag upcycled from the t-shirt industry. They are stocked in a variety of sizes and weights. The 4- by 6 -inch postcards are 300 g/m², sized front and back, with a subtle textured surface. Ideal for watercolor, mixed media, printmaking, collage projects or for tiny books! paperexperts@paperconnection.com

Introducing all-inclusive Studio Kits from HomeHobby by 3L. They feature art supplies, step-by-step instructions, and videos to complete a work of art. Award-winning artists have specially selected the materials and provide detailed lessons. Learn to sketch, watercolor and paint. Kits are available for beginner to advanced artists. homehobby.com, info@3Lcorp.com

Tim Holtz Alcohol Pearls by Ranger are a permanent combination of pigment and dye inks formulated to create pearlescent, colorful effects on nonporous surfaces. These superior inks are highly saturated, acid free and versatile. Use in conjunction with Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks and Mixatives for an unlimited palette. Available 12 pearlescent colors. rangerink.com info@rangerink.com

The new Caran d’Ache Technalo RGB and Grafcube RGB products from Creative Art Materials combine the qualities of a color pencil with water-soluble lead and a graphite pencil to create exceptional effects. The two-in-one tools are available individually and in multi-technical sets that include watercolorable art tools and accessories. Now serving Canadian retailers 704-644-1427, 888-423-0036, creativeartmaterials.com

Faber Castell’s Pitt Artist Pen now has white India ink in three new nibs! The improved formula comes in a brush nib, 1.5mm bullet nib, and calligraphy chisel nib. The upgraded formula is permanent when dry, buildable, and has a three-star lightfastness rating. Available in open stock and a wallet 800-642-2288, fabercastell.com

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

The new, smooth hardwood

Bob Ross Travel Easel is beautifully fire-branded with the Bob Ross insignia. It weighs less than 2 pounds and holds standard-sized canvas. The elastic fabric cord holds and tilts canvas with gentle resistance. It’s only 10.25 by 7 by 1.25 inches, but sturdy with nonskid pads – just right for the robust Bob Ross method! 1-800-262-7677 info@bobross.com

Holbein Acrylic Ink (HAI) maintains the same pigment strength and intensity as Holbein Heavy Body Acrylic and Fluid Acrylic, but with lower viscosity. HAI does not shift in color tone from wet to dry and can be used directly with a brush, airbrush, dip pen, technical pen or refillable marker. holbeinartistmaterials.com

ROMA Plastilina from Sculpture House is

Harmony watercolor paper from Hahnemühle is the perfect choice for incredible results. It’s available in U.S. sizes in cold pressed, hot pressed and rough; plus other size options in blocks, rolls and spiral-bound pads. 815-502-5880, hahnemuehle.com/en/traditional-fineart/ watercolour/harmony-expression-watercolour.html

recognized as the world’s finest oil- and wax-based modeling clay – the choice of professional sculptors. It never hardens since it doesn’t contain water, and it is not adversely affected by heat. Available in Grey-Green and White and in three different consistencies: No.1-Soft, No.2-Medium, No. 3-Medium Hard. Made in the USA, contains sulfur. 772-210-6124, sculpturehouse.com, customerrelations@sculpturehouse.com

The Artist Series Shrink Film from Grafix features 12 unique preprinted designs by artists on white shrink film. It’s available in 8.5 by 11-inch packs of four sheets – two pre-printed sheets of the same style and two clear sheets (for tracing) – and assorted packs. Great for making jewelry, papercrafts, magnets, keychains, and more. Just color, cut out, and bake. grafixarts.com Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

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Creativation, North America’s largest and longest-running trade show and conference for the craft industry, was held January 17 through January 21 in Phoenix. The 78th annual event featured hands-on product workshops in popular consumer craft categories including paper crafting, home décor, mixed media, needle arts and more. In addition, interactive seminars were held on topics that are critical to today’s retail and creative professionals, including social media, content and digital marketing, business operations, point of sale and technology.

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

In response to the current hand-lettering trend, Creativation introduced a new calligraphy education track. Among the workshops were “Beginner Bouncy Brush Lettering,” offered by scrapbook company American Crafts, in which buyers learned the basics of brush pen calligraphy; and “3,000 Years of the Western Alphabet,” presented by worldrenowned calligrapher Paul Antonio. “Our in-person peer education model enables our attendees to learn directly from the manufacturers from whom they buy products,” noted Andria Gibbon, CEM, vice president of education & events for the Association For Creative Industries (AFCI), the event organizer. “We’re excited to host an event that provides universally interesting content that will benefit all creative businesses.”

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valetin Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

Meanwhile, at the Creativeworld craft tradeshow in Germany, held right after we went to press with this issue, Street Art was showcased in two exhibits: Urban Art Lab, a demonstration area; and Upgrade Your Store. “Street art has made the leap from its humble beginnings to the museums of the world and even into people’s living rooms,” notes the Creativeworld website. “Numerous manufacturers have identified this trend and now offer new products and techniques. The environmental and health aspects of street art are playing an increasingly important role, as evidenced by the debut of the first refillable spray can, and other products that promise minimum odor levels and use on all surfaces.

“Manufacturers offer ways in which the subject of street art can be integrated into shops,” it continued, as an introduction to Upgrade Your Store, an exhibit designed to show buyers how to find a place in their classic hobby and crafts shops for street-art displays. The display was sponsored by Feuerstein GmbH (Molotow). The Urban Art Lab was organized by Carlos Lorente, CEO and coach of Style Scouts, a “graffiti academy” for kids in Nuremberg, Germany, begun eight years ago. Using augmented reality, the display offered a look at the tools, history and future of street art, from cave paintings to post-graffiti. A highlight was the lab’s design, created by internationally renowned graffiti artist Bond TruLuv in cooperation with Style Scouts.

NAMTA Booth #536

Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

From January 17 through 30 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the 20th annual West

Coast Art & Frame Expo

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SINCE 1998

artmaterialsretailer.com 40

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

Education is organized by

categories including Fundamentals (with topics like “The Perfect Corner” and “Frame Shop Efficiency – Tables & Fixtures”), Digital Imaging & Printing, Sales & Design, Gilding, Marketing and Social Media, and Profit & Management (classes range from “How Framing Retailers Can Outpace Online Solutions” to “Selling Art & Frames to the Corporate Market”). Master Classes covered how to frame “Large and Scary Textiles” like quilts, rugs and tapestries, and “Frame Identification from an Historical Perspective.” The WCAF Expo is sponsored by Picture Framing Magazine, published monthly.

Manufacturer of private label and national brand artist brushes

was held. The framing industry’s largest trade show highlights new product launches – including the most up-to-date equipment and technology and presents networking, and social events and more than 100 seminars and workshops.

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Old Masters Set New Records “Global participation and deep bidding on top lots – from both traditional and new buyers – established eight new world auction records and signals the strength of the Old Masters market,” said Francois de Poortere recently, Christie’s head of Old Masters in New York, in the Antiques Trade Gazette. It indicates a big change in the market, say the experts at Barnebys Group, an international search service for arts, design, antiquities and collectibles. For years, the modern and contemporary pictures categories had commanded the biggest prices. Then, in 2017, Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud purchased a newly discovered Leonardo da Vinci for $450 million. And that’s not the only record-breaker, notes Barnabys. A Caravaggio, recently found in Toulouse, France, is going to market for an estimated $100 million at Marc Larbarbe Auctions in Toulouse. Then later this spring, a rediscovered drawing by Leonardo da Vinci will be sold at House Tajan in Paris. The sale will take place 500 years, almost to the day, on which da Vinci died. A year ago, a Dutch Old Master, “An old man at a casement” by Govaert Flinck (1615-1660) sold for $10.3 million at a Christie’s auction. That was a record for the artist, bringing in more than three times the price it had fetched at a London sale five years ago. Among the other record prices for the sale of Flemish and Dutch pictures is $8.9 million for “Virgin and Child with Saints” attributed to Hugo Van Der Goes, which had been on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1998. These developments are confusing because the Old Masters share of the market has been contracting for years, reports Barnabys. Over the past two decades, the Old Masters market accounted for 22.4 percent of the overall art market, but the figure dropped annually

NAMTA Booth #431

as the contemporary art market accounted for an increasingly higher proportion of sales. In 2017, the last full year for which data is available, Old Masters represented just 8 percent of the market share while contemporary art made up 32 percent of all auction sales. Why the renewed interest in Old Masters? “We may be seeing a simple correction in the market,” says Barnebys' Pontus Silfverstolpe. "We’ve been monitoring the increase in interest in Old Masters during last two years, and we predict that this will continue. We see a steady flow of Old Master sales through auction houses around the world, and there is a discernible and sustained upward trend after a number of years of relative stability. Who knows? The Old Masters sector of the art market might prove to be the new gold.” Barnabys, founded in 2011, plays host to some 2,000 auction houses on its site, and displays a million works of art on any given day. The company recently acquired the U.S.-based Simple Auction Site, an online auction software developer; online resource Collectors Weekly; and the UK-based appraisal service ValueMyStuff. For more information visit barnebys.co.uk.

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reports the National Retail Federation website, especially the way retail is impacted by technology. At the same time, retail executives highlighted the importance of human employees and the need for talent development in the industry.

Sales Associates Remain Relevant in Stores of the Future The world’s largest retail conference and expo, NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show, was held in January. It brought together more than 38,000 attendees who discussed the latest in retail tech, strategy, leadership, the economy and other hot topics. The show’s focus was the transformation of the industry,

NAMTA Booth #537

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

“What is the store of the future?” was the big question at the event in New York City. Among the answers were these, provided during a session presented by Healey Cypher, CEO of Zivelo, a company that produces award-winning kiosks; and Albert Vita, director of in-store experience and visual merchandising at The Home Depot. • Big stores, lots of stuff and a great selection is not enough, notes Cypher. “Customers want more. They have more at their fingertips every day so now it’s about experience, service and speed.”

• Human connection and value delivery is at the core of retail, says Vita. “How can we exponentially grow both?” • While there will always be a place for traditional metrics such as sales numbers and financials, if you’re measuring the success of your new and innovative instore experiences, you have to use nontraditional and innovative metrics. “Traditional metrics won’t work, we have to take a more holistic approach,” says Vita. That means talking to associates to find out what’s working, or looking at nonstore metrics such as your supply chain. • Cypher notes that when it comes to innovation, using the right metrics is instrumental, but can be tricky for many retailers. “There’s a myth around physical stores that online has better data, but your store can be an incredible source of data, too.” • Think of your store of the future as a “living lab,” he says, where every innovation has an expiration date, and every aspect (supply chain, marketing, HR, associates) has to be taken into account in the innovation process. Cypher and Vita finished the discussion by pointing out potential pitfalls.“I would argue that the number-one reason tech and interesting experiences fail in stores is because associates just don’t care or it hasn’t made their life any better,” Cypher says. “Make your associates feel like heroes. Make sure they’re incentivized and that they know what they’re talking about.” For Vita, a genuine affection for associates as well as for customers, and a desire to use empathy to solve problems are what will drive the store of the future. “Successful innovators don’t care about innovation,” Vita said. “That’s not the end goal. We care about solving customer-centric problems. Innovation is just the byproduct of that.”

A Productive Variation on the Traditional To-Do List

Bring In Those Coveted First Timers & Never Before Happy Customers!

“Productivity hacks are a dime a dozen” noted Scott Mautz recently in his weekly column in Inc. So when the noted author and speaker on workplace motivation and engagement came across the technique known as “timeboxing,” he was skeptical. Mautz had discovered it at the top of a list of 100 tips compiled by productivity expert Marc ZaoSanders, CEO of filtered.com. Zao-Sanders’ company had thoroughly searched all the productivity articles online, scrubbed for the 100 most-frequently-cited tips, and then ranked them from 1 to 100 based on raw usefulness and ease of implementation, explains Mautz. Timeboxing re-imagines the to-do list by putting it in chunks of time. “So, assign a fixed period of time to a to-do item, schedule it, and stick to it. Voilà,” he wrote, noting that typical to-do lists include way too many items, are not well prioritized, and enable us to practice the worst of our anti-productivity habits. We all tend to do the easiest tasks first, for example, even though they are often not the most important. Mautz tried timeboxing and here’s what he learned. 1. “It takes discipline to start, but it pays off in the end in increased productivity.”

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It worked, though, because he got better at time estimating, and the whole process made him organized, and disciplined. 2. “I gained a more targeted, earned sense of accomplishment.” Mautz found that not only do the “right” things get done, but the idea of time in a box made him single task versus multitask. “You feel stress in trying to accomplish that task within the time you allotted for it, but it’s productive stress, unlike the stress of staring at an ever-growing to-do list and wondering if you’ll ever complete it.” 3. He ended up building his own version that works well for him. “I still like the visual, stacked, to-do list, so I still use it” Mautz concludes, “but I timebox the most important items on that to-do list, and denote on the list with a little square that the item has been timeboxed on my calendar. That way, in the space in between timeboxed events, I can still achieve a sense of accomplishment by completing and crossing off a few of the more mindless, less urgent tasks on the to-do list.”

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The issue is thinking through in advance how long each task will take and selecting which tasks are the most important. “Then you have to be brutal about working that task to completion within the time allotment you gave it,” notes Mautz. “In the beginning, I stunk at estimating ‘time for completion.’”

People who’ve never been inside an art store will come to yours because of Bob Ross --be sure you have what they’re looking for.

Handcrafted in the USA Since 1889 General Pencil Company, Inc. Jersey City, NJ • Redwood City, CA GeneralPencil.com

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Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

"An Interview with Kyle Richardson" continued from page 45

the past six years, and the number of new items has been staggering at times. Maybe we’re making up for lost time!

Royal Talens North America came about quickly and relatively recently, right? In the summer of 2015, when I was the business manager for Royal Talens at its longtime distributor in North America, it was apparent that the distributor would be acquired. So I worked with the management team in the Netherlands to boldly start up a new company as an independent affiliate to serve the North American market. Luckily, I didn’t fully know what this would entail. A small team got together and with a great deal of support from our parent company, as well as retailers, artists and friends in the vendor community, we pulled it off. We began shipping our first orders out of our new

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

warehouse in Northampton, Massachusetts, within six months. Today, it has 14 employees, which is sometimes a shock to people, but we are all diversely experienced and able to cover a lot of ground with a small team. The biggest challenge for me is deciding which opportunities to invest time and resources on. With a small team, we have to be laser focused on what’s important and strategic to our mission.

Why did you choose that particular location? There are really two advantages for our customers. First, from a geographical standpoint, we can get our containers in quickly. We’re near the port of entry in New York, and we are right

at the crossroads of two major highways in the Northeast. We get good transport rates and can dispatch orders very efficiently. But the real advantage is the access to amazing and diverse workforce talent. We could have saved a little on rent by moving somewhere that has lower property values or wages, but the quality of people we’ve been able to attract at every position on the team is directly related to where we are. Northampton is a cultural and educational hub with five major colleges and universities nearby. There is a robust mix of workforce labor available, great access to professionals, and of course, a thriving artist community.

What do you like best about your job? There are three things, but teaching/coaching my team is at the top. I enjoy seeing that “a ha!” moment when we’re tackling issues or working on our plans, and when one of them is successful at something they didn’t think they could do, or were afraid to try. I love talking shop with artists and retailers, and geeking out about materials, about art and art history. It’s a passion that drew me to this industry and something that always provides fun and engaging discussions.

INNOVATIVE QUALITY TOOLS FOR ARTISTS SINCE 2009

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What would you like art materials retailers to know about your products and your service? The key to selling ours or any product at retail is education. One of the keys to differentiating yourselves from the eCommerce marketplaces is to make sure that your store associates have been trained and know the products that you’ve curated for the artists in your stores. For this reason, we’ve invested in our art education and art ambassador program, so that the vast knowledge we have of our products makes its way to colleges, universities and into your stores. You can find more about those programs at RoyalTalensNorthAmerica.com. I would also like our retailer community to understand how serious we take service and supply chain. Our order turnaround times and our fill rates are at the very top of the vendor community, and that’s incredibly important to retailers who are trying to run a successful business.

DISCOVER MORE QUALITY TOOLS AT XIEMTOOLSUSA.COM Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

SPREAD THE WORD! Tell our advertisers you saw their products in Art Materials Retailer magazine!

Company

Welcomes 5 New Advertisers! 3L’s HomeHobby art supplies – everything from paint to brushes to canvas – have been selected and approved by award-winning artists from all over the world. The company recently launched a line of all-inclusive kits for beginning and intermediate artists, and its adhesives have become bestsellers in the craft industry. See the ad on page 26. Execlair imports and distributes premium-quality stationery products from France, including notebooks, journals, sketch and drawing pads, crafts, calligraphy supplies, inks, planners and social stationery. Among its brands is Rhodia, a favorite among artists, designers, writers and notebook fans who enjoy its pads of paper for their grids, smoothness and iconic covers. See the ad on page 43. German-based Hahnemühle FineArt Inc. has developed a comprehensive range of papers for professional artists and hobby painters, and successfully markets it worldwide. It was founded as a paper mill in 1584, and over the centuries it developed – strictly according to the spirit of its founding fathers – into a customer-oriented and innovative manufacturing facility. See the ad on page 18. HK Holbein, founded in 1977, is the North American agent for all things Holbein. It has offices in Burlington, Vermont and Montreal, Canada. Holbein is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of professional artists’ materials. Its headquarters is in Osaka Japan, where it was formed in the late 1800s. See the ad on page 27. Multimedia Artboard is an award-winning material artists can use for virtually any medium. The company was started nearly 35 years ago in a garage in Redmond, Washington, by artist Alice Carney who needed an alternative to stretching her own canvas. Today, the family-owned business continues to create high quality, innovative painting surfaces. See the ad on page 16.

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

Page Website

NEW 3L Corporation/Scrapbook Adhesives 26 scrapbook-adhesives.com A.W.T. World Trade

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Bob Ross Inc

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Chavant Inc.

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Crescent Cardboard

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NEW Exaclair, Inc.

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Faber-Castell

42 fabercastell.com

Fairgate Rule Co. Inc.

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General Pencil Co.

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Golden Artist Colors Inc

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Grafix

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Jacquard Products

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NAMTA

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Paint Puck

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Paper Connection Intl

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Pro Tapes & Specialties Inc.

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Ranger Industries

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Royal Brush Mfg

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Sakura of America

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Sculpture House

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Strathmore Artist Papers

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Tri-Mar Enterprises

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Witzend Workshop LLC

Xiem Tools USA

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"An Interview with Kyle Richardson" continued from page 46

us, their Amsterdam rack is basically an ATM for them. It generates cash quickly. Our best-selling individual product right now is the 10-piece set of Ecoline Liquid Watercolor Brushpens. Ecoline, as a brand, has exploded for us over the past two years. It speaks to a whole new category of artists – hand-lettering artists and graphic artists who use them

for creating illustrative work, often for comics or architecture, and design.

How often does Royal Talens launch new products? The majority of our new products are shown during the first quarter of the year at Creativeworld in Frankfurt Germany, and NAMTA. But more and more, we have seen product launches happen throughout the year. When you launch 300-plus new products a year, it makes sense to spread that out to give retailers and consumers – and us! – time to digest it all. We’ve been on a consistent innovation track over

continued on page 42

Q1 2019 • ArtMaterialsRetailer.com

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An Interview with Kyle Richardson, Royal Talens AMR: The company was founded in 1899. To what do you attribute its longevity? KR: Its 120 years of success comes from its commitment to quality craftsmanship, innovation, sound financial management, and corporate governance (being a privately held, family-owned company as opposed to publicly traded or owned by venture capitalists). Credit is also due to its employees, and the pride they have in being a “Royal” company. That designation isn’t something we’re familiar here in the U.S., compared to companies that have, or have had, a monarchy. But it’s an incredibly important part of the culture and how we operate in our business.

Royal Talens is owned by Sakura in Osaka, Japan. Sakura is a family-owned company and is a perfect parent company. It exemplifies the long history that the Dutch and Japanese have had together as trading partners. The vast majority of our products are made right in Apeldoorn, in The Netherlands. Even our novice-level products are made there under the guidance of our colorists and qualitycontrol management team. We had produced some items in the Far East, but realized it was better to craft our products in our own facility while controlling costs, quality and lead-times. With brands that fit a variety of needs, we cast a wide net for all types of artists in almost every medium and for every purpose they could be used – sometimes even when we tell them they shouldn’t.

What are your bestsellers? Our best-selling brand overall in North America is now Amsterdam Acrylics. With the addition of Amsterdam Acrylic inks, larger sizes of our Amsterdam Standard Acrylic, and a full range of mediums, we now occupy the top spot in this part of the fine-art market. Because of its range, and the quality/price proposition of the product itself, Amsterdam Acrylics turn like crazy. I was just telling one of our chain customers that with more than seven inventory turns a year on Amsterdam Acrylics at their stores, and with 60-day terms from

ArtMaterialsRetailer.com • Q1 2019

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How Talens became Royal Talens In order for a Dutch company or manufacturer to receive the “Royal” designation, it must be at least 100 years old and hold a position of importance both in its field and in the nation. Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands, the longest reigning Dutch monarch, was also an artist, and used Talens products on a daily basis. Talens came to represent her two greatest joys: art and her nation. In 1949 she chose to honor the company by making it Royal, a designation that symbolized her respect, appreciation and trust.

International Art Materials Association is excited to announce that ART MATERIALS WORLD is coming back to Chicago in 2020 at the popular Hyatt Regency Hotel

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and Navy Pier!

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“For several years, NAMTA members have told us they want to see ART MATERIALS WORLD

For more information: Visit namta.org or contact us at info@namta.org

return to Chicago and we’ve finally been able to negotiate a two-year package that makes financial sense for attendees, vendors and NAMTA.” – Reggie Hall, NAMTA’s Executive Director

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