Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
Leap of Faith - Ward Jene Stroud's American Jou...
Inspired and inspiring, artist Ward Jean Stroud shares his personal journey 2200 miles from his home in Portland, Oregon to Cheap Joe’s in Boone, North Carolina to teach a watercolor workshop.
Leap of Faith - Ward Jene Stroud's American Jou...
Inspired and inspiring, artist Ward Jean Stroud shares his personal journey 2200 miles from his home in Portland, Oregon to Cheap Joe’s in Boone, North Carolina to teach a watercolor...
The Story Behind Cheap Joe's Kilimanjaro Waterc...
Back in the day, spring of 1998 to be exact, Cheap Joe’s annual reference catalog hit the mailboxes of America and other far-away places. Billed as a catalog “For Art Supplies, Creative Inspiration and Peace of Mind”, the 128-page full-color book, featured many new and many tried and true art materials. Bear in mind, this was before we invented the internet and cell phone shopping, and we still had a dial-up AOL email address.
The Story Behind Cheap Joe's Kilimanjaro Waterc...
Back in the day, spring of 1998 to be exact, Cheap Joe’s annual reference catalog hit the mailboxes of America and other far-away places. Billed as a catalog “For Art...
An Update on Jim Bailey's Art Studio and New Pa...
First, I want to thank you for including my art studio in the New Palette Issue #61. Since it has been over a year I thought it was timely to send you an update showing the addition to my studio and my new painting innovation that I refer to as, "Luminous Paintings." There are also photos showing a portion of the interior of the studio that included about 200 of my paintings, mostly attached to the ceiling along with a 1914 Ford Model T Speedster that was a retirement gift. I enlarged the studio in order to accommodate a 10 ft. easel with a 4 x 5 ft. easel board that raises and lowers with an old sailing ship's block and tackle. On the easel is the 3 x 4 ft. luminous painting, "OLGA." It has the appearance of a typical acrylic painting of an old fishing boat with natural lighting. I painted the sky with colors thinned-down like watercolors so the light, either natural or electrical would reflect through the canvas. Further, I painted a portion of the back side of the canvas with warm colors suggesting the glow of a sunset. Finally, I attached an LED light to the back of the canvas to turn on for night-time viewing. I have also included photos of my luminous window paintings that were painted on standard canvases with thinned-down acrylics and are lighted by natural daylight similar to stain glass windows. I have shared this luminous painting idea with several of my artist friends and they tell me that they have never seen this technique used before. I like to think of myself as an experimental painter, always looking to try something new. The greatest compliment I receive is when someone walks into my studio for the first time and tells me that it looks like several artists' works are on display. I feel very fortunate that at 85 I have a studio to go to each day and fill my time having fun and doing creative things. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to share my ideas with others. Jim Bailey
An Update on Jim Bailey's Art Studio and New Pa...
First, I want to thank you for including my art studio in the New Palette Issue #61. Since it has been over a year I thought it was timely to...
15 Minutes of Painting
“I want to get back into painting, but I just don’t have the time.” I hear it every day. “Maybe that’s because you’re in the art world,” you might say. Well, I’m here to tell you, I’m not the only messenger of the Society of Degenerate Painters, but I’m also its president. Correction – it’s former president!
15 Minutes of Painting
“I want to get back into painting, but I just don’t have the time.” I hear it every day. “Maybe that’s because you’re in the art world,” you might say....
Sue Archer Art Workshop Photo and Interview
Cheap Joe's Terry Henry sits down with artist Sue Archer and covers a wide range of topics. Watch a multitude of free art lessons, art tutorials and other artist interviews at the Cheap Joe's
Sue Archer Art Workshop Photo and Interview
Cheap Joe's Terry Henry sits down with artist Sue Archer and covers a wide range of topics. Watch a multitude of free art lessons, art tutorials and other artist interviews...
When Is A Brush Not A Brush?
When Is A Brush Not A Brush? When it is a Catalyst Tool from Princeton Artist Brush Company. Crafted from flexible silicone or hard nylon to allow artists a new form of expression.
When Is A Brush Not A Brush?
When Is A Brush Not A Brush? When it is a Catalyst Tool from Princeton Artist Brush Company. Crafted from flexible silicone or hard nylon to allow artists a new...
Mary Ann Beckwith Mixed Media Workshop Photo
Check out the class photo from Mary Ann Beckwith's Mixed Media Workshop!
Mary Ann Beckwith Mixed Media Workshop Photo
Check out the class photo from Mary Ann Beckwith's Mixed Media Workshop!
Chat with Artist Linda Baker
In this free artist interview, Cheap Joe's Terry Henry sits down with artist Linda Baker and covers a wide range of topics. A most interesting interview with artist Linda Baker. She really has a lot to say about life and art.
Chat with Artist Linda Baker
In this free artist interview, Cheap Joe's Terry Henry sits down with artist Linda Baker and covers a wide range of topics. A most interesting interview with artist Linda Baker....
Artist Chat With Gerald Brommer
Gerald Brommer Interview August 28th, 2015 Interviewer: Terry Henry Gerald Brommer was born in 1927 in Berkeley, CA. Gerald grew up in Northern California then studied to be an educator in Nebraska where he earned a Master’s degree. After moving to Southern California, he received instruction in watercolor painting from Watson Cross, Noel Quinn, and Robert E. Wood and since the 1950s, he has produced watercolors on a regular basis. The subjects he has chosen to paint vary widely from California coast views to desert landscapes and European city scenes. Throughout his life, he has been interested in geology and rock formations that are often included in his work. He finds their varied textures and unique shapes particularly interesting as subject matter. Gerald has also become an internationally recognized teacher of watercolor painting and is the author of eighteen art instruction books and numerous articles in art magazines. He served as president of both the California Water Color Society and West Coast Watercolor Society. Through the years he has actively exhibited watercolors, holding 110 one-man shows and having his works displayed in 204 group exhibitions. Since the 1960s, he has been in demand as an instructor of watercolor workshops and has traveled all over the world conducting these classes. https://newmastersgallery.com/artists/painters/gerald-brommer/# Cheap Joe's: Let’s begin our chat today with the question I have asked each artist I have interviewed: When did you first realize you were an “artist”? Gerald: I was an elementary teacher for 5 years and taught high school students for 25 years and in the process of doing that, the art stuff was always there as far as the teaching of it was concerned. After I’d been married about 5 years, my wife gave me a set of oil paints for Christmas and I started to paint. However, I really didn’t enjoy oil painting that much and wasn’t that good at it either. Then I took my first watercolor class from Noel Quinn and began painting in that medium and really enjoyed it. So during my teaching career, I was always doing watercolor at home after work. Noel Quinn was the president of the National Watercolor society at that time and he talked me into joining them and so I submitted a painting and became a member. After that, I started showing my work in a couple of galleries and though it might sound crass, I began making more money selling paintings than I was teaching school. At that point, I think during the seventies, I had to make a decision as to what I wanted to do. During that period of time, I literally couldn’t paint fast enough and remember selling 100 paintings that year. That will never happen again. Now you are fortunate to sell ten paintings a year. What I think happened is that people were building houses and needed things to decorate them with and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. So I quit teaching school with the proposition to the principal that if I couldn’t stand working at home that I would come back and teach the next year. Well, it only took a week for me to decide that I didn’t want to go back to school again, especially since my paintings were selling at that time. So for the next couple of years, I just painted and sold what I made. Workshops were just starting to happen and I kept getting calls to teach and I told them I was too busy. Then one day as I was driving down the freeway and listening to an interview of Steve Garvey, who used to play first base for the Dodgers. The interviewer asked him why he went to school in order to talk with the kids after he quit playing and I will always remember his answer. Steve said, “Baseball has been so good to me I am impelled to put something back into the pot”. It was like he was talking directly to me. I just about drove off the road. So the next time I got a call to teach, I said yes. The class was in San Antonio, Texas and there were about 35 people in attendance and when I started talking, and everybody’s eyes were locked to mine, I realized that this was not like teaching high school. That’s really how I got started teaching workshops. Cheap Joe's: That is a very interesting story and really leads me into my next question. Who has inspired you during your very interesting career? And if you could be any artist in history, who would that be. Gerald: I probably would be Winslow Homer because I really like his work and he was very prolific and he has probably been more of an influence than any other artist. Cheap Joe's: How would you describe your style of painting. Gerald: Most artists don’t do what I do in the sense that I do both abstract and realistic art. When I teach I teach all of it. I might get really excited about doing abstracts and focus on that style when I get home. Over the years I have absorbed techniques from different teachers. As far as influences Robert E. Wood was a friend and incredible painter who I took a class from. I also studied with Millard Sheets and learned a lot from him as well. Whether I work from a realistic point of view of an abstract perspective I mostly paint landscapes. I can look out of the window here at Cheap Joe’s and literally see dozens of paintings. Cheap Joe's: You have briefly described your journey and your style so my next question would be this: what do you want your 25 students this week to leave with at the end of the class. Gerald: Excitement! I have never had any trouble motivating people. You didn’t get to see what we turned out yesterday but it was phenomenal what they did in one day. That’s what I feed off of. I get so excited seeing how the class is responding and what they are doing and learning in the process of taking a workshop. When I begin a workshop I have no idea how it is going to end up because there are twenty-five different people who are all at different skill levels. Some are struggling with their art and I have to work with them a lot more than those who are at the top of their journey. I only have each person for five days and all I can really do is try and motivate them and get them to take what they have learned home and continued with their art. Cheap Joe's: Have you ever had a low period where you struggled with making art. Gerald: After I began painting full-time I can’t remember ever having a low period in that sense. I have always had a goal or a place I wanted to go with my art. The lowest I can remember being was when I broke my wrist last year and couldn’t paint for a couple of months. It hurt to hold a brush and it was really frustrating. Cheap Joe's You have had a long, successful career and are approaching 91. What’s in the future for Gerald Brommer? Gerald: I thought that this (2015) was going to be my last year. I don’t think I even sent anything in for the Cheap Joe’s Workshopper magazine. But I already have six workshops lined up for 2016. Cheap Joe's: In closing could you share with us a favorite story about Cheap Joe’s. Gerald: I think getting together with Joe and his wife Lynda and going out to eat and tell stories is one of my favorite things to do. This place is phenomenal and what Joe has done for art and artists is a story I never get tired of telling. I remember visiting Boone after having done a workshop for North Carolina Watercolor Society in Charlotte. I had not met Joe at that time and one day my wife and I went looking for the store and we drove up and down the main drag looking for this big sign that would be Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. I was thinking blinking lights and Las Vegas and when we finally saw the little sign at the bottom of the hill I thought that this can’t be Cheap Joe’s. So we found the store and learned the story of how it all began. We met Joe and he asked me to come back to Boone and do a workshop which I thought was really wonderful. It is a great success story and I am proud to be involved. Cheap Joe's: Gerald, it’s been a pleasure talking with you today and we will see you next year. Gerald: Thanks Gerald will be back in Boone teaching September 11-15, 2017. Here are some examples of Gerald's work:
Artist Chat With Gerald Brommer
Gerald Brommer Interview August 28th, 2015 Interviewer: Terry Henry Gerald Brommer was born in 1927 in Berkeley, CA. Gerald grew up in Northern California then studied to be an educator...
Linda Baker's Workshop Photo
Another smiling class at Linda Baker's most recent Art Workshop at Cheap Joe's in Boone, NC
Linda Baker's Workshop Photo
Another smiling class at Linda Baker's most recent Art Workshop at Cheap Joe's in Boone, NC
Making it Pop with Pastels!
Hello, everyone! Whenever I find out about a new painting technique, I cannot wait to try it and show you guys how it works! This week, I explored the use of soft pastels with watercolor to achieve greater depth of field. I absolutely love mixed media, which is why I can't believe I hadn't heard of this sooner!
Making it Pop with Pastels!
Hello, everyone! Whenever I find out about a new painting technique, I cannot wait to try it and show you guys how it works! This week, I explored the use...
Tie-Dye Batik with Glue!
Hey, everybody! The warm weather is finally upon us, which means we can start breaking out all the old outdoor activities! One of my personal favorites is tie-dyeing! Sure, you can tie-dye any time of the year, but I have fond memories of dying shirts at my best friend's house as a kid, and her mom yelling at us to take them outside and leaving them to dry by hanging them over a tree branch. Ah, the 90s... So I wanted to bring back that nostalgia--while also adding a little bit of artistry--with this week's project! I've done wax batiking before, but I wanted to go for a more accessible approach this time. And what's more accessible than Elmer's Glue? Everyone and their brother's got a bottle of Elmer's Glue sitting somewhere in their house, and that's literally all you need to create relief designs on dyed shirts! Whatever you cover in glue stays white (or the color of your fabric) while the dye stains around it, and then the glue just dissolves when you rinse it out! I prepped by taping sheets of wax paper to this piece of cardboard, and then slipped my shirt over it and secured it with clips. Obvious tie-dye reminder: 100% cotton shirts are the most absorbent and retain dye the best! And then I just went straight into it! I drew out this little glue flower and didn't take into consideration the way the glue would spread if it's in big globs... So I just filled in the petals and did an outline around it! No mistakes, just happy accidents. And I let my pattern grow from there. If drawing freehand makes you nervous or you'd rather use something like a stencil, you can draw out your design with a fabric pencil and it'll rinse off when you wash the shirt! But I didn't have any plans while making these designs, so I just let the glue go where my hand was taking it. I doodle a lot of swirls, anyway. This was pretty second-nature. Phew! 45 minutes and 2 hand cramps later, I was done! Well, with this part. To make sure the glue was totally dry, I let it sit overnight. When I came back, I had this! What appeared to be a wrinkly shirt actually had a crazy-intricate design spanning it. Next, I folded it up and used the rubberbands that came in the Jacquard Groovy Tie Dye Kit to tie it up like a regular tie-dye shirt. The glue crunched a little bit, but none of the pieces flaked off. Then I put on the gloves and mixed 2 of the 3 dyes per the instructions that came in the kit. I stuck with cyan and magenta because I knew darker colors would work best with showing my design. After dampening the shirt (to let the dye seep into the fabric more easily), it was time to take it outside! I went straight for the section that had the design on it and just doused the whole section in blue. Then I decided purple would look better, so I threw some red in there, too. Obvious tie-dye reminder: be sure to get the dye into all the nooks and crannies! It also helps to squeeze the section you're working on to get the dye worked all the way around. Woohoo! Thoroughly-dyed! Once I was finished, I gently placed it into a handy-dandy Cheap Joe's bag and set it on the windowsill by my desk. When I came back the next morning... I had this! Mildly disappointed by the way the dye I was washing out attached itself to the remaining white parts AND that some of the glue reactivated while the dye set and it created weird additions to my designs, but I still think it's very beautiful! Here are some close-ups: All in all, I'm calling this a successful batik! Can't wait to wear it!
Tie-Dye Batik with Glue!
Hey, everybody! The warm weather is finally upon us, which means we can start breaking out all the old outdoor activities! One of my personal favorites is tie-dyeing! Sure, you...
