Art Fun

Art of the Carolinas

By B.Nova - Sunday, December 01, 2019

Every year in November, there is a weekend where artists come together to do workshops and stock up on artist supplies. Art of the Carolinas is something I always look forward to. I get inspired being around other creative people that too have a passion for art of all kinds. There are so many great products and demonstrations I can stay there all day. A couple of years ago, I even took one of the acrylic paint workshops and look forward to taking one again in the future.

Before I head to the show, I have to make a list to get a general idea of what I need and what I saw at the previous year's show that I wanted to go back for. A few of  the items I purchase are staples, like sketchbooks and drawing pens and markers. Then there are a few that I saw last year that I wanted to get this time around. And then of course there are things I picked up because they drew my attention as something cool to have. At a show like this, you always have to budget in fun and unexpected extras.

This is the absolute best time to buy or stock up on art supplies because the prices are the best and at their lowest.

So here is what I got:




1 - Soho Adjustable Drawing Board - This is a fairly large board, but the best thing about it is that it's portable. It's just shy of 20"x 30". It is completely made of solid wood and is extremely sturdy at every angle whether sitting all the way up or it's completely flat. 

2 - Molotow Liquid Chrome Silver Pump marker - This marker colors exactly like its name. It can color on or over any surface. I saw it demonstrated at the show and have enjoyed using it thus far.

3 -  Double Flower Watercolor Palette - This year, I've been wanting to experiment with watercolors, so I found this palette to be handy. It is a fairly deep palette and since it is two palettes together, they fit nicely within one another which makes them nice and compact. 

4 - Aluminum Painting and Mounting Panel - These are great for both creating on and using them as a solid drawing board. One of the guys at the show recommended since I bought the drawing board that I get on of these panels to help protect my board and my work. Last year I bought a small panel just to try it out, but this year I bought an 18" x 24" size to sit on my drawing board.

5 - Creative Inspirations Paint - Anytime I see a paint color that catches my I eye, I throw it in my cart. Two of the colors I find it difficult to create are pinks and purples - even though we learned that white and red make pink, and red and blue make purple, that is not always the case when trying to get the exact color you want, especially the bright ones. The pink stood out to me immediately. (The exact color name is Quinacridone Rose.)

6 - DaVinci Liquid Art Panel in 16"x 20"- I saw these demonstrated last year and knew I was coming back to get one of these to try out. These are ridged panels that allow you to pour paint and blend into beautiful creations. Last year I bought an 8" x 10" because by the time I got to the display, the shelves were almost clear of the panels. 

7 - Liquitex Pouring Medium - I bought this because of the art panel. This is the medium needed to create the effects for the art panel. It allows the paint to flow onto the panel so it can blend. The medium also greatly slows down the drying time, but that is also the point. Pouring medium allows the paint to move freely.

8 - Molotow Masking Pen in 4mm - These are something that are fairly new on the market. Within the past few years these have been showing up. Masking pens are used to create white spaces you can paint over once dry. Upon completing your art, you can rub it off and it leaves whatever design you created. 

9 - Reflexions Hardbound Sketchbook in 5"x 7" - As I said above sketchbooks are a must for me. Many times, I like having a sketchbook on hand for whenever, wherever I get inspired. This one fits nicely into most of my purses. I have bigger sizes for bigger projects, but I like to use these for quick drawings and fun doodles.

10 - 9-Piece Creative Mark FX Special Effects Palette Painting Knives - I saw these knives last year at the show and placed them at the top of the list for this year. Each knife has its own design. They are stainless steel and built to last.

11 - Grumbacher Watercolor Pad in 6"x 6" - When you are trying new things, it's good to start small. Being creative can get easily get expensive so whenever I try something new, I get enough to get me started then I go from there.

12 - Molotow Blackliner Pens in 1.0 mm and Round - I probably enjoy using any type of blackliner pens more than anything else when I draw. They are best for fine lines that markers don't have. These don't bleed like markers do.


|| All of my items I purchased through Jerry's Artarama, but if you don't have one of those store locally, they can be found at other retailers. ||


Until next time!

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