I'm very proud to announce that I am now an affiliate artist with Rosemary & Co.  Rosemary Thompson and her daughter, Symi Jackson, are wonderful people and they really make the best brushes you can find.  They make a wide variety of high-quality brushes and other art materials for oils, watercolors and acrylics.  Go check out their brushes HERE and use my affiliate code when you check out: C7E6EF

  Oil painting mediums are a fascinating part of oil painting.  There's a lot of history involved and a wide variety to choose from; it can get a little confusing when you're trying to figure out what mediums to use.  I've tried a wide variety of mediums and I like to think of it like a fun experiment.  If you're trying to find information about various mediums then check out this article from Natural Pigments.  I'm a brand ambassador with Natural Pigments because they genuinely have the best products and the most comprehensive information available on their site.

I got some new tools today that I'm pretty excited about.  The first is a beautiful tack/upholsterer's hammer made by C. S. Osborne & Co.  I bought this hammer from Lee Valley and it was shipped really quickly and came in perfect condition.  I previously had been using a lesser quality tack hammer, but this new one is made in USA and is really nice.  
  I also bought some new copper tacks and nails from Jerry's Artarama, which is a fantastic store and they have a great variety of materials.  Below, you can see some images of the Charvin copper nails.  These nails are 7/16" or 11mm in length.  They have a nice point to them and they are made in France.  They're more expensive, but boy are they nice.  They're magnetic so you can use them with a magnetic tack hammer (see last photo in gallery below).  These nails have a squared-off point to them which gives them a hand-wrought appearance .

  The next thing I got were these Paris Canvas copper tacks.  These are longer (5/8") and have a cylindrical point.  They're less expensive, but are sadly made in China.  They have a nice point to them though and they're magnetic as well, so I'm happy to use them.

  I'm all about quality in my materials and I recommend all these tools for those of you who are looking to stretch your own canvas.  To learn to stretch your own canvas check out my blog post: 
​Stretching a Canvas Step-By-Step!

  I just picked up my order of custom stationery (letterhead, cards and envelopes) from Minuteman Press in Ho Ho Kus, N.J.  I want to express my gratitude to Mr. Conway Wong for guiding me through the process of paper selection and designing the stationery.  Conway's knowledge and expertise made the entire process a breeze.
  I decided to use Minuteman Press because I wanted to design the layout myself and to have it include by monogram.  I sketched out my idea and Conway was able to translate my vision perfectly into the final product.  Another one of my requirements was that I wanted a laid-finish paper that would be fountain pen friendly; many papers don't support the ink of a fountain pen and it causes an unsightly bleeding effect.  Conway encouraged me to come by and test out my fountain pen to make sure it didn't bleed.
  I am very impressed with the quality, look and feel of these products.  As someone who writes letters and wants to support local businesses, I am very pleased with the entire outcome.  The total cost was very reasonable considering the fineness of these materials.  Anyone around Bergen County looking for a quality printer should definitely reach out Minuteman Press.