With Winter term classes now underway, things are busy at The Art League Store — the place to find all your supplies for Art League classes. It’s also one of the few places in the DC area to buy art supplies at low prices from working artists. One such artist is Cindy Packard Richmond, a painter and Art League member (you may remember her 2011 solo show in the Gallery, “Food, Glorious Food”). You can find her in the store on Wednesdays, ready to answer all your questions about oils and pastels!
Cindy told us more about the store and her favorite oil colors:
Why should I check out The Art League Store?
Cindy: You should visit The Art League store because 1) it is staffed by knowledgeable artists, 2) we are non-profit so our prices are lower than Michaels or other art stores, 3) you will be supporting The Art League, and 4) we know where everything is!
What kind of art do you create, and what media do you work in?
I am a painter, currently an oil painter.
What’s your area of expertise in the store?
My areas of expertise would be oil painting and pastel painting. (I was a devoted pastelist for five years.) I have also painted with watercolor and acrylics.
What’s your favorite product you sell?
My favorite things to sell are oil colors. I love turning artists on to new colors. I like Williamsburg brilliant yellow extra pale, Persian rose and Courbet green. I also like Gamblin’s transparent red earth and their Radiant colors, and Holbein’s indigo, coral red, rose gray, and verditer blue (rose gray and verditer make a fabulous silvery gray). My favorite Winsor & Newton color is cadmium scarlet. We also carry Grumbacher.
Are there any items the store sells that are unusual or hard to find elsewhere?
There are certain papers that are difficult to find elsewhere, like Mohawk, which is oversized. A lot of abstract artists use it. The store is geared to the teacher’s supply lists. David (Steward, the store manager) does his level best to find all articles. It is a true talent.
What supplies from The Art League Store do you love to stock up on? What’s your favorite find? Let us know in the comments!
You can visit Cindy Richmond’s website here. For more information about The Art League Store and its hours, click here.