Archives of the Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

So how do the experts think this Holiday season will turn our for retail?  Here are some pearls gleaned from a recent CNBC report:
“Consumers will continue to use the Internet to comparison shop, find the best deals and take advantage of free shipping offers, but it’s really going to come down to price this year more than convenience,” says Kathy Grannis, a spokesperson for the National Retail Federation.
“Consumers are cutting back on non-essential items and discretionary purchases and are instead focused on more essential items like winter coats, gloves and even smaller affordable items for the home like candles and wall art,” says Grannis. “They’re sprucing up their homes instead of traveling or investing in larger renovation projects. It’ll be challenging for all retailers, but those that are able to offer the products and types of discounts that consumers are looking for should come out ahead.”

Don Dow, head of Artograph and current president of NAMTA submitted this sad list of retail casualties  pulled from a report on MSNBC / Fox Business News / And ABC News combined. You may find this very interesting.

STORE CLOSINGS and LAYOFFS: By the end of Dec. 2008 as announced:

Circuit City: Filed Bankruptcy, and promised to keep all stores open for the holiday season, but afterwards, they plan on closing 155 stores nationwide.
Ann Taylor: Closing 117 stores nationwide. A company spokeswoman said the company hasn’t revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next month.
Eddie Bauer: To close more stores. Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.
Cache: Closing stores. Women’s retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherine’s: Closing 150 underperforming stores this year, nationwide. The parent company hasn’t provided a list of specific store closures and can’t say when it will offer that information, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said today.
Talbots and J. Jill: Closing stores.  About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78 of its kids and men’s stores. Now the company says it will close another 22 underperforming stores. The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbots women’s and J Jill, another chain it owns. The closures will occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.
Gap Inc: Closing 85 stores. In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic. The company said the closures – all planned for fiscal 2008 – will be weighted toward the Gap brand.
Foot Locker: To close 140 stores. In the company press release and during its conference call with analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures – all planned in fiscal 2008 – will be. The company could not be immediately reached for comment.
Wickes: Going out of business! Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores. Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.
Levitz / Bombay: Already closed. The furniture retailer announced it was going out of business earlier this year, and will close all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon, PA. In the 1960’s, the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the furniture industry. The  Levitz closures will follow the shutdown of Bombay.
Zales and Piercing Pagoda: Closing stores. The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to close 82 stores by July 31. Today, it announced that it is closing another 23 underperforming stores. The company said it’s not providing a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.
Disney Store: (CLOSED) Owner has the right to close 98 stores The Walt Disney Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Stores from subsidiaries of The Children’s Place Retail Stores. The exact number of stores acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords. Those subsidiaries of Children’s Place filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. In the news release, Disney said it has also obtained the right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release didn’t list those stores.
Home Depot: Store closings. Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot Inc. announced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a slumping US. economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees. It is the first time the world’s largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons. Its shares rose almost 5 percent. The Atlanta-based company said the underperforming U.S. stores being closed represent less than 1 percent of its existing stores They will be shuttered closed within the next two months.
CompUSA: (CLOSED) Clarifies details on store closings. Any extended warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time during the final sale. For those who have a gadget currently in for service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will be returned to owners.
Macy’s: Closing 9 stores.
Movie Gallery: 160 stores will close as part of a reorganization plan to exit bankruptcy. The video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall.
Pep Boys: Closing 33 stores.
Sprint Nextel: Closing 125 retail locations. New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on 4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000 postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mortar stores, while remaining mute on other rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in Kansas. Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the time of this writing.
J. C. Penney, Lowe’s and Office Depot: will be scaling back and cutting jobs.
Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+ stores in an effort to cut costs.
Wilson’s the Leather Experts: Closing all 260 mall stores.
Pacific Sunwear: Will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. 74 underperforming Demo stores closed last May.
Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have performed poorly and also may close. For a funny commentary on the Sharper Image, check out this link to NPR: \”With Sharper Image\’s Demise, A Way Of Life Gone\”
Bombay Company: The company unveiled plans to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores. The company’s online storefront has discontinued operations.
KB Toys: Posted a list of 356 stores that it is closing around the United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.
Dillard’s: To Close More Stores. Dillard’s Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing underperforming stores, reducing expenses and improving its merchandise in 2008. At the company’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO William Dillard II said the company will close another six underperforming stores this year.
Starbucks: Starbucks will close approximately 600 company-operated stores in the U.S.
Pier 1: Announced that they would be closing an undisclosed number of stores.
Kirkland’s: A chain of home decor stores will be closing nearly 130 stores nationwide.
Linens ‘n Things: Is closing 120 stores nationwide.
Dell Inc: Closed its 140 kiosks in the United States.
Liz Claiborne Inc: Said it’s closing the entire 54-store Sigrid Olsen chain.
Lone Star Steak House: 27 stores closing.
84 Lumber: 12 stores closing.
Rite Aid: 28 stores.
Big Dollar: Dollar stores closing 10 stores.

Steve Rossney from Chartpak says, “Check out our great deals in MacPherson’s Winter Back-to-School promotion for 2008/2009!”

OPEN STOCK
+  Grumbacher Pre-tested Oils, Academy Oils, Academy Acrylics, and Academy Watercolors at 60/5%
+  Grumbacher Brushes at 70/10%

+  Koh-I-Noor Hardmuth Drawing Pencils at 60/10%
+  Ad Marker Travel Sets, with free case at 60/5%
+  Higgins Inks (Chartpak’s latest acquisition) at 50/10/5%

+  Pickett and Rapidesign Templates at 50/10%
+  Clearprint at 60%

+  Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph 7-pen set at 60/20%
+  Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph Technical Pens and Magic FX Pencils at 50/10%

DROP SHIP
Grumbacher Color Assortments at 50/35%
Grumbacher Brush Assortments at 70/25%
+  All Grumbacher Color and Brush Assortments include the new, beautiful plexiglass displays, and free freight. Please contact your MacPherson’s Rep, or Steve Rossney (srossney@cox.net) for details.

January 1st is the unofficial start of the Science Fair season, so now is a great time to start planning your store merchandising and ordering the appropriate products.  It truly pays to be aggressive in going after this business.  Participation in Science Fairs is growing, with a 22% increase in the number of affiliate middle school and high school science fairs from 2003-2008.  Elmer’s is working hard to support Science Fairs and education, and has signed on as a sponsor of the National Middle School Science Fair Program, which reaches more than 100,000 students across the U.S. each year, with 30 finalists traveling to Washington D.C. to compete for a $20,000 scholarship grand prize. In addition having a newly updated website, Elmers.com,  Elmer’s provides downloadable science fair resources for teachers and parents.

To maximize Science Fair sales and profits, take advantage of the Elmer’s breath of line, along with extra promotional discounts offered in the MacPherson’s Winter BTS 2009 Buyer’s Guide.  In addition to the traditional 1-ply Project Display Board, be sure to offer the following companion products:

•  1-ply Colored Project Display Board (order in a convenient 25 sheet display of assorted colors)
•  Premium White Foam Project Display Board
•  Premium Black on Black Foam Project Display Board
•  Premium White Foam Project Display Board with Guidelines
•  Science Fair Titles
•  Project Display Board Headers

This is also a great opportunity to cross merchandise appropriate items, including vinyl letters, stencils, paint markers, glue sticks, etc, with your science fair products.  Also, consider adding window signage (“We Carry A Complete Selection of Science Fair Supplies”) to best communicate with all those who pass by your store.

Last minute gift shopping?  Science activity kits from Elmer’s and Scientific Explorer are a sure fire way to attract new customers and incremental sales.  MacPherson’s has recently added a broad range of these popular kits.  With their common price point and box size they are the perfect product for a feature end-cap.  Also, Elmer’s is very proud to announce that two of these kits, The Totally Glamorous Spa and the Magic Science Kit, have been selected by Good Housekeeping Magazine as two of the finalists in their 14 Best Toys for 2008, as featured in the upcoming December Holiday issue of the magazine.

Please contact Mike Mankowsky (Elmer’s Account Manager) at mmankowsky@elmers.com or your MacPherson’s sales representative for assistance with any of these programs or products.  Season’s Greetings and excellent selling to all!

Reuter’s reports that Newell Rubbermaid Inc expects to cut more jobs to reduce costs in a weak economy that is pressuring sales and profits. “I think whenever you look for structural cost improvements, invariably, that means a smaller organization,” Chief Executive Mark Ketchum said in an interview.  But he added the job cuts would not be a targeted program with a set percentage identified. The maker of Sharpie markers and a host of other products reported a drop of 68% in quarterly profits on Oct 30th, 2008, and warned that full-year sales would be about flat compared to 2007, excluding acquisitions. Ketchum also said he was surprised that the office products market had been hit so hard.

FM Brush announced that industry veteran Shar Sosh has joined the Sales/Creative team.

Former Jo-Ann exec Dotty Grexa is now Executive Director of Hattie Larlham, a non-profit organization that provides care to children and adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities in the Cleveland, OH area.

Canton, MA consumer electronics retailer Tweeter was purchased by a liquidator Thursday October 30th, after closing all of its distribution centers and pushing all inventory out to its stores. The closings followed the recent departures in October of Tweeter’s CEO and former Art Stores owner and CEO George Granoff after his 13 month stint with the company.

Seth Golden, currently working at Golden, has accepted a new position as Associate Sales Representative. Seth will be responsible for the activities of all accounts in the Rocky Mountain and Southwest territories. Seth is currently in the process of moving into the Denver, CO metro area. As soon as his contact details are confirmed, we will provide you with that information.  Please join us in welcoming Seth to the field operations at GOLDEN.

Joining General Pencil’s sales and marketing team is Kirstin Barrett, a recent UCLA graduate. She will be based in Redwood City, CA, helping with inside sales support, customer service and marketing materials, and you will see her at trade shows. With her Environmental Studies degree and business experience, she will also help General Pencil communicate its green initiatives and continuing sustainability measures. (You may have met her on the phone by now.)

According to Creative Leisure News, Harold’s, a high-end men’s clothing chain with stores in 19 states, has filed Chapter 11. Harold’s CEO Ron Staffieri is the former president of Michaels.

Here’s an FYI for your Rolodex: most folks in the art supply industry know the names Triangle Coating/ Modern Options as intertwined. What most folks do not know is that Modern Options was changed to Sophisticated Finishes several years ago. The Modern Options name no longer exists at all; all product labels carry the Sophisticated Finishes name and Triangle Coatings is the parent company.

Chartpak has  announced that effective November 14, 2008 it has acquired the selected assets and rights of the Higgins Drawing & Writing Ink business from Sanford, L.P. Higgins ink manufacturing will be relocated to Leeds, MA where Chartpak currently produces Koh-I-Noor branded inks. The entire Higgins product range will remain in the Chartpak product portfolio, including the ever popular Black Magic waterproof ink.

Experience the Classic Pen & Ink – Again!
The Pen & Ink Line has been updated with exciting new additions and changes to compliment our existing line including a new 5-1/2″ x 8″ sized book, new book assortment, 2 new watercolor books and new replacement converters and cartridges for the re-designed Sketching Fountain Pen. Best of all, our Pen & Ink line products are 60% off every day!

2 New Watercolor Books!
Use this handy new book to sketch your art and then complete your masterpiece with water color! When used with the No Shellac India Black Ink, the pages will not bleed when washed with watercolor. The perforated pages allow for easy removal and the expandable inner pocket provides convenient storage for completed artwork or inspiration such as photographs or clippings. Available in two sizes 3-1/2” x 5-1/2” (56 pages) and 5-1/2 x 8” (80 pages), each pocket-sized hard-bound book features cold-pressed, acid-free perforated pages, a bookmark and an elastic closure. Makes for a lovely holiday gift set when paired with the Art Alternatives Watercolor Tin Set and/or Watercolor Brush Set. Order #AA10325, AA10326.

New Large Size Pen & Ink Sketch Book
Expand your artistry with this larger sized edition to our popular Pen & Ink book line. This classy new 5-1/2″ x 8″ size sketch book features 96 sheets (192 pages) of 80 GSM (54 lb.) buff colored, acid-free paper, an expandable inner pocket and bookmark. Think and sketch big with a bigger page! Order #AA10330.

New Sketch Book Assortment
Now display the entire elegant line of Pen & Ink sketch books with our new sketch book assortment! Our New Pen & Ink Assortment has also been changed up so as to compliment the larger 5-1/2″ x 8” size. The new assortment still holds 20 books, but now features 3 tiers of all 7 different styles which include 3 each of the regular, heavy weight, blank, graph and lined sketch books, 2 each of the regular and heavy weight blank landscape sizes and 4 of the new size 5-1/2″ x 8” blank sketch book. Same order as before, #AA10300.

Refill Converter & Cartridge
Your customers asked for them and here they are! An excellent way to keep your customers happy and returning back to your store for more refills, our new replacement Converters and Cartridges make refilling your Pen & Ink Fountain Pen convenient and easy!
The reusable ink Converter features peggable packaging and simple directions. For use with other fountain inks or our No-Shellac India Black Ink which does not bleed when used with a wash. Converter comes one to a pack. Order #AA10213.

The replacement ink Cartridges feature 12 ink cartridges in a peggable package that can be used with any standard fountain pen or with our New and Improved Pen & Ink Fountain Pen. With a quick snap into place, these easy load cartridges are ready for use! Order #AA10214.

New Redesigned Pen & Ink Pen
Our favorite Pen & Ink Sketching Fountain Pen has been redesigned with a new improved nib! Experience the classic design again, now with a better ink delivery system. With more surfaces and styles of Pen & Ink sketch books, your customers will be coming back for refill cartridges in no time! Order #AA10201 (Extra Fine), #AA10202 (Fine), and #AA10203 (Broad).

ATC Itties and Classy Noir Easels
Capitalize on the growing popularity of the underground Artist Trading Card trend with our Art Alternatives ATC Itty canvases! ATC’s are so exciting because they appeal to the ‘every day’ artist and your customers who want an easy non-threatening art project. With a broad range of cross-over appeal, these versatile mini canvases offer a new twist on a classic surface and are perfect for traditional artists as well as crafters. Add an interesting dimension to your existing ATC line and at the same time, expand your current line of Art Alternatives.

Alternatives Itty Bitties
Each 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 sized canvases are 7 oz. cotton duck canvas triple-primed with acrylic gesso and ready for oil, acrylic, collage and all kinds of creative craftwork. Once completed, cleverly display them on our new ITTY Noir easels! Measuring just 5″ tall, these elegant miniature black easels are made of pine and are an ideal way to display your Itty art or traded ATC’s. There are 100 individually shrink-wrapped canvases per display and 75 mini easels per display. Order # AA10110 (ATC), AA10112 (Noir Easel)

Itty Ideas for the Holidays!
And don’t forget all of our other sizes of Itty Canvases! There are new project sheets on our Art Alternatives web site with home crafting ideas for the holiday season. It doesn’t take Martha Stewart talent to make Itties into personalized stocking stuffers or fun family or school projects. Make them into gift tags, hang them as ornaments, stick them on the fridge with magnets or give them as gifts for the artist in your family! With so many options, your customers will love these homemade holiday heart warmers that won’t break their budget! Try all of our Itty Bitties: AA10100 (2×2), AA10102 (2×2-3/4), AA10104 (2×4), AA10106 (3×3) & AA10110 new ATC sized! (2-1/2 x 3-1/2).

Links:

Project Sheet-Itty Bitty Ideas

Project Sheet-Itty Bitty Gifts & Decoration

New Stumps & Tortillon Sets
Adding to our current line of blending and sharpening tools, we now offer a 6 piece mixed Tortillon Set and a 10 piece Stump & Tortillon Set. These new sets conveniently include mixed sizes for various blending needs. The 6 piece set features small, medium, and large Tortillons which include 2 each of 3/16″, 1/4″ and 5/16″ (Order #AA17596 retails at $2.99). Our new 10 piece Stumps & Tortillons Set include 6 mixed size Tortillons and 4 mixed size Stumps. Our double-ended Stumps are excellent for blending and smoothing pastels, charcoal, graphite or other dry media whereas Tortillons are more abrasive than stumps, single-ended, and perfect for rapid, thin blending on pencil, charcoal or pastel drawings (Order #AA17595 retails at $5.99).

Tin Drawing & Sketching Sets
Now available in all our warehouses, these sets are great for the holidays and great for your margin at 60% off every day! Merchandise together with the sketch•pedition for a hot holiday combo gift set for the hip young artist. Draw and sketch like a pro with these complete sets featuring colorful, portable storage tins. The 24 piece sketching set includes four pastel drawing pencils, six graytone pastel sticks, three charcoal pencils, three woodless charcoal pencils, four graphite sketching pencils, kneaded eraser, latex-free eraser and two pencil sharpeners (Order #AA16022, retails at $29.99). The 24 piece drawing set includes ten colored pencils, two metallic colored pencils, eight colored pastel sticks, two graphite pencils, kneaded eraser, and a pencil sharpener (Order #AA16024, retails at $29.99). The 12 piece sketching set includes six graytone pastel sticks, three graphite pencils and three pastel drawing pencils (Order #AA16021, retails at $14.99). The 12 piece drawing set includes five colored pencil sticks, six colored pastel sticks, and one graphite sketching pencil (Order #AA16023, retails at $14.99).

We just published the latest New Items Report; you can check it out by clicking on this link:
New Items Report No. 216. In the meantime, here’s a quick peek at some of the great new items.

Freedom Battery Lamp from Daylight – Battery or plug-in, you choose! This versatile lamp includes a power cord and a rechargeable battery to suit a variety of illumination needs. The long life battery provides up to 3-1/2 hours of light allowing you to use Daylight on the go, anytime, anywhere. Retail of $129.95 and a promo discount of 50/15%! A great last minute holiday gift idea!

Aitoh’s  Cool new Origami Mobile Kit – A great introduction to the fascinating world of origami, this kit contains everything you need to make five mobiles. MSRP of $12 and a discount of 50%. Great price point for a holiday gift that will take the stress out of Christmas madness.

Cavallini Erasers– What expresses creativity and individuality more than erasing in style with these high quality gum erasers? Well probably tons of things, but never mind, these nifty egg shape implements work well on art projects, document and more. Each eraser features a fun illustration or phrase and is cello-wrapped for protection. MSRP of $3 each.

PITT Artist Pen Big Brush Pen Gift Sets from Faber-Castell – PITT Artist Pen Big Brush Pens contain four times the amount of lightfast, acid-free, archival pigmented India Ink as the PITT Brush Artist Pen, offering great coverage for work in large formats. The ink is smudge-resistant and waterproof when dry. The Big Brush Pens have a strong, big nib for wide full strokes and narrow detailed strokes. They are ideal for sketches, journals, cartooning and fine ink drawing. Check out the new 12 & 24 color sets. MSRP’s are $63.95 and $124.95 respectively. There is hot promo pricing for the Holidays:      50/10% off (55% off) eff. 11/1/08 – 12/31/08 must request “SI” pricing.

Shimmer Mod Podge from Plaid – Add a touch of gold or silver without an extra step! Shimmer Mod Podge allows you to glue, seal and finish with a metallic flair. It is perfect for use with paper, wood, fabric and other porous surfaces. As a glue, it holds tight, is non-toxic and can be cleaned up with soap and water, making it great for kids. As a sealer, it protects acrylic paints, stains, decoupage and fabrics. As a finish, a smooth moderate coat is all that is needed for shimmer. Apply to light color surfaces for best results. Available in Gold and Silver in 8 oz. jars. The MSRP is $7.49.

Moore Foamboard Accessories Assortment Display – This assortment features a variety of great supplies for hanging foamboard and hanging items on foamboard. The Foamboard Accessories Assortment Display  contains Adhesive Sawtooth Hangers, Aluminum Push-Pin 5/8″ Point, Assorted Map Flags, Exhibition “L” Pin, Large Universal Foamboard Hanger, Large Universal Foamboard Set – Hanger, Hooks & Nails, Picture Mount Tape Roll, & Thin-Pin All Steel Push-Pins.
* The counter-top wire rack display measures 19″w x 16″h x 9″d

Print Liberation from North Light Books– Start screen printing today using the most basic elements – a screen, some emulsion in a bucket, artwork, a light source and a sink. Easy-to-follow step-by-step projects illustrate various methods for making great screen prints, from one-color posters to three-color images, with expert tips on how to avoid common mistakes. This 144-page provides the specifics for successful printing on a range of objects including boxes, shopping bags, stickers, apparel, CDs, books, metal, glass and more, along with solid information on how to turn your screen prints into a personal art or business. MSRP is $24.99

As many of you might know by now, we have a few videos posted at YouTube. Non-art supply industry types stumble on them from time to time, and a few even leave comments. We received a comment the other day about our Art Alternatives Canvas factory tour that we are proud to share:

If you would like to see what all the fuss is about, check out the video for yourself:

The holiday shopping season has arrived and you know what that calls for – fun, colorful, and attractive store displays! Need a little holiday help with POS materials for our fine European brands (E’Brands)? Various handy brochures, signage, color charts, posters, window clings and such are available to you at no charge from MacPherson’s. For a full-color guide to what is available for each brand and how to get it so you can spruce up your store, please see pages 1A – 8A of the European Brands catalog.  Don’t have one of these amazing catalogs?

Just ask your MacPherson’s sales rep for a copy.  Generic copies of the catalog are available at no charge as well so that you can stamp them with your own store information and hand them out to your customers. Please don’t hesitate to request more!

Also, if you just can’t wait to get started, additional signage is available to be downloaded and printed right away on the Dealer Zone at macphersonart.com.  See link below.

MacPherson\’s EBrand Marketing Support

Craig Schottenstein reports…
“ColArt’s Winter Back-to-School promotion will help your paint brushes and dollar$ go a further with the 60% discount on open stock and 60/10% discount on drop ship assortments on all these large-volume tube color ranges:
Artist Oil Colour 200ml
Galeria Acrylic 200ml
Liquitex BASICS 250ml

The entire Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour range (37ml & 200ml), including all the mediums and brushes, is also being featured at 60% off on open stock and 60/10% on drop ship assortments!

Save on Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks & all 18 Liquitex Large Painting Knives: these lines are being offered at 60% off for WBTS.

What’s New for Winter?
Derwent’s new ONYX Super Dark Graphite Pencil, available at 60% off. Here are some details:
• Smooth dark graphite for dense, jet-black tones (darker than 9B)
• Non-crumbly texture sharpens & maintains a point
• Smudges easily for blending
• Offered in Medium and Dark tones
• Available in open stock, in a display tub of 72, or blister carded with accessories
• Blister Card – msrp $7.95 USA, $9.45 CAN
• Tub 72 – msrp $93.60 USA, $120.24 CAN
• Onyx Pencil, Medium – msrp $1.30 USA, $1.67 CAN
• Onyx Pencil, Dark – msrp $1.30 USA, $1.67 CAN

Derwent’s New Pencil Sharpener:

• Sharpens 5 different pencil diameters (8mm-11mm) at the turn of a dial
• High quality durable blades
• Achieve a variety of points from shallow to deep
• Base rotates for most comfortable sharpening position
• Visible shavings reservoir empties easily thanks to sliding cover
• Requires 4 AA batteries (not included)
• msrp $19.95 USA, $21.95 CAN

Reeves has released 4 new easy-to-merchandise POP displays!

3 Paper Pad & Pencils
Value Set Countertops (60/10% off, drop ship only)
• Pre-stocked with 8 value sets
• Value sets include 9” x 12” Drawing, Watercolour, or Sketching paper pads with
matching sets of Reeves blister carded pencils
• Single price point for all value sets –  $11.99 USA, $12.99 CAN
• ZRVSPDQ1 Drawing, ZRVSPDQ2 Water Colour and ZRVSPDQ3 Sketching all have an msrp of $95.92 USA and $103.92 CAN

And…

Sketching & Drawing POP Display (60% off, drop ship only)
• Great selection of best-selling Reeves pencil blisters – 12 each Coloured Pencil, Water Colour Pencil, and Sketching Pencil 10-piece sets, plus 8 each of the Artist Sketching 13-piece set
• Single price point – $6.29 USA, $6.74 CAN
• Pre-stocked, ready to sell
• Use with base for a floor standing unit, or without as a power panel on an end-cap
• ZRVSPOP1 Sketching & Drawing POP Display – msrp $276.76 USA, $296.56 CAN

All CAP Dealers can take advantage of an extra 10% savings on the following:
Artists’ Oil Colour 37ml & Oil Mediums
All Designer’s Gouache Colour & Sets
All LIQUITEX Gesso

Please see your MacPherson’s sales rep for these and all of the other savings from ColArt during the WBTS period.”

New Online Video for Digital Mixed Media
The new Digital Mixed Media product line from GOLDEN is gaining a lot of interest from both retailers and artists. In support of this innovative line, GOLDEN is pleased to announce the launch of new online video. This concise, easy-to-use tool walks viewers through the process of preparing a specialty paper with GOLDEN Digital Ground for ink-jet printing in just five easy steps. Tips for user success are also featured in the piece. To access the online video, go to Digital Ground Video.

Don’t forget to also visit www.mixmoremedia.com for additional product information.

New Product – Silverpoint / Drawing Ground
There is a new addition to the GOLDEN Gessos & Grounds product category.  As the time honored art form of metal point drawing experiences a resurgence, Golden Artist Colors has responded to the requests of practicing artists by introducing Silverpoint / Drawing Ground. Metal point drawing offers the ability for artists to achieve lasting, exquisitely detailed lines that won’t smudge. Silverpoint / Drawing Ground is permanent, lightfast and more flexible over time than traditional preparations. Developed for easy application, it has a very fluid consistency that will level as it dries. Go to Drawing Ground Info for more details.

Two recent articles, one in The Artist’s Magazine and one in American Artist Drawing Magazine, featured this product. To learn more about Silverpoint’s link to ancient art materials history, look for these issues:

The Artist’s Magazine, September 2008, “A Case in Point,” by Butch Krieger, page 32.

American Artist Drawing, Summer 2008, “The Fine Line: A Close Look at Five Contemporary Silverpoint Drawers,” by Ephraim Rubenstein, page 71.

Silverpoint / Drawing Ground is available now. If you have any questions about any of the above information, please contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative.

Dan Canny writes…
•    “Our Consumer Specialists will wind down their scheduled appearances beginning in early December. We plan to begin publishing their appearance schedules in The Art Dog Blog during 2009. Please email Dan.Canny@Sanford.com with any recommendations you have as to ways we can notify the local dealers in advance of their appearances. It is our goal to have the local dealers aware of the upcoming appearances and able to implement promotions targeted towards the people attending the workshops/seminars conducted by Diana and Shelley.

•    Prismacolor will introduce a new line of Soft Pastels during the 1st quarter of 2009. You will see them advertised in the MacPherson’s Spring Buyer’s Guide. Your MacPherson’s rep will have all the details as soon as they become available.

•    Don’t forget that there are still some 4-tier corrugate displays available. The item number is ZSA1744731. This is the perfect opportunity to buy Prismacolor Pencil and Marker Sets at the deep discount of 50/20% off of MSRP and hedge against the January 2009 price increase.

•    The new Sharpie Pen is a big hit across all sectors of our business. The consumer interest increases daily and those dealers that have the product in their stores are extremely pleased with the sales results to date

•    The 60ct. Prismacolor Pencil Set, item SA1744130, began shipping on August 1st. This set was designed for the Independent Fine Art Dealer and is not sold in Chain Stores. This set contains 52 different colors and extra pencils on the White, certain grays and the colorless blender. MacPherson’s plans to offer special pricing on this item, so contact your representative for the details. This set is ideal for the Independent Dealer to promote and sell to all customer groups.”

David has a big personality and his job is saying grace over you guessed it, David Art Center(Art & Drafting Supplies -Custom Framing-Art Restorations) in beautiful Metairie, LA. His owners are Fernando and Adriana Giordano.

David depicted here hamming it up with his favorite brush and beret can’t wait to get back to his soft bed in the frame workshop.