Archives of the Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

Huge News from Prismacolor!

Prismacolor has announced that the new Brush Tip Marker sets will begin shipping in April of 2012, followed by open stock and the new marker tower display in May of 2012. Both sets and open stock colors will mirror the current Double-Ended marker line offering. The single ended metallic markers will not be available in the new Brush Tip line. The new Brush Tip markers will feature a brush on one end and the traditional Prismacolor fine point nib on the other end. With the Brush Marker launch comes the NEW replacement display for the existing Prismacolor Marker tower display. The transition plan is excellent. Dealers only need to purchase three each of the 152 Brush Tip Marker colors, a dozen each of the black fine line and brush tip Illustration Markers and four of the Primary/Secondary Brush Tip sets in order to get the new marker tower display that will accommodate all of the products just mentioned as well as all 156 colors from our traditional Double-Ended Marker line! If you currently have the smaller 45 color marker display in your store, now is absolutely the best time ever for upgrading to the full line floor display. Those of you who currently have the Marker Tower Display in your store will be happy to know that the NEW display takes the same amount of floor space as the current display. Be sure to contact your MacPherson’s representative for all of the exciting details.

Hot New Product from Sharpie!

Those of you who follow Sharpie social media marketing efforts know that Sharpie began “talking” to consumers of all ages as an advocate for self-expression. This highly successful strategy has led to increased sales throughout Sharpie’s customer base. Late February of 2012 will see the launch of the NEW Sharpie Brush Tip Marker.  The Sharpie user can create fine lines, bold strokes and shading all with a single marker!  The new Sharpie Brush Tip permanent marker will inspire creativity and create new usage occasions on a variety of surfaces through its versatile tip. The Sharpie enthusiast can create custom designs on skateboards and bicycle helmets, poster boards and signs, art and crafts and so much more!  Brush Tip will be the MUST-HAVE accessory for every Sharpie fanatic in 2012 found in every locker, desk and office.  Make sure you have them in your store right away!  The Sharpie Brush Tip Marker is available in 6 individually bar coded open stock colors; black, magenta, turquoise, purple, orange and lime available in their own display. There will also be a 12 color carded set consisting of the colors just mentioned plus blue, green, yellow, berry, red and brown. Other set offerings include 4/cd basic colors, 4/cd fashion colors as well as an 8/cd set. Consult your MacPherson’s representative for details.

MacPherson’s is seeking candidates for our Manager of Merchandising (Purchasing, Inventory Management and Merchandising) position.  The job is located in our Emeryville, CA headquarters and requires strong leadership, technical and buying skills. Art material product knowledge is a plus. This person will lead a team of five Merchandise Analysts, each responsible for the merchandising of a group of vendors and products. If you hear of anyone who fits the bill and would like to learn more, please pass along this link MacPhersons Merchandise Manager position.

Creative-Coldsnow’s second generation leadership, Greg McKean and his sister Michelle Bland, have opened their first store outside of the Kansas City area, in Des Moines, IA. It’s located in mid-city (actually on the Drake University campus). There are also plans for a second Des Moines store in the suburbs. Morgan Vigon, a graduate and former instructor of the school of the Art Institute of Chicago will manage the store.

At Canson, Kevin Morrison has been promoted. In addition to retaining most of his current direct sales responsibilities he will also act as the sales manager for Scott Bates and Patrick Armstrong.  Jon Martensson has taken over management of  the Art Education program headed by Ed Bricker.  Giulia Giovanelli will take responsibility for direct sales to customers in the school channel including Nasco and School Speciality.

At the end of 2011 Paul Nieber stepped down as the head of Union Rubber, makers of Best Test Rubber Cement. Taking his place at the Trenton, NJ plant is industry newcomer Bob Irving.

Joe Jeffries has stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer at A.C. Moore effective December 31, 2011. Taking over as the head of the company is Pepi Piperno. Also, David Abelman, A.C. Moore’s Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer has left to pursue new opportunities.

The CHA Board of Directors named Andrej Suskavcevic (André Shoosh–kav–chev–itch) as President/CEO. Since 2007, he has served as CEO of the Commercial Finance Assn., a trade association for the asset-based lending and factoring industries.

School supplier provider School Specialty Inc. recently announced that Michael Lavelle is its new president and chief executive officer. Lavelle, 42, replaces Dave Vander Zanden, who is retiring April 28. Vander Zanden will remain on School Specialty’s board of directors. Lavelle most recently served as president of the education group for Massachusetts-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, also a maker of educational products.

Disco is alive and well In Atlanta’s Buckhead district thanks to Montana Cans and Binders. In homage to Limelight, a glittery dancefest of a discotheque, Buckhead’s Binders Art Supplies commissioned local artist Dr. Dax to paint the groovetastic mural that graces a 100′ x 20′ wall in the Piedmont-Peachtree shopping center.

Check out this video for  Doodle 4 Google, a contest in partnership with Crayola and the N.Y. Public Library where K through 12 students in the United States are invited to use their artistic talents to think big and redesign Google’s homepage logo for millions to see. This year’s theme is , “If I could travel in time, I’d visit…” One lucky student artist will see their artwork appear on the Google homepage and take home some cool prizes–and as a special bonus, the winning artwork will appear on a limited edition of Crayola’s iconic 64 box!

A portion of Woodland Scenics production facilities in Linn Creek, MO went up in flames recently. The company is a supplier to MacPherson’s of architectural model building products and even though the damage was extensive, a company spokesperson assured us there will be little disruption to the supply chain at MacPherson’s. Check out this local news broadcast on the story:

Participating in the UNCOMMON BLUES Promotion is easy!

Just contact MacPherson’s Customer Service and ask them to add the GD00P75-0 case pack of 6 sets to your order. At a manufacturer suggested list price of just $9.99, these promotional sets are a great way to engage your customer with the GOLDEN brand and to get them excited about enlarging their palette with more colors.

Uncommon Blues is one of four promotions we will be running throughout 2012, so stay tuned for details regarding future opportunities.

Some Product Changes at GOLDEN

As we move toward the 2012 price changes, there are a few color changes that you need to be aware of. Please contact GOLDEN Customer Service regarding shelf tags for the new colors detailed below.

• Acrylic Glaze Colors- The biggest change for 2012 is to the Glaze Category, which will be discontinued effective February 13, 2012. Therefore, it is important for you to evaluate your current inventory and  place your last order for these products if necessary. They are available while supplies last. These colors are all convenience mixes, derived from standard Golden Fluid Acrylic colors combined with Acrylic Glazing Liquid, the recipes for the Glaze colors will be published online  mid-February for those consumers that would like to continue achieving these mixtures.

• Cobalt Teal Replaced with Teal- Due to the pigment being discontinued by the manufacturer, Golden Artist Colors, Inc. has found it necessary to discontinue the existing Cobalt Teal across all color lines.

We recognize that this is a very valuable color for many artists and for that reason we worked diligently to find an alternate source of pigment, but were unable to find one that would give us the clean color artists love. As a result, we felt it was important to retain and replicate the color space as closely as possible. After several trials, we landed on a blend that will be called Teal. This new color Teal is a very close match to the existing Cobalt Teal in the masstone and is a bit stronger as a tint.

While losing the original Cobalt Teal will be disappointing for many, we feel that the new Teal will serve most artists quite well and as a side benefit, it will be a less expensive Series 3 color. The new Teal will start being available in art stores sometime in February or March. Get some more info on Cobalt Teal at this link: Cobalt Teal

• New OPEN Titan Green Pale- Beginning February 13, 2012, we will be introducing a brand new color exclusive to the OPEN line called Titan Green Pale, a cool cousin to the warm neutral of Titan Buff. Get some more info on Titan Green Pale at this link: Titan Green Pale

• OPEN Cobalt Titanate Green Discontinued- As you will recall from late 2010, due to pigment constraints we discontinued Cobalt Titanate Green in all color lines except for OPEN, reserving what remained for the OPEN Acrylic line. As of February 13, 2012, OPEN Cobalt Titanate Green will be discontinued as well. Click here for more information: Color Change Info

For questions on specific projects related to the above colors, or any other GOLDEN product, please contact Technical Support Services at techsupport@goldenpaints.com or by calling 800-959-6543 / 607-847-6154 Mon. – Fri. 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST.

Visit GOLDEN at Creativeworld 2012, Hall 4.2, Stand C59

For more than 10 years, GOLDEN has been exhibiting at Creativeworld (previously Paperworld), the leading international trade fair for paper, office supplies, stationery and art supplies.  This year, the show will be from January 28 – January 31, 2012.  GOLDEN folks from the US will be present in the booth, so please stop by and visit.

If you have any questions about any of the above information, contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative.

Strathmore Artist Papers announces the introduction of professional quality Mixed Media sheets and boards to meet needs related to the increased use of mixed media in fine art, illustration and handmade journals.

500 Series Mixed Media sheets and boards are specifically designed to accept both wet and dry media, providing the ultimate surface for mixed media.

100% cotton fiber surfaces are internally sized for wet media and feature a durable vellum finish for traditional drawing techniques. Sheets and boards are archival, lignin free and acid free. Both are excellent for watercolor, gouache, acrylic, graphite, pen and ink, colored pencil, marker, pastel and collage.

Sheets are 22” x 30” size and offered in bulk or retail packages. Boards are available in standard board size as well as popular Ready Cut sizes for readymade frames and mats.

An attractive merchandiser can function as a floor display or shelf tray. The size is ideal for stand-alone use, placement in-line or on an endcap. Open stock items and the merchandiser are available from MacPherson’s mid-February.

Learn how the new Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media program can increase the productivity of your retail space by contacting your MacPherson’s sales representative today.

Mix Media art continues to grow as artists continue to explore new mediums and surfaces that work for a variety of techniques.

Canson has recently expanded its line of Mix Media pads due to the growing artist demand and due to the success of their XL Mix Media range.

The NEW Artist Series Mix Media pad is a heavyweight 138 LB (224 GSM) French paper perfect for final drawings. Dual sided (fine & medium textures in 1 sheet); excellent erasability. Ideal for dry media, wet mix media techniques, markers, pens & collage. The NEW Foundation Series Mix Media pad and the popular XL Mix Media pad is 98 LB (160 GSM) paper that is perfect for students looking to experiment with a variety of mix media techniques. These pads come in a variety of sizes, price points, and sheet counts in order to meet the needs of artists.  For more info ask your MacPherson’s sales contact or please visit: Mixed Media Series

Canson’s unique know-how, which hails from over 450 years of artist paper manufacturing experience, continues to lead to innovation in offering the highest quality artist papers that are available in a wide variety of surface textures.

• Purchase a complete Mi-Teintes Touch assortment get the Display FREE! Merchandise the Mi-Teintes touch right next to your Mi-Teintes Paper Display.

• Get new product introduction discounts through mid February!

• Mi-Teintes Touch a product line extension to the Number 1# selling brand of pastel paper- Mi-Teintes

• Mi-Touch is available in matching 14 top selling Mi-Teintes colors – a great palette of cool blues, warm earth, and grey tones.

•  Artists will love the unique surface texture of Mi-Teintes Touch as it allows for many creative possibilities and layering of pigments. It’s not just for pastels!

• Pastels, charcoal, crayons, & light use of acrylic perform beautifully.

• Mi-Teintes Touch sheets and boards retain all dry pigments because they have micro abrasive surfaces created by a sanded primer. The ideal support for dry pastels such as Rembrandt.

•  Available in 22″x30″ sheets and 20″x30″ boards

For more info ask your MacPherson’s sales contact or click:  Mi-Teintes Touch

Mi-Teintes Touch sheets      MSRP $11.99 per/sheet

Mi-Teintes Touch boards      MSRP $21.99 per/board

The cover of our 2012 Art Supply Sourcebook was created by former MacPherson’s employee Rachel Thompson. Rachel started her own freelancing business after her daughter was born. You’ve seen her work on Buyer’s Guide covers, NAMTA signs, custom flyers and much, much more. If you need some design work done, Rachel can help. In addition to being a talented artist and designer, Rachel is very familiar with our industry, our products, and our quirks.
http://rachelthompsondesign.com/

Our 2012 catalog is fresh off the press! It features 26,000+ of our best-selling art supply products. Look for your copy in the mail soon!

There has always been something missing in the Kolo family of albums. There’s the super, best-selling Noci that holds 24 photos. There’s the Catalina that holds 200. And of course, there’s the super-popular Hudson 2 and Hudson 3 that hold 200 and 300 4 x 6 photos respectively. But there was that gap between 24 and 200. That’s a big gap and tons of people told them that. Thanks for all the feedback, consumers! Kolo listened.

Introducing Hudson 1!

Yeah, it’s a super nice photo album. It works nicely with the other Hudsons. But like the Noci, it has also has removable sleeves so the album is really versatile. Some of the product testers are using Hudson 1 as an art portfolio and others are using it as a nice journal since you can write in it and add photos. It’s a perfect Instagram book, too.

Available in the MacPherson’s warehouses by late January!

Visit here for the Online Express Item details Hudson 1 Online Express

And here’s a cool promo youtube to get you into the mood:

Paper Zone, the Seattle, WA-based 8 retail store chain located in Washington and Oregon has decided to close all stores, in their words “due to the current economic downturn”. Started over 30 years ago, Paper Zone offered  a large selection of paper and craft products.

Sincere condolences to Minneapolis Penco’s Fred & Conrad Segal whose mom Helen passed away on Christmas day.

Roberts Arts & Crafts, the Utah-based chain is closing its five remaining brick-and-mortar stores , but will continue its e-commerce store, www.robertscrafts.com. At one time the chain operated 11 stores in Utah and Idaho.  “The combination of a dynamic and evolving retail environment and a challenging economy and competitive environment with national big-box retailers has made it economically infeasible for the company to continue to operate its retail locations”, according to a press release from the company. Inventory liquidation sales have begun and the stores are expected to close Jan. 14.

Best wishes for a fast recovery for Stan Brown. Stan is in the hospital suffering from a bout of pneumonia according to his wife and tole painter  Susan Scheewe, who was reporting from a  hospital in Bend, OR.

Max Bauer, Canson’s sales manager for Infinity digital papers, has left the company to pursue other career opportunities.

David Pyle has joined a start-up web media enterprise called CraftArtEdu (www.craftartedu.com), an online learning platform offering a wide range of classes in a variety of craft and art categories. He has taken role as Vice President of Business Development, working with  retailers, manufacturers, and universities.

STS Systems, source for file folders to the medical industry, has acquired Star Products makers of fibre portfolios for the art industry, reports Charlie Rice Star’s VP of Sales.

Reminder: GOLDEN Winter B-T-S Promotion — UNCOMMON BLUES!

Make your purchases while supplies last! –For artists who have a vision for going beyond the ordinary, GOLDEN introduces a 22 ml limited edition set of Uncommon Blues featuring three blues from the Heavy Body line, each with unique qualities: Anthraquinone Blue, Smalt Hue and Cerulean Blue Deep. Available for Winter. B-T-S only, this set of three fantastic blues is sure to pique the curiosity of artists looking for the fundamentals of blue, while seeking ways to differentiate themselves with something uncommon. During the promotion, the Uncommon Blues set is available at a low introductory retail price of $9.99, representing a 26% savings for consumers over open stock.  Standard and promotional discounts off this introductory list price apply. Designed to generate interest in the full range of blues offered by GOLDEN, the set includes an informational piece of literature and is supported by a series of pages on the GOLDEN Web site highlighting all the blues in the GOLDEN line. They are sold in case pack quantities only – 6 sets to a case pack. The case pack includes a clip strip for easy merchandising. These unique sets are available through January 27, 2012, or while supplies last.  The sets (#GD00P75-0) are in stock in the MacPherson’s warehouses now, so place your order promptly!

Please also remember that this is one of four promotions Golden will be running throughout 2012, so stay tuned for details regarding future opportunities.

Winter B-T-S Reminder- The winter B-T-S advertised promotional dates are 1/2/12 – 2/10/12.  Promotional advertising permitted at 40% off GOLDEN and 30% off Williamsburg Oils during this time period. Please check with your MacPherson’s sales representative for details regarding GOLDEN offerings in 2012.

GOLDEN Dealer Marketplace & Store Locator- Don’t miss out on sales opportunities! If you haven’t already completed the GOLDEN Store Locator survey to accurately represent the product offering in your store, your listing will be underrepresented and customers may go elsewhere.  Please also remember that the Dealer Marketplace offers you access to a host of support materials, including product images, videos and forms.  Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative or GOLDEN Customer Service with any questions you may have.

Visit GOLDEN at Creativeworld 2012, Hall 4.2, Stand C59– For more than 10 years, GOLDEN has been exhibiting at Creativeworld (previously Paperworld), the leading international trade fair for paper, office supplies, stationery and art supplies.  This year, the show will be from January 28 – January 31, 2012.  GOLDEN folks from the US will be present in the booth, so please stop by and visit.

If you have any questions about any of the above information, contact your MacPherson’s sales representative.

From Pete Cole at Gamblin:

Congratulations to all of the winners and participants in Gamblin’s 2011 Torrit Grey Painting Contest.

All participants’ paintings can be seen in galleries on Gamblin’s Facebook page: Gamblin Facebook Page

A special shout-out goes to winners Brittany Wertz, Brian Weisz, Corey Pitkin and Ashlie Gonzales.

Gamblin’s Master Paintmakers have already begun crafting some batches of Torrit Grey for 2012. Watch the Art Dog Blog for more information on Torrit Grey in March. And Happy New Year!