Archives of the Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

Strathmore strives to continue their commitment to develop innovative new products that meet artists’ needs, and are thrilled to introduce Strathmore Learning Series pads. These pioneer products combine the need for expert art instruction with quality art paper.

The Strathmore Learning series incorporates step-by-step art lessons, developed by popular art instructors, into a pad of quality Strathmore paper. Online video tutorials for each pad product creates an integrated learning experience that helps beginning and experienced artists explore a new art style.

The first 3 products in the Learning Series line feature instruction from Christopher Hart, the world’s bestselling author of How-To-Draw books. Each of the Learn to Draw products in the Learning Series feature 30 step-by-step drawing lessons which include room for the student to practice, plus 10 online video tutorials instructed by Chris Hart. The online video tutorials will be available to users on a specially created website. Learn to Draw pads contain 40 sheets of Strathmore paper, and are wire bound (on the side) into a 9” x 12” pad.

Strathmore Learning Series products are the only line of art instruction pads that are suitable for novice and experienced artists, are produced on quality art papers, include video tutorials, and are authored by nationally-renowned art instructors. Retailers can benefit from this product line in many ways. It’s a new, fun, affordable and effective art instruction option, it helps capture new buyers and generate repeat sales, drive sales of related support art supplies, and they provide a migration path to other core Strathmore products and art supplies.

Strathmore Learning Series Learn to Draw products are created on Strathmore 200 Series Drawing paper. This surface is ideal for sketching and drawing, and has a fine tooth, white colored surface, which is ideal for dry media. Officially launched at NAMTA 2016, the NEW Learning Series pad line is shipping now from Strathmore.

Strathmore Learning Series – Learn to Draw product features include:

• 64 lb / 104 gsm weight paper.
• White colored surface.
• Acid free.
• 3 Learn to Draw subjects to choose from: Cartoons, Manga, or Animals.
• 30 printed step-by-step drawing lessons per pad.
• 10 online video tutorials per product available on strathmorelearning.com
• 40 sheets of 200 Series Strathmore Drawing paper in each pad.
• Sturdy wire binding on the side.
• Made in the U.S.A.
• Available in 9” x 12” size.

Use the new wire counter merchandiser to best merchandise the new Learning Series items. This display is perfect for placement on a 30” end-cap, and retailers can merchandise the new Learning Series products next to other support materials such as pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and water-based markers. The modern-looking display also works well near the checkout counter, near adult coloring books, and near other art instruction books.

Strathmore Learning Series pads are featured on an introduction promotion, which runs through Strathmore’s BTS promotion May 9, 2016 to September 9, 2016. Learn how this new program can increase the productivity of your retail space by contacting your MacPherson’s account manager today!

Also, be sure to connect with Strathmore Artist Papers online at www.strathmoreartist.com and through social media outlets to stay informed on up to the second information. Learning Series support materials for retailers including headers, shelf labels, a downloadable product video, and samplers/sell sheets are all available on Strathmore’s Retailer and Distributor Tools section of their website.

MacPherson’s Dealer Workshop A Great Success!

GOLDEN thanks MacPherson’s personnel for hosting an incredible workshop! MacPherson’s planning and preparation led to a very organized, valuable event. The hands-on demonstrations and round-robin presentations were interesting and informative for all. GOLDEN was pleased to see so many retailers in attendance – having such commitment and enthusiasm from retail partners in support of all three GOLDEN brands is appreciated tremendously!

GOLDEN and Princeton Brush Join Forces in 2016 Back-to-School Promotion

Golden Artist Colors and Princeton Artist Brush Co. join forces to offer artists a great opportunity to increase value while expanding their creativity. Artists who purchase three 4 oz. bottles of GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics will receive one Princeton Summit™ Series 6850 Round 10 brush for FREE, just in time for back-to-school!

Already, purchasing a larger 4 oz. size represents a per ounce savings to artists over the 1 oz. size. Further incentivizing artists with this brush offer will increase exposure for Fluid Acrylics in retail stores, a line that has been experiencing continuous demand and growth.

Participating retailers will receive one Princeton Summit Series 6850 Round 10 Brush for every three 4 oz. Fluid Acrylics they purchase commencing on July 5th and running through September 9^th, while supplies last. Retailers will be provided with an in-store POP and digital assets to help communicate the promotion through email, web and social media.

Quantities of promotion items will be monitored to ensure alignment with the duration of the program. Promotional items will be uniquely packaged and will include a unique UPC Code. The promotion window is from 7/25/16 – 9/30/16.

POPs will be shipped directly to retailers from GOLDEN beginning the week of June 20th. The promotional brush will be fulfilled by MacPherson’s direct from the warehouse with BTS shipments containing 4 oz. Fluid Acrylics.

GOLDEN Offers Retailers New Topics for Working Artist Program Lectures

Golden Artist Colors will be offering retailers three new Working Artist Program lecture options to expand their educational offerings to artists of all painting levels. Store owners will have more choices when deciding what educational opportunities to bring to their customers. Working Artists will participate in training for new lectures in May, making new sessions available to retailers beginning in June. Full lecture descriptions are available on the website now at Options for GOLDEN Working Artist Lecture Demonstrations now include the following:

1. Free GOLDEN Lecture Product Overview (Existing)
2. Free GOLDEN Mixed Media Lecture (New)
3. Free GOLDEN WaterMedia Lecture (New)
4. Free GOLDEN Printmaking with Acrylics Lecture (New)

New lectures are designed to cover a range of products, as has been the case with the existing lecture demo, however, new lectures present products in different lights or with different emphasis. As always, attendees at any Working Artist Lecture will receive a selection of sample products to take home so that they can continue to explore the breadth and depth of GOLDEN professional products available.

The process for retailers to request one of the new lectures doesn’t change. In addition, increasing the number of lecture options does not increase the number of events Working Artists can conduct in a year, so be sure to connect with the artist in your area soon if you are interested in one of these new options for 2016. As you know, Working Artist schedules fill up fast!

New Video from GOLDEN

GOLDEN recently added a new video to their Video Library that your customers will be interested in. Videos are quick and easy content to share on Facebook and a great way to boost your organic reach.

Please visit our YouTube or Vimeo page to check them out!

Drip and Drizzle with Clear Tar Gel

Drip, drizzle and create lines varying from thick to very thin using GOLDEN Clear Tar Gel.

learn more about Clear Tar Gel here.

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

Key Features & Benefits

• Focused range covering all the needs of Artists & Students: 42 SKUs
• Selection of the most popular shapes (9 different head types) for Fine Art & Decorative Acrylic Painting
• Simplified & affordable selling prices (4 only): $5.99, $7.99, $10.99, $13.99
• Bold, eye-catching high-tech design easily recognizable by the consumer
• Proprietary blend of high quality gold synthetic filaments for fluid & medium bodied acrylic paint
• Made by hand in the Dominican Republic, with the famous Robert Simmons Lifetime Guarantee against any defect in materials or workmanship
• The high quality & simplified pricing of Robert Simmons will appeal to your end-consumers with focus on Mixed Media techniques

Arriving into MacPherson’s DC’s Mid-July for open stock orders. Drop Ship orders available now. Orders shipping in July.

Creative ideas, merchandising solutions, artist’s and inspirational works as well as selling tools for you to post onto your website and media websites can be found on www.daler-rowney.com. Be sure to like them on Facebook and Instagram too!

MacPherson’s will soon have the full line of Elmer’s Rubber Cement in our DC’s!  We will stock all available sizes including 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, quarts and gallons.  Now is the time to get back into inventory with the adhesive that offers a better solution for detailed cut & paste projects.  The excess glue rubs off cleanly and shows no wrinkles as it dries.  It is acid free & photo safe.  BTS is just around the corner!

The best selling colored pencils, Prismacolor Premier, are now shipping open stock already sharpened.  This is good news for consumers to avoid over-sharpening and breaking the core.

We are excited to tell you that NuPastel hard pastels will start shipping in June in a new & improved package to better protect the pastels.  The boxed sets will now have a foam insert to offer more protection which means reduced breaking!  This is a rolling change so you don’t need to do anything to take advantage of this package improvement.  The new packaging will be a slightly larger footprint.  Be on the lookout for this exciting update!

We recently got a sneak peek at Forstall Art Center’s new space in downtown Birmingham, AL. They will be moving into the building, constructed in 1903, later this summer. The three story building’s first floor will be the retail space, which is slightly larger than their current location. The second floor will be artist studios and classrooms. Annette and Phillip Forstall will create the perfect living space on the top floor. “We’re all in” says Annette!

We recently got word from Union Rubber (Best Test) that due to some raw material and other supply problems their Board of Director’s has decided to reorganize the company. This means they have temporarily stopped all manufacturing and shipping. They anticipate re-starting operations in May. Until then we have added more sizes in Elmer’s Rubber Cement line.

Here is a very cool video showcasing a Virtual Reality (VR) tool Google has developed for creating 3D artwork

?list=PLKfWL8IXgKBte4TfD53pLaHONfSYCX0RH

Howard Kaufman is in the news celebrating his 24^th year as America’s premier brush maker. The fascinating story that tells how Princeton Artist Brush Company became one of the largest brush suppliers in the U.S. was published in the Mercerspace.com that features local news from Princeton, New Jersey, Read the whole store here.

How Princeton Artist Brush Company became one of the largest brush suppliers in the U.S.

After 65 years, Lee’s Art Shop at 220 West 57th Street in Manhattan will be closing. The store sits across from the Art Students League of New York, where aspiring painters learn their craft. It has played a key role in many artist’s lives. David Steinberg the CEO of Lee’s, explains that “we’re closing because the building is being sold.” Read the full store Here.

In an article from a recent issue of the Chicago Tribune the art and craft industry has been singled out for its exciting and vibrant growth. Sales of coloring and art supplies grew about 7% in 2015 and now make up a $1.14 billion market, according to market research firm The NPD Group, which attributed the growth to art and craft paper, paint and painting supplies. Featured in the article is Artist & Craftsman’s Chicago location. Read the store here.

Artist & Craftsman Chicago Loop

Looking for a whole different way of looking at the USA’s Adult Coloring Book market? Check out this interactive heat map courtesy of Google Shopping Insights

Massimo Candela

The Italian F.I.L.A. group (Dixon/Ticonderoga, Daler-Rowney, Lyra) announced yesterday that it is in exclusive negotiations to buy 100% of Canson, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hamelin Group. In a statement, F.I.L.A. said they hoped to reach an agreement by October to buy Canson and all of it’s subsidiaries. The exclusivity period for negotiations runs until the end of the year. Massimo Candela, CEO of F.I.L.A. said: “We are very happy to be in talks for the acquisition of Canson, such an important and prestigious brand can make a significant contribution to our group’s growth in the years to come, and fits perfectly with our existing family of brands.”