What’s on Your Wish List?

Having a “wish list” has become a rather trendy thing. Getting married soon? Set up a “wish list” so friends and family will know what you want as wedding presents. Or maybe a new baby is on the way! If so, a “wish list” is a must to be sure all those must-have needs are covered. Charitable organizations, schools, child-care facilities, homeless shelters… all have “wish lists” so that generous donors can contribute in meaningful ways.

It’s good, too, to have a personal wish list, and as artists, oh, there are so many things we can put on our wish lists!

I will admit to going overboard on art supplies, and I’ll blame my husband for that. From the start of my art journey he instilled two ideas in my head:

• A craftsman of any sort is only as good as his or her tools
• An artist can never have enough art supplies

Bless his heart! He encouraged me to buy whatever I needed, to buy reasonably good quality materials, and to indulge myself with fun little things I didn’t really need but which I wanted.

When I began this journey, i set out to “learn to draw”, thinking all I needed was a sketchbook, an eraser, and a set of pencils. But then I realized that “learning to draw” led to many other pathways in art. So, I bought charcoal, I bought soft pastels and oil pastels, I bought watercolors, acrylics, and oil paints. Once I started painting, I bought brushes and palettes and canvases, and then there were fixatives and thinners and varnishes. And of course I had to have artist tape, masking fluid, and those little sponges are so cute!

I bought new art supplies for every new art project I started! This, of course, is one of the reasons why my studio is in such disarray today, but for me, that’s just part of the process of doing art.

There’s really nothing I need when it comes to art supplies, although I suspect that once I get out my oil paints and get back to my easel, I’ll probably find that some of the older tubes are a bit stiff and dried out. I’m planning to get a new set of the water-soluble oils I love, so let’s say that’s the first thing on my “Art Supply Wish List”.

My second great love is oil pastels, and I’ve got quite a collection. Yet I’m tempted to buy more! I’ll add “more oil pastels” to my wish list.

Actually, though, that’s about all I can put on my list, except possibly for a new “H-Shape Easel”. My husband has been fussing at me for years, telling me I need a more “professional easel” than the drafting-table easel I use. Yes, I think I’ll add that to my wish list — I’ve never wanted to spend all that money on an easel, but it’s something I sometimes do WISH I had. That’s really what a wish list is, isn’t it?

In that sense, sure, I wish I had a fancy easel with drawers, and I wish I had a complete set of Sennelier Oil Pastels. I sometimes even wish I had a “Cricut” to play with, even though I’m not a “crafty” person. Looking at art supplies is fun. There are so many different art materials available with new little things to discover every day. Just recently I discovered electric erasers, that set of wooden blocks, and I’ve seen “art mannequins” for hands and more!

Then there are art books! Any genre, any medium… you can find a book about it. Want to learn to draw birds? There’s a book for that. Into buildings and urban sketching? Lots of books to buy!

And what about classes and courses? Art workshops can be so much fun — in person or online. If I were really creating a wish list, I might add a few instructional programs.

I’m not really making a wish list, because, in all honesty, there’s really nothing I need when it comes to art supplies! The only exception will probably be a new set of oil paints when I get back to my easel. I’ll be venturing that way soon.

Even so, it’s fun to browse, fun to visit art supply stores, and fun to dream about all the things I could put on a wish list if I wanted to. If I won the lottery (actually, we don’t even play) I’m sure I’d head to Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff and go on a shopping spree.

Sadly, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff is closing its doors — and that does include online sales, as well. This means that there will be lots of sales coming up. All sales will be FINAL after March 28, but if there are supplies you purchase frequently, this could be a good time to stock up.

You can find an FAQ about the close here: CLOSING FAQ – CHEAP JOE’S ART STUFF

I do want to add a few notes here about Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. First, the FAQ linked above includes this question:

Who should we support after Cheap Joe’s is officially closed?

The answer is Support your local family-owned art store, if possible. Great idea, and Joe Miller would be pleased. For those who don’t know, Joe passed away in 2019. I hope you’ll take a moment to read about him and his life:

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

One thing I’m uncertain about at this point is in regard to the charitable organization founded by Joe Miller. Brushes for Vincent. The purpose of this organization is to provide art supplies for children in need, children who have a love of art but are unable to obtain materials. I do hope this program continues. You can donate to the charity simply by adding a dollar or more to any order you place at Cheap Joe’s.

What About Those Other Cheap Sites?

While Cheap Joe’s has been an excellent, reputable source for art supplies, there are other “cheap” sites. Let’s take a moment to talk about the really cheap online sites offering anything and everything anyone could ever want. I’m constantly bombarded with ads from Temu, and I see references to Shein and AliExpress quite often. I’ve never purchased any art supplies from any of these businesses. I’m skeptical. I know these companies have a reputation for selling “rip-off’s” of merchandise, and as I’ve learned through experience, we do get what we pay for.

At the same time, sure, I’m curious. Have you purchased art supplies from Temu or another of these online “bargain bin” companies? If so, were the products reasonably good quality? Would you purchase from them again?

What’s On Your Wish List?

Just for the fun of it today, let’s do a bit of wishing. Even if, like me, you don’t really NEED anything, it can still be fun to wish. Although, you know what… I think my biggest wish is that I could get my studio organized! So maybe wishing for more art supplies isn’t the best thing for me. I think I’ll just wish for wall-to-wall storage shelves or cabinets!

How about you? What’s on your ART SUPPLY WISH LIST?