Tag: Wet Paint St. Paul

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Community News & Media Professionals

Big News from Wet Paint

Pictured: Scott Fares, Beth Bergman, and Darin Rinne
Pictured: Scott Fares, Beth Bergman, and Darin Rinne
Pictured: Scott Fares, Beth Bergman, and Darin Rinne

As Wet Paint enters its 41st year on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul owner Beth Bergman is excited to announce her retirement at the end of 2016. Long-time employees Darin Rinne and Scott Fares will become the new proprietors. After 33 years provisioning artists in the Twin Cities and across the country Beth intends to move to the other side of the counter and focus on making art herself.

Wet Paint is renowned for its excellent selection of over 35,000 high quality art supplies and papers and the knowledgeable staff that supports artists of all levels of intention. Located at the corner of Grand and Cambridge, Wet Paint has grown from a small storefront serving local students into a nationally and internationally recognized center for quality and expertise. In 2015 the store expanded to increase the framing department and add space dedicated to classes for kids and adults on everything from origami and printmaking to watercolor techniques and mat cutting.  Bergman and Wet Paint are both well known for their support of the arts, artists, and independent business, a distinction that will continue under Darin and Scott’s direction.

For questions please contact Scott Fares or Darin Rinne at 651 698 6431. Email: darin@wetpaintart.com, scott@wetpaintart.com.

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint News & Media

40 Years of Collaboration: Wet Paint turns 40!

oldwetpaintstorefrontFrom Wet Paint’s humble beginnings as the art supply section of the Hungry Mind Bookstore to the 5000 square foot wonderland of artists’ materials we’ve become, one thing has remained constant: the reason we’re here.  Serving one of the greatest creative communities in the world has been our honor and passion for 40 years.  As we celebrate this milestone anniversary in October, we simultaneously look forward to the next 40 years of providing the right tools for every artistic expression to the generations of creatives to come.

Like seeing some images from Wet Paint days of yore? We’ve made a little gallery of a few old Wet Paint pictures posted here!

Kicking off the anniversary festivities will be a month long exhibit of art by Wet Paint staffers at Sencha Tea Bar just next door to Wet Paint. There will be a closing party from 5-7pm on Sunday, October 23rd.

corpseeventWe’ve also come up with a number of ways for the community to help us celebrate this momentous milestone.  The most eye-catching activity will surely be our “Exquisite Corpse” project.  Following in the footsteps of the Surrealists who popularized this chance-based parlor game in the 1920’s, we’ve recruited a variety of artists to create a section of a figure.  These sections were collectively assembled to create crazy, mismatched people called Exquisite Corpses.  These near life-size artistic creations will grace the front windows of Wet Paint for the month of October. See photos of them on our Facebook page here. 

Note: want to participate in our Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project?  Click here for information on how YOU can get involved!

The weekend of October 27-30 is when the celebration kicks into high gear!  Look for a variety of family-friendly anniversary events, as well as door prizes, raffles, refreshments, and more!  All events are free and open to the public.  See the tentative schedule below or check out our Events page on our website for more info.

Thursday, Oct. 27th: Exquisite Corpse Art Exhibit Opening Reception from 5:30-7:30pm

-Collaborative Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project (ongoing through October): draw inspiration from the characters in the windows, or invent your own pocket-sized person!

Friday, Oct. 28th: Gel Plate Printing Party from 5:30-7:30pm

-Want to try printing with a gel plate?  It’s easy and fun!  Join Wet Paint staffer, Kate, and create your own monoprint card or artwork.  All materials are provided, just bring your sense of creativity and fun! Plus a sweet door prize!

Saturday, Oct. 29th:  All Day 40th Anniversary Celebration– door prizes, Exquisite Snake Origami Project, and more!

-Join our Collaborative Exquisite Snake Origami Project: led by Origamist, Kathleen Sheridan. Bring in some old coloring sheets, sketches/drawings, or colorful works on paper. Once cut to a square and folded, you’ll add them to become part the giant patchwork kinetic origami snake that will wind through the store! Plus door prizes, Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project, and more!

Sunday, Oct. 30th: Sunday Sketch-a-Thon– all day sketching in the classroom

-The classroom will be set up for sketching  from intriguing artifacts courtesy of the Bell Museum of Natural History and more. Bring your own sketch pad and favorite tools for sketching/watercolor or use shared supplies from the classroom. Stay all day or stay for a few minutes! Drawing-friendly Door Prizes!

We hope to celebrate with you at one or all of these events!

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Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint News & Media

Wet Paint’s 3rd Annual Summer Postcard Project

Going somewhere fun this summer? Or, having a productive stay-cation? Draw, paint, or mix up your media on a postcard-sized paper and mail it to Wet Paint! We’re putting together an exhibition of mail art from our friends and fans wherever they may be. As postcards arrive, we will photograph them to share on our social media pages and then display them in our storefront windows. At the end of the summer, we’ll host a public art opening here at Wet Paint for all of the contributing artists!

postcardimage15There’s no limit to how many postcards you can send, but in order to participate, postcards have to arrive at Wet Paint via our friendly postal carrier – – no dropping them off at the store! Don’t forget to sign your postcard(s) and let us know how to reach you. We want to make sure we’re crediting you when we post the work online and we want to be able to contact you with details about the end of summer art opening on August 8th, 2016.
General Guidelines:
-We are a family-friendly shop, so please tailor your images & words to be suitable for viewers of all ages.
-We reserve the right to not display postcards that we feel are inappropriate for this activity.
-All artwork must be original.
-In order to have your postcard displayed in our end of summer exhibition, you’ll need to have it postmarked by August 2nd, 2016.
-All participating mail art must arrive at Wet Paint via US Mail.
-Keep in mind that postcards will “wear” a bit depending on how far they travel- which is part of the fun of mail art!
-Contact your local post office for shipping and postage information.
-Send one or send one every week! We’ve got big windows!

Wet Paint Address:

Wet Paint
Summer Postcard Project
1684 Grand Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105

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Community Enthusiast Professionals This just in! New products we are excited about

In the store this week: a list of orders that have arrived at Wet Paint

Waiting on a special item that we ordered for you? Or just like to know when we get in your favorite brand of ink?  Here is a list that we will update weekly to keep you in-the-know!

Looking for a specific item? Call the store 651-698-6431

Week of March 28th:

Decomposition Sketch Books -Coilbound (new style) and Tape Bound (We’ve had a few tape bound books before)
7.5” X 9.75” & 4” X 6” (in limited styles) Now in several new cover designs! These books are made with 100% PCW recycled pages and are printed with soy ink. The coilbound book features micro-perforated pages.

New Custom Schmincke Watercolor Set #74745097

New Croquis Books and Pads from Holbein –Darin’s pick fave new sketchbooks
Spiral bound neutral pH Paper, Featuring some dapper drawings of animals, nature, and even a gesso hot tub!

Custom Sketch books from Global- Artwork by LMNOP Art

Shinola Journals- Both hard bound linen, soft bound linen, and paperback books of varying sizes and colors, consisting of pages of 60lb paper and an expandable pocket.

More new things from Global:New colors of the Pastel Premier* paper in both 26×20 sheets and 9×12 pochettes. This is a sanded pastel paper, double primed 145 lb sheet; now available in Terracotta, Buff, and Slate. Drawing 160 Pads Ideal for all dry media, pen and ink, and light washes. 100lb paper and 24 sheets per pad.

*Great replacement for Wallis Pastel Paper!

Week of Sept. 14th:

-Handbook Journals

-Rives BFK

-Wax Seals

-Logan Mat Cutters

 

Week of Sept. 7th:

-Japanese Nibs

-Platinum Carbon Pen

-Noodler’s Ink (select colors)

-R&F Encaustic and Pigment Sticks

-Coloring Books for Adults from Clairefontaine

-Prat Flexbooks

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint Professionals Students

Wet Paint’s 2nd Annual Summer Postcard Project

Going somewhere fun this summer? Or, having a productive stay-cation? Draw, paint, or mix up your media on a postcard-sized paper and mail it to Wet Paint! We’re putting together an exhibition of mail art from our friends and fans wherever they may be. As postcards arrive, we will photograph them to share on our social media pages and then display them in our storefront windows. At the end of the summer, we’ll host a public art opening here at Wet Paint for all of the contributing artists!

postcardimage15There’s no limit to how many postcards you can send, but in order to participate, postcards have to arrive at Wet Paint via our friendly postal carrier – – no dropping them off at the store! Don’t forget to sign your postcard(s) and let us know how to reach you. We want to make sure we’re crediting you when we post the work online and we want to be able to contact you with details about the end of summer art opening on August 29th.
General Guidelines:
-We are a family-friendly shop, so please tailor your images & words to be suitable for viewers of all ages.
-We reserve the right to not display postcards that we feel are inappropriate for this activity.
-All artwork must be original.
-In order to have your postcard displayed in our end of summer exhibition, you’ll need to have it postmarked by August 21st, 2015.
-All participating mail art must arrive at Wet Paint via US Mail.
-Keep in mind that postcards will “wear” a bit depending on how far they travel- which is part of the fun of mail art!
-Contact your local post office for shipping and postage information.
-Send one or send one every week! We’ve got big windows!

Note: If you are willing, Wet Paint will be up-cycling the postcards (mounting on Strathmore cards) to then donate to Women’s Advocates.  Please let us know if you DO NOT want your postcard donated.
More info about the end of summer exhibition and opening on August 29th to follow.

Wet Paint Address:

Wet Paint
Summer Postcard Project
1684 Grand Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint Professionals

Wet Paint loves Josh & Carl

Painting along Northshore by NeilWe got Don Colley packed up and shipped out on the AMTRAK this morning and we are already changing gears at Wet Paint.  We’ve got a 2fer this Thursday evening.  We truly believe the weather is taking a turn toward warmth and Josh Cunningham and Carl Judson will be outside the store in full plein air regalia.  Josh Cunningham is a favorite Wet Paint customer, a well-respected painter of our Minnesota landscape and cityscape and a truly generous artist.  Josh will be working on a new painting and is ready and willing to talk shop about painting, materials and the specific issues of alla prima with any and all of you interested artists.

carlWhen I saw Carl Judson, founder of Guerrilla Painter, at the art materials show earlier this month, Carl said he could stop by Wet Paint on his road trip back to Colorado.  We lucked out to get him to come through St Paul on the same day as Josh’s demo.  So besides getting to talk with Josh about painting, you get to visit with Carl about the equipment he manufactures to make plein air painting more seamless and compact for the artist.  The last time Carl came by we had a lively conversation about collapsible palettes.  See a demonstration of all the bells and whistles of the Guerrilla Painter line of rugged pochade like boxes.

This is also a great opportunity for you to get Judson’s recent publication, “A Guerrilla Painter’s Notebook III.”  This volume covers such topics as the underappreciated role of the amateur painter, Judson’s own paintings, Judson’s monograph of a favorite artist, Julian Livingston Peabody, and high points of his guerrilla painter travels around the country.  This is a gem of a publication and shows Carl’s talents and appreciations as a true Renaissance individual.

This will be a truly delightful evening with Josh and Carl talking about topics they hold dear.  Their talents and generosity of spirit will inspire and encourage you to start a new picture.  Maybe we can get Josh to paint the front of Wet Paint (he has done the parking lot view; the painting is on view at the store).  Take a look at the new value added Guerrilla Box special kits.  It’s only available in brick and mortar art supply stores.

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint Professionals

Graham on Graham – A Winning Combination

gregheadshot
Greg Graham

If you’ve been a customer of Wet Paint over the past twenty years, you know Greg Graham.  Greg came to Wet Paint from New York State via graduate school in printmaking and sales training in the shoe business as well as Arlene’s Artist materials in Albany.  After all these years of Minnesota nice, Greg maintains his New York edge. Many of you get his personalized attention and advice during your regular visits to Wet Paint.  Tonight we put Greg in the spotlight when he will actually demonstrate his painting techniques using one of Wet Paint’s quality lines of acrylic paint.

artgraham
Art Graham

Art Graham got out of art school and learned the art of paint making from the masters in New York City at Grumbacher during that brand’s heyday.  After too many years of big city living and corporate art materials company buyouts, Art moved to Oregon and built his own paint company, M. Graham.  In facilities not much bigger than a three car garage, Art, his partner Diana and a tiny staff, produce watercolor, gouache, oil and acrylic.  He keeps his product lines short and sweet, just doing it his way.  I am always surprised that the big companies in art materials never recognize the quality of Graham’s paints.  In blind testing, his colors repeatedly equal if not surpass the category leaders.

Ignore tonight’s weather and come over to Wet Paint and see Greg Graham’s painting demonstration with Art Graham’s paint.  It is a winning combination.

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Community Enthusiast Students

Fluorescent Colors

neon 006
Justin outside brightening up a grey March day

It seems like not too long ago fluorescent colors were a big no-no in the art world and art materials industry.  There was no way you could make those colors be eye-popping and archival at the same time.  But now, the concern over light-fastness seems to have been beat out by the popularity of hot fluorescents.  Nearly every country participating in this year’s Winter Olympics donned fluorescent accented gear. In these grey days of the never ending winter, joggers along Summit Avenue light up my day not just with their athletic determination to weather the weather, but their fuchsia and chartreuse shoes, mittens and ear warmers.  It seems that there is life out there and it isn’t all bleak.

neon 003With the need for some sun scorching color, let’s throw archival concerns into its own corner for the moment.  Let’s embrace Golden’s High Flow Acrylics in fluorescents (duly noted “Lightfastness Poor” on the label), and Sakura’s new Gelly Roll Moonlight fine point pens, and Faber Castell’s soon to be released fluorescent Pitt Pens and Speedball’s new fluorescent & Night Glo screen and block printing inks.  And let’s not forget the fluorescent paint markers from Montana and Molotow, the neon Sharpies and the Bistro Chalk Ink markers as well as the UV-reactive, professional grade, Irojiten colored pencils from Tombow.  With all these neon marks, we could generate enough heat to melt this ice jam and have art spring us into the next season.

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint Professionals

Spring Classes at Wet Paint

Wet Paint has two definite camps of customers, one of learners and one of teachers.  There is a regular quest for classes and demos from those who hunger for more knowledge.  I believe it is the nature of many artists to be on a continuous path of learning.  At the same time there are artists who are so enthusiastic and passionate about their art that they cannot contain themselves from sharing their knowledge and experience.   I believe for many, being a teacher is synonymous with being an artist.  Wet Paint is a perfect place to introduce these two camps to each other and we are actively experimenting with different formats where these creative individuals intersect.

ioanastoianWe are fortunate to bring Ioana Stoian to Wet Paint for two origami workshops.  Ioana’s passion is paper and folding.  A professional and an active member of the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper artists, Stoian has written a book, Origami for All, Elegant Designs from Simple Folds, which contains her own original origami designs.  Each workshop has unique seasonal designs which you will learn from a master yet requires no previous experience.  We are trying out some new time slots on these classes, one on Tuesday evening, March 25th and one on Wednesday morning on April 16th.

wetpaintclassesJoyce Francis needs no introduction.  A master calligrapher in search of new artistic outlets, Joyce found the art of contemplative patterning, Zentangle, to be her new passion.  We have had other Zentangle workshops with Joyce and the participants always ask for more.  We have two sessions of the same class coming up on Saturday, March 22.  No experience required.

These classes at Wet Paint are all hands-on 2 hour workshops.  Materials are included and you will have a finished project at the end of the class.  There are workshop fees and registration is required.  You can sign up online, by phone or in person.  If classes don’t meet a minimum enrollment 3 days before the session begins, the class will be cancelled and your class fee will be refunded.

Special offer through March 16

If you sign up for one of these 4 classes over this weekend, you will receive a coupon to be used on a future purchase at Wet Paint. Click here to go to our Events page.

Wet Paint At Large

yumingzhuOver the past few years we have helped bring Sumi-e artist and teacher Yuming Zhu to the Twin Cities.  His following is so great we need to partner with other members of our creative community who have more space.  This April, Yuming is not only teaching a 2 day Sumi-e Painting workshop at Bloomington Theatre and Art Center (BTAC), he will also lecture to accompany an exhibit of his artwork at the Eagan Community Center.

Plus Yuming is offering a unique class on Mounting Techniques for Sumi-e Art on Monday, April 14th, at BTAC.  Many artists who have studied with Yuming have asked for training on this specific sumi-e technique of traditional wet mounting.  This is an intermediate to experienced class, focused on those with a sumi-e and/or framing background.  This is a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience at a master’s side.

The programs at BTAC and Eagan require registration through those respective venues.

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Community News & Media Professionals

Art & Change

bricemardenRecently I came across a video (see below) by one of my favorite painters, Brice Marden.   A “Theory of Painting” start out saying, one of the things about painting is “it stays that way.  You’re different, but it remains the same.”

Two years ago Darin, Wet Paint’s General Manager, saw maybe “the best painting ever” at the Figge Art Museum in Dubuque.  It was Jackson Pollock’s, “Mural,” (featured image for this post) on loan from the Museum of Art at the University of Iowa.  Jay, Wet Paint’s delivery service and handyman, stopped by the museum a few days later and was totally awed.  The next summer we went to see the Pollock which by that time was at the Des Moines Art Center.  Jay didn’t believe it was the same painting.  The lighting was so different from one museum to the other, it completely changed the painting.

poserRight now I am reading “Poser – My life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses” by Claire Dederer.  This personal memoir moves between growing up in the 1970s and the present, with chapters organized by the poses of her yoga practice.  She writes about her attachment to books in her youth as a way to cope with separated parents.  As a child she would read “Little Women” over and over again because it didn’t change; the story was the same every time she read it and that gave some permanence to a life in flux.

“My life in 30 Years of Art Supplies” would feature at least one chapter on how hard it is for people, artists, employees, customers, to accept change.  I’ve always thrived on change myself.  That is until I met the internet.  It seems that Facebook changes how you find your friends about every other day.

This circuitous route brings me to announce a change at Wet Paint.  This is the soft opening of our new website. http://www.wetpaintart.com.   Our computer system which runs everything from cash registers to mailing lists offered a new platform for our website.  It promises changes that will enhance your online experience with Wet Paint.  We have tried to present our instore culture with online content as well as offering online sales too. It has been a long process because we are constantly changing our products, offering new events, writing new content.  So bear with us while we work out the kinks.  There are some links that the vast web of the internet hasn’t found yet.

http://www.figgeartmuseum.org/

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/.

http://www.clairedederer.com/