Working Large

Earlier this summer I visited Houston and stopped by the fabulous Texas Art Supply store. This is one of my favorite art stores ever.* Basically my test for a "good art store" is do they carry litho crayons. It has been 5 years since I did lithography and I no longer have access to stones or a press, but this is still my metric. It's such a historic yet arduous medium that only stores that cater to serious art students would bother to stock such items. Items which generate very little profit, mind you -- litho crayons sell for a couple bucks. There are plenty of stores that cater to more popular media: painting, crafting, drawing, but you're not going to find the cool stuff like cerulean oil paint crayons with a color that makes you salivate (I still want that pigment but I need a plan to use it before I let myself buy it.)

 Okay, so Texas Art Supply is a store where you will be swooning over all the pretty colors and items. I found an urge to work large and loose, and I found these cool paint markers. The tip is about .5 in across.

I used three markers and a big sheet of bristol paper tonight.

My pattern was inspired by tortoises and an incredible design from the 1920s I found here.

*Two other favorite art stores: Flax in San Francisco, and the University Bookstore in Missoula, MT. Have a favorite art store? Please leave a comment, and also let me know if they have litho crayons.