Tools of the Trade

I've been invited to give another demonstration to the Wheatland Society of Artists in Strathmore on March 27 so I thought I would share some of the tools I'll be bringing with me.  I really have fun with mark-making on canvas...it's a great time to play...and so whenever I teach a workshop or give a demonstration I like to bring my little sample canvas along with some of the tools I use.  My hands-down favorite are my hands (pardon the pun), so I tend to steer clear of paints that are more toxic such as anything mixed with cadmium or inexpensive craft paints (too many unknown fillers). 

And here are my top go-to tools:

lids...from milk, juice, detergent, peanut butter (I prefer sturdy ones and a variety of sizes)
spray bottle for water
different sizes of brushes including house painting brushes for larger works (lines, dots, shapes - and the end of the handle for scratching into paint)
notched trowel (for setting tile cement - available in a hardware store)
paper towel (I like to look for interesting patterns)
foam brushes (often in different sizes) for dabbing, thick lines, and to create great circles
eye dropper (for thinned paint and ink or brush rinsing water when the colour is interesting)
palette knife (great for adding large organic blocks of colour and for scratching into thick paint)
a dull pencil (also for scratching and drawing lines, shapes & words into paint)

I like to browse hardware, dollar and kitchen stores for unique tools (forks are terrific, too) and if there are empty rolls from the cash register or debit machine at the library I commandeer them as well.  The garage is also great for different grades of sandpaper, scraping tools and I have also been using stencils (both purchased and hand-made) as well as rubber stamps (both purchased and hand-made).

Finally (or initially), I occasionally like to add texture with gel medium, modeling paste or spackle (the notched trowel is fantastic for that...it makes great lines and circles) but mostly I just use paint because I am concerned about the integrity of the finished product and because I'm a simple gal I like to keep the supplies basic.