Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

   I recently bought myself a set of the Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt  pencils. Having tried other matte graphite (and carbon) pencils, such as the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and the Blackwing Matte Pencils , I was eager to try these to see how they differed!       What an interesting pencil! I was pleasantly surprised that these didn't feel like a carbon pencil like the other two pencil brands that I have tried. Usually when a company claims that something is a matte graphite there is typically a lot of added carbon, giving the pencil more of a charcoal like feel. These didn't seem to have that same feeling.       That being said, they did feel different than regular graphite. They did not feel as smooth or slick. This is not a good or bad thing, just an observation. They also had some odd crumbs that were difficult to remove without an eraser, but they were not too much of a hindrance overall. They were darker and less shiny than regular graphite and did not need as

      Sometimes it takes going through tough times to realize what's important to you. I had that moment recently when I hurt my left arm and my lower back at my day job. Nothing too serious, but I missed a day at work and the injuries did warrant multiple visits to the doctor.      I was told by the doctor that I needed to do light duty at work for a while and since it was my dominant arm that was injured, when I asked about creating art, I was told that I should also refrain from drawing and painting for a couple of weeks.      I heeded the advice of my doctor, I took Ibuprofen, used heat on my injuries, and did the stretches they recommended. I also took time off from creating art. However, after the first week away from art, I was going stir crazy and could feel my mental health declining. That was something that I was not okay with. I cannot be without art.   So, I decided I would create art anyway, but instead, I would use my non-dominant hand!!                       

   My art supply obsession struck again! I just couldn't resist trying these. I actually first saw the Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Markers online a few years ago and had them on my wish list ever since. A few months ago I treated myself to the set of 20 and just got the chance to finally sit down and try them!    I absolutely love Faber-Castell's other products, their Polychromos are one of my go-to colored pencils and their Pitt Artist Pens are one of the only markers I will use in fine art. They make fantastic watercolor pencils, also under the Albrecht Durer name. A fun thing about Faber-Castell is that all their color lines match, which means if you love a color in one of their lines you can get it in all their other supplies too! So, I was super excited to see that they also offered watercolor markers and was eager to try them.    The only thing is, I had next to no experience with watercolor markers as a medium. I decided I would take what I know from w

     Those of you who know me know that I LOVE trying new art supplies! Most artists do right? That's why mystery art boxes are such a fun concept! Unfortunately, I do not currently have it in my budget to commit to an art box subscription. Thankfully, most art subscription boxes offer previous boxes for sale so that you can choose a box of your liking and do a onetime purchase.      That's what my husband did for me for Valentine's day, he bought me an ArtSnacks box! In the past, I have bought a previous box for my nephew for his birthday. However, I had never had the chance to indulge in one myself! So much fun!      The box my husband got me was from May 2021 and it was a gouache themed box. It came with two colors of gouache (magenta and white) as well as an eraser, a graphite pencil and a dagger shaped paintbrush. This made for a fun monochromatic challenge. I decided to create a nice warm sky with tree's silhouetted against it, the color scheme made for a delightf

      As some of you may know, I am renovating my art studio. This has given me the chance to look over what I have and to reflect on the tools that I have gathered over the years.       This got me to thinking about all the tools that I have in my studio that are not actually art supplies. I decided to compile a list and share it with others who might find it helpful when setting up their own art studio.     Many of these tools are seemingly uninteresting, I mean, buying paint and pencils is the fun part, right? Who wants to shop for tape? However, it takes more than just pretty art supplies to keep a studio running.     Here are a few of the things, in no particular order, that I touch on in my video. To hear more feel free to watch the video below! * Rags, studio wipes and paper towels. Great for cleanup, to wipe your brush on and for creating certain effects in your work (just make sure you opt for lint free if you are touching it to your artwork.) * Spray bottles for re-wetting p