Written by:
dougc

We will be running another demonstration on stretching, priming, and the application of an imprimatura Saturday, May 24th.

Also, be on the lookout for our upcoming summer demos- plein aire painting, mat cutting, and we will be taking an excursion or 2 out to go painting as a group in the field… and anyone who wants to come and meet other painters will be invited!

stay tuned and we will announce dates soon

Written by:
dougc

Here is an insteresting campaign to make artists and their needs more visible to legislators and others in massachusetts. It begins with the premise (rightly so I believe) that many artists list other means of employment on their taxes returns, leading to an incorrect quantification of massachusett’s artist population, and hopes to make them more visible through this census. take a look…

http//www.artistsfoundation.org/survey.html

Written by:
dougc

Above: Preparing the surface of the linen with a coat of oil primer after first sizing the surface twice with the utrecht acrylic sizing to protect the fibers from the oil. I prefer to knife prime and buff out any marks that the knife leaves behind with a brush or piece of scrap fabric. This process with repeated sanding produces a very smooth service.

Above: This is for everyone that comes in looking for a way to paint directly onto the Linen for its wonderful color… You can size the linen and paint directly into it… BUT… proper adhesion of the paint film cannot be guaranteed. I prefer to prep the surafce as shown above; creating an imprimatura that is hand rubbed into the primed surface with a rag. The imprimatura should be just paint and turps/mineral spirits- any added oil will make it too “fat” for good adhesion. In this case I used a mixture of raw umber and mars black to produce a very linen-like tone. You can even begin to wipe your lights back out of the wet imprimatura, beginning the process of establishing the value structure of the painting. (the imprimatura is over two coats of utrecht acrylic sizing, and 3 coats of oil primer sanded in between each layer)

Above: Cotton canvas stretches in just the same manner- while not nearly as strong as linen it is a more economical choice

Written by:
dougc

The Phoenix is compiling their “Best 08″ issue, and accepting votes in all sorts of categories…..including….(drum roll) Best Art Store! So if you Love Utrecht we would appreciate your vote. Thanks to all of our loyal customers!

here is the link ——–>

http://thephoenix.com/theBest/BOSTON/vote.aspx?id=1082

Written by:
dougc

beginning to stretch a piece of linen- I know what you are thinking….am I a professional hand model?

sewing the linen tape bands, paper signatures, and endpapers together

Written by:
dougc

By popular demand we will be running another canvas stretching demonstration on Saturday March 29th from 1:00pm -3:00pm.
I will be stretching linen and cotton canvas, and showing the processes of priming with acrylic gesso and with a traditional oil primer.

Written by:
dougc

Hello to all GSD students-

As we approach several heavy model building periods we just wanted to let you know that we have free delivery available for full cases of chipboard/ foamcore/ or other model building boards. We can make deliveries mid-day Tuesdays or Thursdays depending upon our available coverage. Give us a call with any questions. Thanks!

Written by:
dougc

We will be holding a canvas stretching demonstration on Saturday January 26th- I (Douglas) will be talking about material choices and showing methods for priming with acrylic gesso, as well as more traditional methods (with current material twists)… stretching linen with an Acrylic/PVA sizing and oil priming with a knife for a beautiful painting surface.

Come and learn how to make your own canvases to your desired size and surface.

Written by:
dougc

If you are looking for art supplies or need any help with your next project do not hesitate to stop by and ask anyone here for help. We’d love to see you!

Greetings. My name is Douglas Cushing, and I am manager of the Utrecht location in Cambridge Massachusetts. I have been with Utrecht for 8 years.

I am an alumni of Rhode Island School of Design, with a BFA in illustration; focusing upon painting/drawing skills and the overtly narrative aspect of concept in illustrative practice. I was a freelance illustrator doing magazine illustration for a number of years before joining the Utrecht team. I have returned in the past few years to the medium that was the foundation of my education: oil. My current work conflates the narrative and themes of the classical painters, and the curious discoveries and exploration of unexpected connection present in the surrealists and dada artists to a lesser extent. I happily keep studio in the Joy Street neighborhood of Somerville.

We are located deep within the People’s Republic of Cambridge… nestled in the furniture district between Harvard Square and Central Square at 1030 Massachusetts Avenue. We are neighbors to Design Within Reach and reside a nearby to the intersections of Mass Ave, Mt Auburn, Putnam Ave, and Trowbridge.

We offer a wide assortment of materials with hundreds of brands to choose from for the Fine Artist, Architect, Designer, or hobbyist. We have a strong Architectural selection and cater to those in need of architectural model building supplies with a wide selection and very high in-stock levels. We also have a very strong selection for the fine artist, carrying in-store brands such as Utrecht, Golden, Old Holland, Williamsburg, Raphael, Winsor & Newton and lots more.
Our canvas selection is also unparalleled for those in the know… and we have just introduced a line of beautiful pre-stretched oil primed linen of a quality you won’t find anywhere else in Cambridge.

We are able to special order items weekly for a fast turnaround as well: I order most every Tuesday morning by 11:00 AM and our shipments arrive mid-day Wednesdays. In addition we offer custom framing through our frame shop in Boston.

Our staff consists of experienced painters. Edward Dormody, Assistant Manager, has a well rounded background in painting from Montserrat College of Art- and can answer most any technical question for you. Sarah Morrison, Second Assistant Manager, has a background in illustration and painting from University of Massachusetts and has a strong knowledge of drawing materials, acrylic, watercolor/gouache… and is currently endeavoring to learn oils (yay!) Also on staff are Jeffrey (strong painting background and dj extraordinaire) Hannibal (with a pedigree in the comic book industry and decades of working knowledge in most direct painting and drawing mediums) Pablo (painter and draughtsman) Ian (though he’s a sound guy first this musician and engineer knows more than most about artists materials…and he’s from NJ) Yani (set painter/designer during the week and Utrecht staff on the weekend)

Well, I hope that acquaints you somewhat with our store and we do hope to see you soon. Bring your creativity and your questions… we will supply the materials and the answers to make your ideas come into being.

Sincerely,

Douglas Cushing

Store Manager
Utrecht Art Supplies
1030 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge Ma 02138
617.495.0250