01/02/2004: "Masterpiece Vincent Masterwrap"

Well, I finally got my canvases ordered. Dec 31st was the last day of the sale. I spoke with two product specialists at Dick Blick and decided finally on the Masterpiece Vincent Masterwrap canvases. A canvas 18 x 24 only costs 11.84. I bought 12 canvases in various sizes, then bought the same sizes in the Blick gallery wood frames. An 18 x 24 readymade frame only cost 17.98.

I would have prefered making the canvases myself but my back is still bothering me and the process of building my canvases is very labor intensive, and expensive. You need to buy 1 by 2s, quarter round molding, masonite (for the triangles that reinforce the corners), not to mention the cost of the canvas and gesso. I am just hoping that these canvases are as nice as the tech support people led me to believe...

The other cool thing is that I ordered a new easle. I wanted something like the Santa Fe IV or Artisan Wood Grand studio easle ($2,499.00). But I settled for the Windsor and Newton Shannon Easel ($89.98) which comes full assembled. It will be a step up from the easle I've been using for the past 10 years, which I built myself.

I was impressed with the shipping charges too. They ship for free on orders over 200 bucks in the lower 48, but only offer discounted shipping to Alaska. Still, the order was 92 pounds and the shipping only came to 30 bucks. That is an incredible deal.

The stuff should get here on, well, hopefully sometime next week. I can't wait to get started. I got a phone call on my answering machine when I got home, someone who bought one of my paintings last year is interested in buying another one. Yeah. I really need to get past the prep stage and start creating some new work.