As a self employed artist, money is
something I have to keep a tight check on so that I know where funds
are going so it's not too surprising to look at a dwindling amount of
supplies and think which is more important: grabbing a meal because
of being a bit hungry or finding the supplies I need to produce more
art. There are admittedly times where the need for supplies out
weighs the need to find something edible to stuff in my mouth. So
when the offer of paper came up when talking to my curator's husband
the other day, I was extremely grateful.
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| Utrecht Art Supplies listing for roll of paper |
The story starts with the passing of
one of our most respected artists, Kenneth Potter, earlier this year
and his daughters having asked my curator and her husband to take
care of his art and the belongings of the house. Well it would seem
that after several months of non-stop cleaning and donating of
clothes and furniture, he figured that it would be best to ask a
couple of us if we wouldn't mind some paper and such. I said yes
since I actually was nearing the end of my own paper supply and was
trying to figure out how I was going to get more while waiting for a
couple of clients to finish their payments. He comes to my house on
Saturday with his van stuffed to the gills with various types of
paper and I couldn't help but get giddy over some of the items. One
was a large roll of watercolor paper, which I had been looking into
purchasing but the cost would have been a bit of a dent in my current
budget. For those who are unfamiliar with watercolor paper, it comes
in pads, single sheets, or if you want to go bulk there is the option
of rolls. Of course the prices vary between each of those and also if
it is hot press, cold press, smooth, rough or medium, the 'weight' of
the paper, and even the manufacturer of the paper. Have a feeling
that I've lost people on that past part but hot press and cold press
is the process of which when forming the paper, the rollers are
either hot or cold when the paper is being pressed through which
assists in the texture of the paper. Weight is usually stated as
pounds (i.e. 140lb, 150lb, 300lb) actually isn't really how heavy the
paper is but how thick it is. The roll itself can range between $125
to $190 depending on these factors and where you are ordering it
from. One of the sheets of paper I was able to acquire was a hot
press smooth and depending on where you get it, it averages about $26
per sheet. So as you can see, I was ecstatic at being able to have
these. He also ended up giving me several sketch pads and some ink
for calligraphy along with letting me know that if he finds anything
that I could possibly use, he would let me know.
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| Match books from California to Germany & Sweden (dates unknown) |
Sunday I ended up receiving another
call from him letting me know that he found a FULL calligraphy set
and was if I could bring some paper for one of our other artists
could have it. I said sure and decided to bring along one of the 2
rolls I had acquired. This is where things got interesting. Once
there, my boyfriend and myself found ourselves scavenging the home of
a fellow artists trying to figure out what supplies I could have use
for. Pretty much most everything was up for grabs and it was
overwhelming to see how much the man had stock piled in his house.
Was able to claim some more supplies, which I am thrilled about, but
also some little odds and ends that I have a feeling that if I hadn't
grabbed them would have been dumped as junk including a collection of
matchbooks that he had gathered during his travels. I'll probably go
ahead and find some way of framing them since though they aren't in
the best of condition, they do have some history to them. Had
discovered them in a small box near shelves of flammable supplies for
print making. Never said that Ken was the most organized man but dear
lord.
Among some of my happy finds was a box containing several
Styrofoam cases filled with calligraphy ink bottles, a stack of
Architectural Digest Magazines, carved picture frame, a few wooden
wine boxes (destined to become plant holders in the back yard),
various art magazines, random hardware which we can use around the
house, tripod, and some color pencils. If I look at everything which
I was have been able to receive during the weekend, I realized it has
saved me close to $900+. Now the only thing I have to do is continue
my attempt of cleaning and getting rid of things in my house that I
don't need and reorganize everything that I am keeping. Already have
donated several bags worth of clothing I no longer have any use for
due to various reasons but I still have so much more to go through in
order to have the bedroom (which doubles as my office/studio area)
the way I want it so that it is efficient and organized. Also have
the rest of the house to tackle as well since my father and I have
been planning some renovations for the kitchen. Just glad that I have
been able to save a bit of money. Now I just need to clean things up
over here so that I can put the supplies away properly instead of
where I have them stacked in the living room at the moment.
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