Jerry's trip review

[Toril]

So I went to Jerry's Artarama last Friday. Very nice and helpful staff.

I have experimented a little with some of purchases and have very mixed experiences!

I love the whites I bought - Winsor & Newton Artists' Flake White, Transparent White and Iridescent White. I can see how I will use all three, so far I'm using Flake White and love the richness of color that is retained. Finally got rid of that flate cotton-blue that was the result regardless what I mixed with Titanium.

Still have to play with Oxide of Chromium (wanted an opaque natural green) and Transparent Yellow. Those two were a lot more expensive than I thought - but now I know how the price segments work. May buy some of that stuff from W&N that was in that demo video everyone was talking about a little while back, to stretch them...

Also found a set of 8 Robert Simmons' Signet brushes, with a pouch, for under $30. They were exactly the sizes and types I was going to get, so it was a much better deal than paying $6-8 for the individual ones. However, I absolutely hate them!

They do not render a precise line, and straggling hairs put paint 'next door' in areas I don't want it. Looking at an 8 Bright from the side, it looks like a worn-out brush that needs a serious haircut. It looks like the hairs on the outside are shorter and weaker than the ones in the core, so they sprout off to all sides and make a mess when I paint next to another color.

Not really sure what to do with them? Did I get a bad batch? Do they put the ones that got dismissed in quality control in these pouches?

[Newb]

How was the store itself? I have bought from them online and it was a pleasant experience. On eastern Long Island there isn't much besides AC Moore and Michaels which are geared more to crafts than art supplies. Michaels charges full list on their paints. Blicks is about a 1 hr ride away and I have yet to get there. There is a little art supply store near where I work and their prices and service blows Michaels and AC Moore away away but the selection lacks due to their size even though I was impressed with their offerings (good high end stuff). The one color I went in for though, they were out of and would be for at least a month or two. Since the Pearl chain imploded there isn't much to choose from out here. Guess I will continue to shop online until things change.

[Toril]

Jerry's was like a big warehouse, very utilitarian. Young, artsy and helpful staff. I saw an easel I really would like... $60, he recommended it as really good for the money. I'll get it when I feel that I actually can manage to produce anything worthwhile. Right now I've spent 4 hours painting and feel very defeated. Can't get this water right!

It's 1+ hour from where I live, into the bowels of interstate and traffic he!!. I couldn't go back the way I came because traffic was backed up 8 miles before the tunnel I have to go through, so I ended up taking another way home via a bridge that has less traffic. This is routine on Fridays. I would have gone there all the time if it was just the drive, but the traffic is scary.