Tools of the Trade...

I'm often teased at home for the amount of times I suffer from regret over not buying something when I saw it.  I tend to dither and wonder if I can justify the expense or of I will use the item concerned, then a few weeks later I wish I'd bought it and find out the article is either sold out or was somewhere too expensive to return to. However, I am trying to be a bit more sensible, especially when it comes to art materials.

Our local really-cheap-we-sell-everything shop has a bit of an art section for some reason.  The paints and brushes are cheap and nasty, but the other day I found this really cool portable sketch board - it's about A3 size, has a clip for the paper, is made of light MDF and has that excellent handle.  And it was a whole £2.99 - no dithering this time!  I know I will use this either out and about or just for when I am not at my desk.

Yesterday I had a day out in London - a visit to my favourite paintings at the National Gallery (Whistlejacket by Stubbs, various Monets, Van Goghs and Rousseau's 'Surprise!' to name but a few) and then a trip to the discount art store round the corner.  I don't currently need paper, boards or sketchbooks, but at their prices I would have been stupid not to stock up for the future.

Maybe now I will be inspired to pick up a paintbrush - I haven't painted for far too long.