A few more pencils...........

I had such a shock at the garage this morning after I found out how much a new remote control key for my car was going to cost. (Is losing your remote control better or worse than leaving it in your jeans when you put them in the washing machine???) So much so that I had to go and have a quick therapeutic visit to the huge warehouse which houses my local art supplies store and which is just around the corner from the garage.

And, of course, I've been really, really good of late and haven't bought any pencils. But this is the place where I can buy Lyra Rembrandt from open stock (and FC polychromos and Pablos) and I'd so enjoyed using the Rembrandts on the last few pieces (they slip and slide like no others) I decided I'd better buy a few "just in case". Anyway, said art store did not have a stock of Polydraw which my friend Gayle tells me is the best thing ever for her drawing - and I want some. So I came out with a few sheets of Arches and Fabriano HP instead - including a sheet of Arches engraving paper which I'm trying for the first time.

And, of course, I then had to try my other local art store. Which didn't have Polydraw either - but they did have the last 5 Greyed Lavender Karisma pencils in the UK (well that I've found anyway) so I had too have those as well and then just a few more of other choice colours I use a lot of. Well they have been discontinued and it puts off the order to Mr Blick a bit longer. And then I noticed that I didn't seem to have all the Van Gogh artist pencil colours in my stockpile - so had a few of those as well. And then I found my absolute favourite sketching pen which I can never ever find anywhere (Pilot-G-TEC-C4) in the sepia ink colour (extremey scarce) so had to have a few of those as well.

All in all, it was very satisying but rather expensive therapy for that very expensive remote control key! I'm going to have to go on the wagon again - no more visits to art shops this month!

A final thought - I'd actually gone out shopping to find a new monitor and price it as my existing one is showing every sign of imploding on me in the near future. Didn't see any of those though................the pencils seduced me again!

art , drawing , pencil , pencils , pen and ink