Earlier this month I received an invitation to be an “Ampersand Artist Ambassador” and I am truly honored. Ampersand™ Art Supply is family-owned company based in Buda TX which engineers the only archivally sealed artist panels on the market today. They produce the panels I love to use for watercolors and scratchboards and a variety of other art panels for many media… plus tools, inks, floater frames and more. The company hand-picked about 50 artists from across the US to launch this new program, and I am overjoyed to become part of this exclusive team.
This is a true win-win, designed to help support artists, like me, who use Ampersand products and present classes and workshops to introduce and instruct others to use them. As part of this program, Ampersand will provide online resources to support teaching artists – workshop tools, social media assets, and expanded web presence. In return, Ampersand will get increased product exposure, valuable feedback from its Artist Ambassadors, input in product development and more.
To properly represent Ampersand Art, each Ambassador must pass a certification process to become knowledgeable about the company and its products. Ampersand created a series of 15 videos, ranging in topics from company history to manufacturing practices to product details. Ambassadors are tested on the video content with exams totalling about 150 multiple choice questions. Sorry to brag, but I passed with a perfect score!
I’ve actually been an ‘unofficial’ ambassador for Ampersand since I first used their white Claybord™ panels over 20 years ago. “Her Highness,” shown above, was one of my first watercolors on this smooth scratchboard surface, which I also used in paintings done with black ink and with acrylic paints. In recent years I discovered Ampersand’s Aquabord®, a white clay panel with a slightly textured surface, more like the watercolor paper I favor. I’ve learned to love the unique characteristics of using watercolor on this rigid panel, which can provide distinct advantages compared with working on paper. The ability to lift and remove pigments allows me to create amazing textures in some of my favorite painting subjects, such as animals, fabrics, hair and beards, flora, and barnwood. See my painting “Sweet Dreams” as an example. In the past 2 years I’ve also been creating new art on Ampersand Scratchbord™, a clay scratchboard panel with a smooth black surface. I’ve used it for dramatic artwork, using various knives and abrasives to create a range of values in black and white. In a few of my Scratchbord paintings, I’ve added inks or transparent paints to enhance the black and white surface, as on “Purple Cow.” One of the many qualities I love about these panels is the ability to seal the painted surface with a clear coating, so I can display them without matting or glass… just fastened into a frame.
I have shared my tools, techniques, tips, struggles, discoveries, and results of using Ampersand scratchboards by presenting classes and writing posts on my blog. By entering my scratchboard paintings in art exhibitions and competitions, I try to showcase the exciting and distinctive possibilities of artwork on these surfaces to new audiences. I’ve been winning awards for my scratchboard art too! Ampersand Art has been enormously supportive of me, providing product samples and literature for my students. I strongly advocate the use of these museum panels and I favor Ampersand as an American manufacturer and an innovative company.
Ampersand Art works in close partnership with artists and has developed many proprietary processes and patented technologies in the creation of its products. Ampersand pays strict attention to every detail of production, from the raw materials to sturdy construction to surface coatings. The company is committed to creating high quality acid-free art surfaces which will pass the test of time with no discoloration or warping. Raw materials include FSC Certified sustainable wood and materials chosen for strength, uniformity and long term stability. There are no harmful compounds or dangerous emissions in the manufacturing of the panels. Each product is made with stringent standards, guaranteeing artists that every panel will be of consistent quality from one painting to the next. I am proud to represent Ampersand.
Ampersand’s acid-free signature painting surfaces are made for fine art in every media, from oils to encaustics to collage to pencils to pastels. Learn more about the various Ampersand Museum panels on their website, and try them out yourself:
Claybord™
Aquabord™
Scratchbord™
Gessobord™
Encausticbord™
Pastelbord™
Hardbord™
