FREE DEMO sponsored by Speedball:

First 25 registered attendees receive a complimentary t-shirt to print on:

Our associates will lead an instructional demonstration on how to create a screen print at home.  We will take you through all the detailed steps needed to complete an image that can be screened onto t-shirts, bags, anything you wish to have a more personalized look! We will also provide the screen, ink and squeegee. Additional T-shirts can be purchased for $1.99.

3 Ways to Register for this Event:

 1 Stop in the store and put your name on the list:
Utrecht Art Supplies @ MIAD143 N. Broadway
Milwaukee WI
53202 

2 Call to Sign Up:       Phone:414-847-3304 

3 Online Reservation:    

Visit Our Blog

or Facebook Page

http://www.miad.utrechtblog.com 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1552929912 

 There is no cost to participate. 

Utrecht Art Supplies is proud to announce its 60th Anniversary Juried Art Competition, in appreciation for the patronage of Artists over the past six decades.  All artists are invited to submit works created in Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, or Mixed Media.  In recognition of excellence,  Utrecht will be awarding over $12,000 in prizes!

 Deadline is September 1, 2009

For more information, to enter the contest and upload you image, visit:

www.utrechtart.com/contest

Mat Cutting Made Easy

This month in the Utrecht Learning Center we’ll be learning how to cut a bevel mat using Logan’s 301-S Compact Mat Cutter. With a little practice, you can learn to cut custom mats that display your artwork with pride and professionalism.

Once you master the basic steps, use your creativity to experiment with your own designs, such as those shown here.

First, a little about matboard...
Matboard is a multi-layered product made especially for framing artwork. The most commonly available matboard is made from processed wood pulp. It comes in a wide variety of surface colors and textures and the core is typically white or cream-colored. (Some matboard has a core that is black or a few other colors.) The surface is a thick covering of art paper that is fade and bleed resistant. Untreated wood pulp contains acid, which, over time, damages what it comes in contact with. To protect the work you’re matting, use buffered, acid-free matboard. Most matboard is available in 32″ x 40″ sheets and some come in even larger sizes.

Measure twice, cut once
To determine the mat opening size, you must allow at least ¼” (7mm) overlap on each edge of the chosen image so the edges don’t show or fall through the mat window. Use the following worksheet to help calculate the sizes of your opening, borders, and overall matboard.

Now you’ll need to adhere your artwork to the mat. A simple but effective method is called the t-hinge. Using a framer’s acid free hinging tape, follow the following steps:
1. Lay your matboard face down on a clean surface and position the artwork face down over the window.
2. Cut and apply two small vertical tabs of tape along the top edge of the artwork, an inch or so from the corners.
About half the tape should adhere to the art and half to the mat.
3. Lift up the mat and ensure the image is displayed in the window as you wish it to be. Move the tape and image around, if necessary.
4. Cut and apply another tab of tape horizontally across the tape on the mat. One horizontal piece on each of the verticals, to form Ts.

Tips for Keeping a “Green” Studio!

There are many ways to stay green in the art studio. One of the best ways is by finding a use for the scraps and leftovers that might otherwise be thrown out. This month we showed you how to cut a simple mat, but before you throw out that piece you cut out of the middle, here are a few ideas on ways you can re-use them. *Mat scraps will have a beveled edge that can be pretty sharp, it can be easily trimmed off for any of these uses.

1. Cut a small window to create a viewfinder for landscape painting.
2. Use the white (or colored) side to do quick color studies in oil or acrylic paint.
3. The colored side makes a great surface for oil or chalk pastel sketches.
4. Fortify an envelope when mailing prints or drawings.
5. Cut a large scrap into 2 inch wide L shapes to get ideas on cropping an image or for choosing mat colors when framing finished pieces.
6. Stretch watercolor paper over a scrap for a more sturdy painting surface.
7. Use small pieces for scrapbooking.
8. Mat an even smaller piece of art!

Other tips for keeping a green studio:

1. Use washable rags instead of paper towels.
2. Choose papers that are made from recycled materials.
3. Seek out materials that are made using sustainable practices.
4. Avoid toxic pigments & harsh chemical processes.
5. Responsibly dispose of any harmful products you do use (turpentine, mediums, etc).
6. Look at alternatives, like egg tempera, beeswax mediums and waterbased paints.
7. If you work with materials that produce vapors or dust make sure to use an air purifier to limit what gets released into the atmosphere.
8. Seek other people’s leftovers! Material scraps from textile companies or misprinted materials from paper companies.

The more research you do and the more effort you put in will have a greater impact on the quality of life in your studio and environment at large. If you have any great green tips or practices, be sure to share them with us by leaving a comment or sending an email to learningcenter@utrecht.com. We’ll add them to this list! Stay Green!

We have a new shipment of 16×20 solid black mounting boards. These can be purchased individually or as a 10 pack for 20% off (for a limited time). Just in time for your end of the semester portfolio.

On Friday April 17th Utrecht@MIAD will be open late until 8pm for Gallery Night and to celebrate MIAD’s Senior Thesis Show. Come on down to see our employee show. We will also have refreshments on hand. We are also closing early on Saturday, april 18th at 3pm for inventory. We will re-open on Monday morning at 7:30am. BE OUR FRIEND ON FACEBOOK and see what FACEBOOK FRIDAY’S are all about.

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http://www.artinmilwaukee.com/

Come down to our MIAD store to see the work of our talented Utrecht employees from both our Milwaukee locations. 

Utrecht Art Supplies in Milwaukee introduces FACEBOOK FRIDAY’S! We are now offering 30% off one non-sale, in-stock item at either one of our Milwaukee locations for our Facebook friends. One discount per customer, cannot be combined with any other offer, special orders or kits. Become our Facebook friend today and receive great special offers like these and keep up with what is going on at your art supply store.