It is a common misconception, especially among small businesses that if they undercut the competition and sell for less, then everyone else will be unable to compete, and will ending up placarding their business with the result that the price cutter will garner all the trade and then exert monopoly pricing. It just doesn`t work like that. My first mentor in the business world was a merchandise manager of a chain of stores coast to coast to coast in Canada. He was a wily old coyote and he recounted the story of a business in Winnipeg called The Man with the Axe. They sold for less, in the goal of winning the monopoly of low priced clothing and accessories. Apparently, customers would stand in line around the block to get into Mr. Axe`s store. Not long after, Mr. Axe closed up. There is a lesson there that the cheapest price does not guarantee a business that will serve its customers satisfactorily over the long term. Its not possible to have the lowest price on everything and its not viable to play “get the business” since a business acquired by the cheap is usually not sustainable.

We carry the complete Jo Sonja line of paints and mediums.

So, there is always someone game to cut the price …There was a customer we had who was buying great guns for a while. They were selling on the web at prices cheaper than what they paid from us and selling individual bottles from the packaging. Every week there was some crazy offer in the e-mail of some pitch that was nonsensical, and usually at cost, slightly above it, or sometimes below it. The idea was to be the king, and it appeared, to put everyone out of business. Fortunately, we avoided getting burned on the payments side and this once swaggering client crashed and burned after the novelty of the act wore off.

I can`t say that Liquitex is the best value in better quality acrylic paint, but it has a very loyal following and we carry the complete line of paints and mediums.

For wholesale inquiries contact info@madamepickwick.com and ask about our free-freight promotion in Quebec and Ontario

---Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste is a matte, opaque preparation of marble dust and polymer emulsion. Dries more slowly than other modeling pastes to a hard, yet flexible surface. Use to build heavy textures and three-dimensional forms. Recommended for use on supports with occasional flexing. A great addition to any collection of acrylic painting supplies or craft supplies.---

Eventually, we came up with a smoother version of  paste and this seems to be the most popular. When we began selling Liquitex we were exposed to a whole new treasure load, a motherlode of paste. I thought the light modeling paste was great idea. The container weighs as much as a small bag of marshmallows. It seems ideal. The artists seem to apply it pretty heavily which puts a lot of wight on the cotton canvas. The light paste seems like a solution. However, what has been adopted as the favorite is something called flexible modeling paste. Hard to understand, except it supposedly will never crack, which is doubtful. All it takes is for the product to appear in a couple magazines, some books and popular pattern packets and its off to the races.

"Fierro" in the romance languages means "iron". DecoArt has developed this elegant, subtle texture combined with glistening metallic flakes to be used on a wide variety of surfaces in your home. Use Texture Fierro to create the appearance of high-end, gallery quality picture frames, contemporary art and more.

DecoArt had the brilliant idea several years ago to come out with an extensive line called Textures which has three different types of paste in about six or seven colors each with mediums to go with them. Its been very popular. Their metallic series called Fierro has some serious issues with off-gases that in the past made the product pop- a small explosion- on our warehouse shelves. I think two or three colors have been off the market; they are having trouble ironing out the kinks.

For wholesale information contact benjamin Bouchard at info@madamepickwick.com

Created by Artist Tracy Moreau, Texture Stencils come in twelve 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch stencils and can be used with DecoArt Textures to create a variety of stunning effects. Tracy Moreau's Texture Stencils come in three popular themes: American Classic, European Elegance and Retro Chic. Each theme consists of: one double motif stencil, one all-over or background stencil, one sheet of three small motifs and one sheet of two border motifs.

We still have the Pickwick stencils but have gone into carrying almost all of the Delta stencils line as well as the Tracy Moreau stencils from DecoArt, which is backed up by a big line of different modeling pastes called Textures. If both of these companies had designer labels they could likely sell their good three times as expensive. Being a craft label, they had to position the retail selling as a price proposition. The Tracy Moreau stencils are beautiful designs and incredibly well packaged and they sell for under $6. Made in the U.S.A. Hard to believe. The Delta stencils are made in China, are even cheaper and there is no problem with quality.  Its a huge line. It means that if people are willing to roll up their sleeves and use their noggin, they can do some decent decorative work in their home for a real minimal price.

With our Studio Backstage airbrush company, we have also been looking into making stencils for this market. Its ideal. The prices they get are well… Imagine how expensive it should be and multiply by seven.

Find out about our stencil pricing  at info@madamepickwick.com and ask about our free-shipping promotion.

Madame Pickwick hot air balloon sale is still flying. We can't promise to deliver you goods by balloon, such as this late eighteenth-century model, but you never know...

We wonder if the brushes were named after the Regency period in English history which was bold, bawdy and just plain bad. We have great deals on complete displays.

Last year, we began distributing Winsor-Newton and soon after got a call from an art store in Sorel that wanted Regency Gold brushes and some Galleria brushes from them. For a small store the order was pretty decent and after looking at the brushes again after they arrived and checking out the pricing we could nab them for, maybe my old customer wasn’t totally wacky. Its a lovely brush with nice sharp edges like Loew-Cornell but with a little more spring and bounce in the hairs. With today’s decorative painters using more fine art acrylic paint which tends to be much heavier than your Delta or Deco Art it makes sense to try these brushes. Also, if the painters are working in oils such as rouging techniques, the Regency Gold brushes can stand up to pushing oils across a canvas better than say an capable but softer brush like  the Princeton Select which is all the rage.

If you see these Regency brushes advertised on the web for 1/2 price etc. don't fall for it. There is always order processing charges and expensive shipping. Buyer beware.

Pricing is excellent. Even a little less than the Jo Sonja brushes mentioned in an earlier blog and is more complete, covering the entire range of decorative painting possibilities. The only thing missing is a fitch hair deerfoot stippler and some mops.

Our Madame Pickwick Hot Air Balloon sale is continuing, and we have some good offers for our loyal but sometimes fickle and capricious clientele:

*All orders over $250 qualify for free-freight in Quebec and Ontario

*All orders over $500 qualify for free-freight in Quebec and Ontario + 3% off invoice

*All orders over $1000 qualify for free-freight in Quebec and Ontario +5% off invoice

*All orders over $3000 qualify for free freight in Quebec and Ontario +10% off invoice

*All orders over $1,000,000 qualify for free-freight in Quebec and Ontario + one elephant from India with climate control

Wholesale inquiries can be made at info@madamepickwick.com

---True Story: We were visiting the Toronto Zoo with some friends native to Guyana. Looking at the tapir (pictured below) in the Indomalaya outdoor exhibit, Simon said, "We used to hunt these back home. Only they were a different colour. More red." "Let me guess," I quipped, "They taste like chicken." Simon gestured at the piggish animal and looked back at me like the idiot I was, "No, they taste like ham."---Read More:

The “Possibilities” for this brush include glazing, base coating, varnishing, etc. Of course, these brushes are absolutely the ultimate choice for dry brush techniques.

About six years ago, Jo Sonja’s introduced a series of brushes called ”Possibilities” which was backed up by the Vicki Rhodes book ”Creative Possibilities” that sold well and Vicki travel taught to back up the concept with the aid of Chroma. And they sod really well, but people just wanted to buy the Possibilities brushes and not touch the rest of the line. Its all very strange. But the brushes remain a near unique proposition given the quality, the pedigree of the name and the respectable pricing. It does remind me somewhat of the Betty Byrd brushes we carried before that line was scuttled. About 80-90% of the sales were in a brush called a ”Miracle Blender” that bore the name of Ronnie Bringle. She had some lovely decorative painting books and popularized the smushing technique with these brushes, but the rest of the line was pretty ho-hum in terms of sales even though pricing was O.K. and the quality was from that same Japanese factory.

http://wn.com/josonja?upload_time=all_time&orderby=relevance

Go figure. The decorative brush business today seems dominant in some measure by companies like Princeton that make some decent looking brushes, but out of India or China they are not quite in the same league as what painters were willing to pay for in the past.

Offer yourself the opportunity to receive an elephant from India on a volume purchase. Benjamin Bouchard can be reached for details. info@madamepickwick.com

This professional range of canvas features back stapling for clean edges and simple re-stretching. It is made of an 11oz pure cotton duck which is 15% heavier than most other canvases on the market. Triple coated with one coat of acid-free sizing and two coats of ultra white acrylic primer resulting in a medium grain surface that is ideal for all techniques. Every aspect of the canvas is of superior quality, including a professional frame construction with kiln-dried wood and beveled stretcher bars, hand-stretched for ideal tension, rigidity, and cleanly tailored corners.

The problem is especially pronounced for artists who work in a vigorous manner. The painters who like to lay it on thick with a palette knife complain the most and they have reason. The decorative painters are using a lot of small brushes to do detail work after their basecoating and it has been less obvious to them. Initially we were told that by wetting a towel and soaking the back of the canvas, a form of tightening would occur as the canvas  dried giving the effect of some stretching. Subsequently, we were told this is not recommended as the fabric will revert to it original manner or sag more. Another idea, a minor brainwave, is to take a product like ”stiffy” the fabric stiffener from Plaid and shlack it on the back. It may work.

We were surprised that the Fredrix canvases were kind of ''ordinary'' in terms of quality; acceptable but not distinguished from the field as as the case ten years ago.

The most authoritative answer to the dilemma is to take a hammer, hopefully a small one, and gently tap the corners of the frame pushing it out slightly. The key word here is softly and with great care since it is just a minor adjustment that is required to attain an acceptable level of tightness for those more robust and physical painting styles. It would be interesting to see what a Jackson Pollock would have done or thought as he whipped his deepest more tormented subconscious onto the canvas. Ideally, artists should buy their canvas by the yard and mount it on a frame themselves, but to be honest their are very few people who do this, but it makes the most sense even though its surprising how expensive gessoed canvas by the yard is.

We have some great promotions on now with free-freight and X-tra discounts. Also with our hot air ballon event, there is an opportunity to qualify to receive an elephant from India at no additional charge. Find out more by contacting Benjamin Bouchard at info@madamepickwick.com

Pebeo Studio has been a choice for stores wishing to diversify from craft paint.

The less enjoyable side of trade shows is the packing, preparing, and the long haul to Toronto. There are people who do business travel all the time and its hard to see how they cannot get burnt out by the experience. We will be at the Passion Couleurs Show in St.Jean sur Richelieu two weeks before and we don’t know what to make of this event. A toss up.The St.Jean show is a reprise by a rival group to the one that organizes in the fall. This one is a real guess, but the first year is usually the best, especially if the weather is bad which wouldn’t surprise us. The Quebec shows are never dull anyway. They are always a generous sprinkling of the bitchy and the cheap which makes the good ones all the better.The idea is to avoid the flea-market mentality.You have to laugh and not let it eat your energy. However, we have heard Ontarians have caught up to Quebec in the former regard,so maybe we’ll learn something new.Before the original St.Jean show was canned, we enjoyed a lot of success there and they had up to 10,000 visitors. I recall  once we had flyers printed offering a chance to win an ”imaginary voyage” a kind of virtual vacation that seemed to draw the throngs to our booths.We have been asked to represent Pebeo and we are looking forward to that and we’ll be doing some body painting as well which should turn heads.

We are offering freight-free transport in Quebec and extra discounts depending on the volume. For more information you can reach Benjamin Bouchard at info@madamepickwick.com ….there will also be the opportunity for a free elephant from India to those shopkeepers who purchase $1,000,000 worth of stock. Ask Ben for details

Audrey de Jong:This incredible event is dedicated to the creative art industry. You will experience an exhibit hall filled with the ‘tools of the trade’. Also we have four full days of seminars available in all different mediums and different skill levels. Come out to the Delta Meadowvale Hotel on the corner of the 401 and Mississauga Road on April 29 – May 2nd. Check out our web site for more information.

Tracey Moreau will be demonstrating for Deco-Art at the show.

Silver Brush Ultra Mini Miniature Painting tools are like precision jewels. These detail brushes are made with the artist in mind. They feature short handles with the Comfort Grip® design and compact ultra fine heads, making them perfect for tight work spaces. The Golden Taklon synthetic filament offers superb control with acrylics, gouache, watercolor, inks, enamels or oils. Artists can paint all day in complete control, without cramped fingers from tiny handles.

A couple years ago Princeton caught our attention with a sharp collection of mini brushes that came in a snazzy display. People really liked having mini fans, daggers and combs. They retailed from $5.50 to $7.25 which was acceptable. Then, a customer called and asked if we could bring him in some Mini Majestic from Royal Langnickel, a line we never paid much attention to. The shop owner was right on. The quality seems almost identical to Princeton: same country of origin and almost identical appearance that sell for $4.95 each.  It seems to be what we would recommend for stores and studios that want to carry mini brushes. In the early early years, I used to be at the cash as well and it was almost transcendental to pass all these small objects and arrive at bills easily over $50. It all adds up.

''Majestic Brushes are made with durable black acrylic handles and dramatic black nickel ferrules. There is no paint to worry about chipping off from the handles with extended use of water. The brush heads are made from our best quality synthetic filaments and dyed to a rich pure kolinsky color. Each brush is hand crafted from 3 diameters of synthetic hair.''

Madame Pickwick has some great Spring promos that are continuing right through the spring. Our Hot Air ballon sale is floating high!:

*All orders in over $250 qualify for free-freight in Quebec

*All orders of $500 qualify for free-freight in Quebec + 3% off invoice

*All orders of 1,000 qualify for free-freight in Quebec + 5% off invoice

*All orders of $3,000 qualify for free-freight in Quebec + 10% off invoice

Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia qualify for half-freight. ROC on a case by case basis.

All orders over $1,000,000 qualify for free-freight in Quebec + one elephant from India with climate control. Wholesale inquiries can be made to Benjamin Bouchard at info@madamepickwick.com

Irving Penn photograph. model does not come with the elephant. for demonstration purposes only.

---Provides "Deep Penetration" on porous surfaces, also serving to seal & protect. • Enhances the look and feel of the wood ...as well as preserving keepsake items. • Easy clean-up with soap and water. • Premium Quality • Low VOC---

”Soybean’s greatest industrial use has been oil-based or solvent-borne paints, consuming over 16 million bushels per year. But oil-based paint use is declining in the United States, threatening soy’s share of this important market. So current use is focusing on water-based paints for architectural uses and specialized coatings, such as metal coatings for industrial uses. A water-based soy primer paint, the first in a new line of interior paints, … results so far have been promising. The paint industry’s major concern is reducing volatile organic compounds, and soy oil meets that challenge.Read More: http://www.painttalk.com/f2/soy-paints-anybody-used-1405/

ADDENDUM:
DuraSoy One contains over 62% solids which is 2-3 times more than competitive latex paints. That means you achieve up to 300% more film build (dry mils) over the same surface area or achieve higher spread rates in volume comparison. The thick smooth consistency acts like an oil based paint. With very little water content, you are able to reach a desirable mil thickness for a true one coat hide without having your paint drip off the roller or run down the wall. Instead of painting on water that evaporates and leaves little film build, a high quality thicker film build will provide much more wearability than traditional paint. …DuraSoy One, unlike conventional paint technology actually penetrates, bonds and seals within the substrate and leaves a durable water repellent satin finish. This repellency features makes it difficult for foreign matter and contaminants to fully bond to the paint, thus, making it easier to clean. In fact, our satin finish is as easy to clean as a semi-gloss finish but without the sheen. Read More: http://www.ecoprocote.com/DuraSoy-One-Bio-Based-Paint-s/114.htm

….Soy ink recently celebrated 20 years of use in newspapers throughout the United States. Currently, over 90 percent of the America’s 1,500 daily newspapers use soy ink in their presses.

SoyCrete is a non-toxic, semi-transparent, bio-based concrete stain engineered with an advanced soy dispersion technology. SoyCretetm meets more sustainability attributes than any other concrete stain product by containing renewable resource materials, recycled content and ultra low VOC’s.

Soy-based ink and coating successes in specific markets include: Soy inks – Soy ink is beginning to move beyond newspapers as the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, has worked with the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) to develop a soy-based toner for copy machines and computer printers. Battelle and OSC have perfected the science and are currently working with potential marketers to bring the product to consumers. Work continues with other research agencies regarding the possibility of soy ink in pens and other writing applications….http://www.soynewuses.org/Coatings/Default.aspx

''Soy Paint uses pigment containing a bio-based soy ester resin and other recycled natural materials. Soy Paint is: • The first TRUE "Green" decorative paint on the market! • Non-Toxic and safe • Great for arts, crafts & home décor projects • Low-to-No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) • Low odor • Easy clean-up with soap and water • Durable and long-lasting finish.

”According to the Environmental Protection Agency, concentrations of VOCs are consistently up to 10 times higher indoors than outdoors. Other studies have found that certain organic compounds average levels two to five times higher in indoor air than outdoor air.

What is most shocking, however, is that immediately after using certain products, such as paint stripper, studies have found that VOCs may be 1,000 times higher than background outdoor levels”.Read More:http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/12/14/volatile-organic-compounds-the-health-dangers-of-vocs-where-they-are-hiding–amp-how-to-avoid-the.htm

from Delta:One step-Primes, Coats & Seals! No Acrylic Paint can make this claim. • Deep penetration into surfaces eliminates the need to PRIME! • Varnish not required to COAT the project when using Soy Paint! • Soy Paint creates a natural protective barrier on the project, eliminating the need to SEAL!

It claims to be the the first soy-based; environmentally friendly paint. The Delta website alleges the product is the first true green decorative paint, which could be challenged by Earth Safe finishes which had a lovely line at the CHA show and has been out for at least four years, and may be more ”green” than the Delta product.  Anyway, Delta Soy has low VOC and the reviews seem to feel the coverage is comparable to craft acrylic paint, and is easy to clean up. Not sure if it has a tendency to stain more though.  The color selection is limited, at least in comparison to the Ceramcoat line.  The vibrancy of the colours is apparently impressive.The pigments in Delta Soy Paints are combined with a plant-based soy ester resin. Because they contain more solids and less water, more paint stays on the brush, which means less dripping, so the theory goes. We received some sample displays this week and will play with a bit before we can corroborate the sales spiel.

Wholesale inquiries can be made to Benjamin Bouchard at info@madamepickwick.com