The Finest Quality Handmade Artists' Brushes
“It’s not just a brush, it’s an experience. A ritual. It’s life changing and it’s your life.”
Victor Lindop
Gouache; A Brief History and The Suitability of Rosemary & Co’s ‘Shiraz’ Brushes
Gouache paint has been around for centuries however not many casual artists have experience with them like they have with the more popular mediums of acrylic, watercolour or oil. I spoke to Murray Ince, an artist and tutor based on the Isle of Wight about Gouache and what best practices he implements. This is what he had to say; "Gouache is a lovely medium to work with and has a surprisingly long history. It is very similar in use to Egg Tempera and Casein. Egg tempera’s pigments are bound with egg as you may have guessed and Casein is precipitated from milk. The binder is made by dissolving the resulting ‘Casein’ in an alkaline, usually lime, ammonium carbonate or borax, which is then added to the pigments. There are very subtle differences in these three media, but probably the most important is…
Wildlife art by George Davies
If you're anything like me then wildlife paintings will bring instant joy and a smile to your face. It was with great pleasure to came across George's work and I finally got to share his emotive and expressive paintings with you all. Here's what he had to say earlier this year; "I’m a 17-year-old oil painter from Chester, England and I’m currently going into year 13. I’ve loved drawing and painting from an early age and my particular interest is wildlife, although I do try other subjects as well. I dedicate most of my spare time to painting and creating ideas for new works, using my photos as well as some from friends for my reference. I have been inspired by many artists, but particularly painters such as David Shepherd, John Banovich and Andrew Tischler, who have been a great…
Artist Spotlight: Robert Trent
We were approached by Rob some time ago, conveying his love for our brushes! We are lucky enough to receive lots of these lovely emails - but this one was particularly special to us. Rob was born disabled, and from a very early age was taught to write, draw and paint with the implement held between his teeth by his home tutor. I recently asked Rob if he would be happy to be featured on the blog and thankfully he obliged, as I know our readers would be inspired. This is what he had to say: "My tutor often told me about the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), and to encourage me they sent me a set of paints. Although I enjoyed painting, I left school and focused on finding employment. In that time I got married and we had a daughter. It was…
The Beautiful Artwork of Phil Courtney
Phil Courtney is a long-time user of Rosemary Brushes and it is about time we shared his absolutely stunning work with you all. Phil graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts located in Philadelphia and has been in the industry ever since. Exquisite both in Oil and Watercolour, Phil always manages to capture the beauty of his subject material. I am amazed how he gets his paintings to look so realistic, especially with the sheer size of the canvases, (some 41" x 57"!). To get the perspective and proportion so on point, I think you will agree it can be a challenge even on a smaller scale, but Phil does it with such precision and realism, and I can only imagine the patience he puts into them! The oil painting below -Magnolia Seed Pod 22" x 54" - oil on…
The Extended Point – Posara Brush
Having listened to renowned watercolourist, Sandra Strohschein, we have created a beautiful extended point brush. Acting as a rigger, but with a reservoir ‘belly’, the Posara Brush will soon become a favourite. It was such a joy this year to introduce a new brush into my set. Developed specifically by Rosemary at my request, I now have a new rigger that by design holds a great deal of water and pigment at the base, which allows me to carry a line forever. I expected a great rigger from this, but did not expect that this size 8 rigger had the capability of painting entire paintings all on its own. Here is an example of what I’m talking about: (more…)
Smooshing, Smudging, Tinting
I’ve designed this new range to be an inexpensive blending brush. The Smooshing Brush is made from a blend of different grades of badger hair. I’ve packed the hairs into the ferrule really tightly to create a dense brush, which will be firm to the touch, but still flexible. The beauty of the domed shape allows for a multitude of brush strokes. (more…)
The Challenge Of Spring Greens
I love painting the fresh, bright greens of early springtime. With the first sniff of warmth in the air and a hint of green on the trees, I pack up my oils and favourite brushes from Rosemary’s Ivory Range and head to the woods to paint the bluebells. A couple of long filberts and a no.4 rigger are all I need for working on location. (more…)
Master From The Past – Edward Redfield
Edward Redfield (1869-1965) was born in Bridgeville, Delaware. After studying painting in Paris, he returned to the States and eventually settled in Center Bridge, Pennsylvania. There he began to produce very large dynamic winter scenes, all painted outdoors and in “one go,” no matter what the size. (more…)
