This is less of a blog post and more of a post that I will update over time with more and more resources, so at first it might seem a little bare, but over time, I hope to be able to grow it into a useful list of information for new artists.
Where to buy supplies?
There are some obvious ones like Opus and Michaels; however, for some, those are a little expensive.
I’ve found that Dollarama is a good option for cheap art supplies to get started, though that said, I have seen some people caution against buying these sorts of super cheap items, because it can make you think you’re at a lower skill level. After all, lower-quality supplies don’t react the same way that higher-quality ones might.
For example, cheap watercolor paints may have less pigment or be chalkier than more expensive ones. Additionally, I’ve heard the paper will not absorb the paint and blend the same way; however, that also seems to differ between brands, so your mileage may vary.
Within New West, there’s Dollar ‘N’ Plus on 6th Avenue, who have a surprisingly good art aisle with a variety of brushes, paints, canvases, and paper options.
Just outside of New West, there’s also Blossom’s Framing and Art Supplies. I’ve heard from some people that she’s a little direct and pushy. It’s also worth doing price comparisons before jumping into any purchases here, IMO.
Aside from that, there are other options, such as Walmart and Amazon (I’m not linking to them… lol). Especially given all the tariff BS going on, I’m trying to avoid these marketplaces and use more Canadian, or ideally, local stores. If you know of any places I’ve missed, please let me know!
Where to buy frames?
When I first got started with trying to get my art displayed in galleries, etc, I realized I would need to have my art framed! Being budget conscious (at least until I become an uber-famous billionaire artist), I picked up some frames from Dollarama for a couple of dollars and called it a day… Until I started reading the requirements more… Wire across the back one third of the way down the frame, no glass frames, etc.
So, where do you get these frames? Certainly not Dollarama, and absolutely not at Michaels (Unless you’re looking for huge 24 x 30″ poster frames). According to a few fellow artists, IKEA is one of the best places to source them! Just be careful to select the right size, because their frames are listed based on the size of the frame, not the matted area within the frame. Also, make sure you brush up on your inches to cm math, because they use cm in most of their descriptions on the website:
Where to sell art?
I’m still learning this one myself, but here’s what has been successful for me so far…
1. Find a way to help each other
The first art card I was able to sell came from a partnership of sorts with Bully’s Studio in New West. They needed money for repairs to their business, and I didn’t have any money to spare, but what I did have was a watercolor painting of their business. So, I created 5×7″ art cards of the painting (and a very limited edition psychedelic version!) and told the owner, you cover my printing costs and keep the profit – I get exposure within the community and you get some funds to help with repair costs!
2. Literally just ask smaller businesses
The second art card I was able to sell came about in a very interesting and unexpected way. I had made some art cards of my “Wow Westminster” painting and had made a list of several local businesses that I thought might be interested in selling them, maybe, if the wind blew the right way.
What ended up happening? I walked into the first store on my list (Groove Cat Records & Books) and I just straight up asked them, “Would you be interested in selling my cards here?”
To my surprise, they immediately said yes!
3. Make an Etsy store
I’ve been selling my art on Etsy for 9 months now, and during that time I’ve generated 5 sales. It’s not a lot, but it’s definitely more than 0 sales! On average, I’ve been making 2-3 times more than I’ve been spending on listing fees (Though, admittedly, I only have a few listings!)
It’s pretty easy to get started, and I believe I’m paying about 30c per listing, so it’s quite inexpensive.
I’ll leave it at that for now, but please subscribe if you’re interested in this sort of content and you’d like to be notified of future posts (There should be a button right over there in the bottom-right of the page)
Cheers,
