What's on my painting counter? — Gioia Palmieri

I started painting a few years ago and since then I’ve found tools for my painting that I hope will be helpful for you if you’re interested in painting. I like to stand while I work and use my work counter for writing and painting. When painting, I mix the paints on a piece of freezer paper with its corners held down by painter’s tape near the edge of the counter near my easel. I store my paint and smaller canvases on the shelving under the counter. My workroom has a number of large windows that let in plenty of natural light.

Gamblin makes excellent oil paints in Portland, Oregon. Besides a great color selection of paints that are easy to mix, I like their focus on creating non-toxic paints. I use their website for paint information such as this helpful page, but their paints as of now are only available through art stores. I purchase mine at Utrecht. Gamblin also makes an odorless mineral spirit called Gamsol for your oil paint cleaning needs.

Rosemary & Co. is a wonderful company that handmakes paint brushes in Yorkshire, England and is run by Rosemary and her daughter. With excellent customer service and a user friendly website, they make it easy to order from the UK. I like their free physical catalog where the photos of each brush head is the actual brush head size. They make all types of brushes using real animal hair or ones that are completely synthetic, plus they sell palette knives and brush holders (featured in the photo).

Artist Brand Canvas make attractive, sturdy canvases in Los Angeles. They have all kinds of sizes and are reasonably priced. Having one of their canvases, a Rosemary & Co. brush and some Gamblin paint is an inspiration for your painting!

And don’t forget your color wheel! I like to keep mine handy. You can purchase it from many stores online, but they have a website. They even make a special color wheel for gardeners, and all their wheels are made in the USA.