Today was orientation in the Madison Studio at Gage. I moved into my studio space and met my fellow first year students, assistant instructor David Dwyer, and our three studio monitors. Tomorrow we begin . . .

It’s a beautiful clear and cool Seattle evening and I’m listening to the Swing Years on KUOW as I organize my art supplies. Tomorrow is orientation for the Aristides Atelier at Gage Academy where I hope to spend the next four years learning classical drawing and painting. The supply list arrived on August 1st and I’ve been accumulating an item here and an item there ever since. Tomorrow I will haul this rather massive pile across the 520 floating bridge and up to Capitol Hill where I will share a studio space with my fellow atelier students.

For posterity, here is the supply list:

• Canson XL 50lb Sketch Pad
• Strathmore 400 Drawing Paper
• Strathmore 500 Charcoal Paper (white)
• Staedler Pencils 2B, B, and HB
• Nitram Charcoal(medium and hard vine)
• Sanding blocks with 220 grit sandpaper
• Kneaded eraser
• Large bulldog clips
• White artist’s tape
• Metal ruler
• X-Acto knife with protective cap
• 12” bamboo skewer (or bicycle spoke)
• Plumb line
• Small plastic container for collecting charcoal dust.
• Black mirror 5” x 7” (piece of black Plexiglas)
• Small sketchbook 5” x 8”
• Two padded 19” by 25” drawing boards.

To this list I added a few other items

• Maulstick(dowel with leather ball at one end – helps to steady the drawing hand)
• Larger sketchbook for classroom notes.
• Alvin 7002 View Catcher
• Chamois
• Electrical tape
• Breakaway knife
• Factis black eraser
• Paintbrush

I can’t wait to get started!