Ed at Plaza
Yesterday I needed some paper for some new drawings, and so I dropped by the Plaza art supply store at 1594B Rockville Pike in Rockville, MD. Although this store is about five miles from my house, I had never been there before, as I had frequented the now closed Pearl store also on the Pike.
I stumbled on a great sale on stretched canvas (70% off), but the great discovery on this particular store is that there is a guy working there named Ed who is an absolute gem. This dude knows his art supplies!
In fact, over the last few years I've been doing most of my art supply buying online, and today I rediscovered the joy of going through a really good art store and discovering a host of new products that I never knew existed, thanks to this Ed guy, who is a talking machine who clearly loves his job.
He turned me onto these new washable charcoal pencils. They are charcoal pencils, but once down you can treat them like watercolors. And also the blackest charcoal stick/stump that I've ever seen put down on paper - also washable like a watercolor and leaving behind an absolutely gorgeous black.
And these new water soluble oils! Ed has experimented with them all and thus offered me a hands on opinion on which to try.
He also turned me onto Gamsol thinner for oils; odorless and truly toxic less and onto Golden acrylic ground! Expect new artwork explorations from the Lenster.
I went in there to get a couple of 30x40 sheets of acid free drawing paper and came out with $250 of new art supplies.
Plaza, this guy is a jewel - give him a pay raise!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
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6 comments:
absolutely. I heart that particular Plaza store, and Ed is always there to tell you what you should know. Unfortunately, I encounter the same problem. Go in to get one item, come out with 5 or 6...
I like Plaza for exactly what you describe. The customer service has always been excellent. So when I need a discussion about materials and processes that are new to me I go Plaza.
I discovered that Plaza store in November and suggested it when my wife and daughter went for SCAD art supplies in January for her second term. I think they met Ed also and found most of what they needed.
I've known Ed for a long time, since he used to work in the Bethesda Plaza store too. He's absolutely everything you described and it was great to read your impressions. Quality is everything, isn't it?
I used to shop at the Bethesda store when Ed worked there because it's two blocks from my house.
That man is so good that when he shifted to Rockville I now drive up there just so that he can help me.
He knows more about art materials than most of us will ever learn.
THANK YOU ED!
Lisa
What an amazing coincidence. On Friday afternoon I went down the exact same path, i.e., closed Pearl to Plaza to Ed to an eye opening and very positive interchange about new art supplies and new options for my work.
I agree one hundred percent. This guy is a gem.
John Wise
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