It’s Flashback Friday and we’re feeling nostalgic for the series of comics we used to run, Wonton’s Art Lessons! We also miss a former employee, the very talented manga artist and creator of the series, Lisa Kash. This comic is called, “Lesson 33: Art Therapy”. Enjoy!
Month: March 2020
Isolated but not Alone: Lunch Doodles
For all artists staying safe at home, we salute you for all efforts to stay creative during these chaotic times. One of those artists sharing their creativity and processes online is Mo Willems, the Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence. In his first LUNCH DOODLE, Mo welcomes you into his studio at home and guides you through drawing activities using one of his favorite characters as inspiration. So grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and let’s doodle together and explore ways of writing and making.
“You might be isolated, but you’re not alone. You are an art maker. Let’s make some together.”
–Mo Willems
Lockdown Diary: Gold Mouf and “The Joy of Painting with Lute Ross”
We’ve lost track of which day of our lockdown this is. But thankfully we have enough paint and canvas in our home studio to follow along with this delightful video from Lute Ross, who would rather paint spaceships than trees. Something for everybody!
Safer at home
Friday, March 20 will be our last day of business while our street, our neighborhood, our city, and our state closes all non-essential businesses (which includes us, even as essential as this business is to us and the arts are to all of us). We will only be packing up and shipping orders that are placed before we go in to the store in the morning, after that any incoming orders will not ship until we transition into whatever phase of this crisis comes next. We’ll keep you posted. Stay healthy and safe.
COVID-19 Update: Open for Delivery and Pick-Up
As all of our thoughts are on the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to share an update on how Raw Materials Art Supplies is responding. The safety and health of our loyal customers and dedicated associates is always of the utmost importance to us. We want to be hyper-responsible about containment and prevention, and fully recognize that any gathering place is an at-risk setting.
Given what we know today, we believe it’s our responsibility to do what we can to slow the spread of this virus and minimize the impact on our community. Effective Tuesday, March 17 we are temporarily closing the store to the general public. We are paying our staff and asking them to work from home for at least the next two weeks. The situation is complex and evolving rapidly, and as our situation changes, we’ll let you know.
Our online store remains open and we urge you to shop with us at rawmaterialsla.com. We will continue to fulfill online orders from our in-store stock, and vendors’ warehouses while they are still shipping orders. We offer same and next-day delivery in DTLA, ship nationwide, and you can Buy Online Pick-Up In-Store (BOPIS) and schedule a non-contact, curbside pickup.
Take care of each other, and we look forward to seeing you back in the store soon.
Jim and Celia
Raw Materials Art Supplies
PS Here is a link to Arts Resources During COVID-19 Outbreak: https://creative-capital.org/2020/03/13/list-of-arts-resources-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/
Art-Making in the Time of COVID-19
As the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to have an increased impact on our communities, we feel it important to share the steps we’re taking in our store to help keep you, our employees, and our communities safe and healthy.
Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected. The safety and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority at Raw Materials Art Supplies, and this is a rapidly evolving situation that we’ll continue to monitor. Our store is cleaned and sanitized daily as part of our normal course of business. We’ve increased the frequency and extent of these cleanings, in addition to adding resources like hand sanitizer for employees and customers. Our employees have the information they need to stay healthy. We employ practices and make business decisions informed by guidance from the CDC, WHO, and local US government and public health agencies.
Based on the information and guidance we’ve received, our own preparedness, and current state of operations, we are confident our store continues to be safe and we remain open for business during regular hours to meet the needs of our customers. As always, our hope is to make it easy for you to shop when and how you’d like. In addition to our clean, spacious, and well-ventilated store, our team is ready to serve you online at www.rawmaterialsla.com. If we become aware of any condition that would make it unsafe, please rest assured that we’ll close the store until those conditions have been addressed and impacted associates will be compensated for their missed work hours.
Again, the health and safety of our customers and employees are our top priority and we’re committed to doing our part to help keep you safe. Thank you for being a loyal customer.
Jim and Celia Winstead
Raw Materials Art Supplies