Portrait of the artists' stores on LI
Paint brushes are on display at Blick art materials in Carle Place on Thursday, August 26. The store's grand opening occurs on the 1st of September. (Newsday Photo / Sally Morrow) Credit: Newsday/Sally Morrow
Fine-arts stores around Long Island are go-to spots for artists seeking hard-to-find sculpting, drawing or painting tools. With specialty paints and luxury brushes (think $150-plus) in stock, these are the types of shops where it's (almost) as fun to browse as it is to buy.
Riebe's
701 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville
INFO 631-427-8644, artistsupplystore.com
Riebe's is a 58-year institution on Long Island, selling high-quality paints and oils alongside drafting and engineering supplies. On a recent afternoon, Chrissy Martinez, a physical therapist from Williston Park, was shopping for the perfect thin-tipped marker to use on the seating cards for her wedding, just a few days later. "No store I went to had samples or a sales person who knew which pen would be right for us to use," says Martinez, 32.
ON THE SHELVES Grumbacher oil paints ($7.69 to $17.69 for 1.25 ounces), Series7 Windsor & Newton paintbrushes ($17.95-$160.89) and pigments ($10-$53), General's Charcoal ($11.99 for 6 ounces).
Utrecht
211 Glen Cove Rd., Carle Place
INFO 516-741-1805, utrechtart.com
If art had a defined smell, it would be what hits you the moment you walk into Utrecht. The fine-arts store has been a nationwide chain for 62 years but opened its first Long Island location only two years ago. Employees occasionally demonstrate techniques such as screen-printing, tie-dyeing and painting. "We are all working artists in some way," says store manager Chris McGee.
ON THE SHELVES Utrecht-branded acrylic, oil and watercolor paints made in Brooklyn. The store also makes its own gesso ($36.99 for 128 ounces), which is a primer artists use to prep canvases before painting, and has its own line of paper, McGee says. You'll also find drawing and sculpting supplies, plus studio accessories that range from lights and clay boards to easels and drafting tables.
PJ Art Co.
1950 Middle Country Rd., Centereach
INFO 866-752-7826, pjartco.com
Although college and high school art students are its most frequent customers, PJ Art Co. sells supplies geared for toddlers through more experienced artists. The store's biggest seller, says owner Dan DiSanto: paper. Airbrushing equipment also is popular, particularly with online shoppers, he adds.
ON THE SHELVES Caran D'Ache Neocolor Crayons ($14.88 for 10); a Paasche VL airbrush and needle set ($81.20) and a Do Art Manga Set for learning how to draw manga-style illustrations ($17).
Blick Art Materials
168-B Glen Cove Rd., Carle Place
INFO 516-248-1555, dickblick.com
This just-opened fine-arts store is the only Long Island location of the national chain, which stocks high-quality paints and easels among its professional-grade supplies, as well as journals, specialty papers and how-to books. Port Washington artist Eleanor Himel likens it to the kind of art store she'd expect to find in New York City. Among its features - a digital Frame Cue station that lets customers experiment with frame and mat styles before committing to a special order. Another machine prints high-quality, poster-size photos. Frequent shoppers should consider a $10 membership card that rewards customers with a standing 10 percent discount (cards are free through Sept. 30 to celebrate the store's grand opening.
ON THE SHELVES Sennelier ($5.98-$21.88) and Williamsburg ($25.49-$123.09) branded oil paints; rice paper ($2.50 a sheet) and other handmade fibers, some with leaves or dried flowers.
