Trissa Nova

Thank you Sandra for a very detailed review. Getting to see your beautiful, cheerul art was an added bonus!

Currently, the box is $89 USD per quarter or $336 if you subscribe for a year. That’s not counting the 10% off if you use the code above.

Excellent review, Sandra! How fun to open a box full of such wonderful and fun supplies!!!

Awesome review as always Sandra – thank you so much! I absolutely love the richness of the Van Gogh paints and I have the Fabercastell Markers on my Wishlist ;).

Hey Charlie of course we are friends forever! Thanks for a delightful article.

Of course we are friends forever – just like your little elephants which are delightful. Did you know Charlie that one thing I learned when I was in Africa is that if an elephant at the sanctuary comes to you (chooses you) then even if it is 10 years before you go back that elephant will remember you. I had the opportunity to see that in action, so I know it is so. Always and forever Charlie 🙂 Oh it would be so wonderful if Philippe could be coaxed back into painting!

Yep! It’s been said already, but … of course, we are friends forever! More than that. You and Doodlewash are part of my daily life, which makes you part of my extended family of choice!

Wonderful Charlie 🙂

Friends always, Charlie!

Awww, mi amiga! Te quiero para siempre! 😃💕

Beautiful art and a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing!!! Look forward to seeing your new book!

Your art is amazing and a joy to see! I can’t wait for your book. Thank you for sharing your artistic journey with us.

Beautiful art! Thank you for sharing with us Camilla.

Your work is beautiful, Edo!

Thank you, Edo! I was very impressed with the brand.

Thank you!

What a thorough review. It was so interesting, and your paintings are beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

I really appreciate how you break down the product.

Nice review, Sandra! These watercolors sound interesting and look beautiful in your art!

I was going to buy a set of MaimeriBlu when I was in Italy but couldn’t find it anywhere. Went to two art stores, one in Siena and one in Florence and neither carried them. I think I’m going to renew my efforts as I really like single pigment paints.

I am buying the single pigments colors of A. Gallo right now and will be using them this year for July’s World Watercolor Month to familiarize myself with them. They are honey-based and I don’t usually buy them. If I’m able to acquire enough of the MaimeriBlu that may be my 2023 WWM challenge palette.

That pan is made by an Italian company called FOME and they’ve been making them a long time. They usually make them for companies such as Winsor and Newton, Daler Rowney and Daniel Smith and brand them for the company. They make the little travel flask palettes for Schmincke, Cheap Joes and Whiskey Painters. They are a nice enameled heavy steel. I’ve bought them empty and filled them with my choices. I find they hold my half or full pans more snugly using that pressure bar system than those cheaper boxes with the removable aluminum trays that have those thin flexible clips. I wish the entire line of FOME watercolor boxes were more easily available. You can’t order from the company directly and I can’t find any vendors that carry the designs I want. If you do a search for FOME Italy watercolor you should find the company and their line of boxes. You’ll recognize a lot of them as being rebranded by the major watercolor companies.

Thank you, Edo! The added water container is interesting. I’ll have to look around and see if I can find those.

What a wonderful portrait of your pup and your evening. There really is something magical about the “blue hour” on a warm summer night surrounded by those you love and love you back. Thank you for reminding us Charlie!

We don’t have fireflies here but I saw them once on a visit to my relatives in Connecticut one summer. It is truly magical. Disneyland tries with their Blue Bayoo area but it’s just not the same.

I get the chilling. Never taught that to the puppies but they have learned there is a time to romp and a time to relax. They have both learned to sleep in with me in the morning. No more 6am potty time or I’ll chew one of your blouses. Now they sleep in and when I finally wake they get some snuggle time and then it’s out for brunch. The reverse at night. Snuggles then to sleep.

I think animals do pick up on the rhythms and moods of their people. Likewise I think we benefit from learning to slow down and try to match our companion’s pace.

I love to watch Diana pawPrints and Freyja Grey at the dog park, running with abandon and having a great time. I also love to watch them sleeping at night, totally relaxed and secure.

Along with his beautiful face and unsettled ears I think I like Elliot’s polka dots best.

My guess is they’re going to stand up. Both Australian Cattle dogs and Siberian Huskies have prick ears. So do Chihuahuas but their ears are a bit larger in proportion to their faces. So very good chance Elliot’s ears are going to stand up, making him the most darling of dogs. Wait a few more months. Ramses’ ears stood up suddenly at 7 months. Complete surprise to me. How big will Elliot get? 35-60 lbs but there is that Chihuahua in the mix as well as some of the mutts. Diana is German Shepherd/Golden Retriever/Staffie but she weighs….105 lbs and she’s not fat. Her dad must have been a huge GSD. If you’ve been weighing Elliot regularly there are some online calculators you can use to estimate weight. For longevity, 12-16 years. I’m sure Elliot will live a very long time because you care for him so well. Good food, exercise and regular vet care will keep him healthy for a very long time.

He has no idea how lucky he is. Or maybe he knew from the start and that is why he picked you.

It does sound like a magical evening. So many people don’t believe in magic. I think we’re surrounded by it. Just because science pulls back the curtain and explains the process (often incorrectly) doesn’t mean it isn’t magical. Just a matter of semantics.

Oh my Elliott does look like he has grown. What an awesome painting of him :). I have always and still think Fireflies are magical – I could watch them for hours. We do have them in places in Alberta and I am delighted every time. I hope that your heat lets up a bit soon Charlie, here it is unseasonably cold at the moment. I has been raining alot, but it is nice to have that rain.

I love this painting, Charlie. I see what you mean about his ears. Your description of the walk among the fireflies was lovely.

Sounds like a truly magical evening! Elliott is just adorable and looks so cute with those ears!!!

Hey Charlie we just got our forecast for the week in our little Canadian hot spot — going ino the 20s C and up to 33C (91.4F) this coming week. Love it! You were meant to walk out in that spot just when those fireflies came along to enthrall you! Paint the scene and frame it and hang it where you can see it from your Me-chair. I love it already.

Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕 He’s a good pup… he had a bandit mask around his eyes and now it’s more like heavy eyeliner. We joke he’s gone goth. 😉

Yay for fireflies and puppy dogs! 😃💕

Hugs to you mi amiga! 😃💕 Not sure on the fireflies… but they love humidity, so maybe it’s too dry there now. Aww, I do the same when little pups sleep. It calms any stress I have when I see that level of contentment. And, I’ll admit, never having had a puppy before, I used to stare just make sure he was still breathing. hehe Much love to you! ❤️

Thanks so much, Mugdha! 😃💕 Glad you finally got some rain. But oh no, hope you and your family feel better soon!! Sending you good thoughts for a quick recovery. And virtual hugs are always okay! hehe… they’re sometimes the only hugs these days it seems. Much love (and hugs!!) to you! ❤️

Thanks so much, Louise! 😃💕Elliott is pretty cute, but quite a handful! Hope you and yours have a wonderful summer!!