SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW - Part 3

We've done a couple of these pieces on other suppliers - ones that are good people to know if you're involved in printmaking. Most of us on the supplier side of the equation are not artists in our own right. We create products for printmakers, we collect art, and perhaps support printmaking financially in a number of ways.

This time, I'd like to focus on a unique player in this game. Craig Cornwall of Stones Crayons is like no other. He is, first and foremost, an artist. While he was studying at Tamarind - on his way to becoming a Tamarind Master Printer - he developed a line of drawing supplies that have revolutionized the field. Stones Crayons was born in a four bedroom apartment in Albuquerque, NM and today thrives in the pristine atmosphere of Olympia, WA. But more than his own artwork, Craig loves collaborating with other artists to publish their work. I had the opportunity to see some of the pieces that he was working on a few months ago, and they were spectacular! But there's more to the man than meets the eye. He does antique auto restorations (currently working on a Triumph TR-4), and built all of the cabinetry in their kitchen, as well.

We spotted not one, but two deer in his backyard on a recent visit, so I guess that you could call the world headquarters of Stones Crayons somewhat rural, but the product that they produce is absolutely top shelf. Not only do they manufacture the finest litho crayons on the market, tusches beyond compare, but they are also a prime source for quality leather rollers,, fans and strip leather.

Just so you don't get confused by my ramblings, everything that Stones Crayons produces is available from Graphic Chemical. We have carried their products right from the beginning, 18 years ago.