Culture Connoisseur: Dick Blick Art Materials

I’ve recently discovered the most magical place on Earth, and it’s not Disneyland. It’s called Dick Blick Art Materials.

Dick Blick is a group of art stores that stocks supplies at discounted prices. It has a much better selection than Michaels, and is not pretentious in the slightest — I am not an artist, but the staff makes me feel very welcome. When I was younger, there was a really great store near my house called The Painted Moon, and it was very similar to Dick Blick in terms of product and the friendliness of the staff. I wish I had been more appreciative of it when it was still in business, but I digress.

I’m planning on making some stationery in the next few weeks, so I needed to pick up some supplies. On the way home from the Anaheim Packing District on Saturday, my best friend Paige and I stopped by the Fullerton store. It’s smaller than the Pasadena store, but I found everything I needed: transparent water colors, two paintbrushes, two markers and some cards made out of special paper.

One of the things I really like about this store is that product quality isn’t compromised for price. I spent about $40 and used a special discount going on for the weekend, but I got a lot of stuff and it’s all professional-grade. Plus, I have a discount card that takes 10 percent off of every purchase.

But what I really love about Dick Blick is that when I go into the store, I immediately feel calmer. There’s something about wandering through the aisles and browsing amongst the selection that is incredibly therapeutic. (Also, Paige, who has gone with me on both trips, is the best sport about letting me wander. Paige is the real MVP.) I think part of the magic is also knowing that whatever I come home with, I’m going to be able to make something really cool with it. That feeling of excitement and creativity fused together is the best, so I’m glad I live in proximity to several of the same store that can make me feel that way. If you ever have to buy art supplies, whether it’s for a class or just for fun, I highly recommend Dick Blick.

Have you ever been to Dick Blick, or have a store that just really blisses you out? Tell me about it in the comments.