“Hello, Goodbye” to Alex!
Retail Specialist and Production Assistant Alex Griswold shares their go-to supplies and reflects on what inspires them.
By The Art Toolkit Team
Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Retail Specialist and Production Assistant Alex Griswold (preferred pronouns: they/them), and share some of their artwork and the contents of their A5 Art Toolkit.
Alex has been a part of the Art Toolkit Team for a little more than a year, wearing many hats while bringing amazing problem-solving, vision, organization, and grace to our teamspace and retail shop. As they get ready to move onward and upward, we celebrate all that they have contributed to our collective since last summer and pause to share a little bit about their work and inspiration with you, our greater community!
Alex’s Supplies
Their Art Toolkit includes our standard supplies, plus:
A5 Art Toolkit (discontinued Grey with Red Trim)
Pocket Palette with watercolors by Daniel Smith
Rubber eraser by Prismacolor
Binder clips
R10 Golden Synthetic Pointed Rosemary & Co travel brush
Sharpies
Brushes by Simply Simmons
Paint List
Alex carries a modified Pocket Palette with Assorted Pans filled with watercolors.
Row 1: Hansa Yellow Medium, Permanent Red Light, Quinacridone Rose, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Gold
Row 2: Yellow Ochre, Turquoise, Payne’s Grey, Black Oxide
Row 3: Hansa Yellow Light, New Gamboge, Pyrrol Scarlet, Phthalo Blue (green shade), French Ultramarine.
About Alex, From Alex
Hi! My name is Alex Griswold. I have a degree in Geography and another in Spanish Literature. Art has weaved itself in and out of my life in one way or another, but it didn’t become a staple in my life until college. During the early pandemic, I took an introductory drawing class, which opened up the door in a big way. Starting a new art form can be really daunting. Through my university, I learned screen-printing, bookbinding, and even how to work a printing press, but I never quite made it to watercolor until I moved to Washington. The Art Toolkit that I have was a gift to me by my aunt, who lives in Port Townsend, a friend of Maria and the Art Toolkit Team. I wouldn’t have found Art Toolkit had it not been for my aunt and her connection to the art community in Port Townsend.
The way things feel in my hands matters to me. I’m really interested in tactile experiences, and that’s why I love bookbinding. They’re personal pieces of art that you’re meant to interact with and hold in your hands. I love paper, and anyone at the shop can tell you that. I’m new to watercolor, but I love the concept of travel sketching and watercolor for the same reasons I love bookbinding: You’re able to capture an experience or memory in a compact way that you can revisit whenever you’d like—and better yet, you can hand it over to share with someone when you’re done.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to be a part of Port Townsend’s vibrant art community. I arrived a year ago in desperate need of a job, and the art community welcomed me with open arms. Every day, I’m fortunate enough to work with a team of artists and speak to artists in our retail space who are in different stages of their own creative process. Some are experts. Those conversations involve a lot of listening and learning. Others are absolute newbies, terrified of the blank page. Those conversations are the most exciting because I get to share the beginning of something new right along with them.
Alex has been experimenting more with paper-made puzzles and creating pieces with interactive elements. They shared a more recent piece with us, a paper flexagon book (pictured above).
Thank you for sharing your work and reflections with us, Alex, and we’re so happy to have shared the last year with you!
Meet Other Staff Members
Check out our previous blog posts for more!
