May 22, 2025

Staff Share Their Art and Toolkits

Meet Ron and Lexi and hear about their creative process!

By The Art Toolkit Team

A purple zippered case opened to reveal various art supplies, including pens, pencils, a sketchbook with an elephant cover, a watercolor palette, a black sketchbook with a rabbit illustration, a ruler, and other tools like an eraser and paper clips.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to our Retail and Shipping Specialist Ron Ransom and Shop Assistant Lexi Cates!

Ron

Ron Ransom joined the Art Toolkit Team last year as a Retail and Shipping Specialist, and we are happy he was willing to share a little about himself and the role creativity plays in his life. Read on to hear from Ron:

Art has always been a part of my life, with some of my earliest memories being of drawing and coloring in coloring books, and just after high school, I started working in a screen printing shop. I’ve been involved in screen printing, one way or another, ever since. 

As a freelance artist today, I am best known for my work in entertainment merchandising. I am fortunate to have worked on so many interesting projects throughout my career.

A woman dressed as Batgirl poses dramatically, wearing a dark purple costume with a yellow bat symbol and cape. Her red hair flows out from under the mask, and she stands with one arm extended and a confident stance.
Bat-girl painting by Ron Ransom.
A monochromatic watercolor painting of a man resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought. His expression appears contemplative, with a slight gaze to the side.
Johnny by Ron Ransom.

At a local Urban Sketchers event, I had the pleasure of meeting Maria Coryell-Martin. This meeting eventually led to a part-time position at Art Toolkit. The Art Toolkit Team is a fantastic group of kind, creative people, and I am blessed to be a part of it.

With such a broad interest in art, I have a pretty fluid creative process. I like experimenting with different tools and subject matter to keep growing as an artist. However, gouache is definitely one of my favorite media since it is extremely versatile and portable.

A watercolor painting depicting an illustrated scene of a busy food preparation area. Two individuals are engaged in cooking activities, with various kitchen equipment and ingredients visible. Chinese characters and a stylized emblem are featured prominently on the left side. The overall color palette is warm and inviting.
Port Townsend’s Hanazono kitchen by Ron Ransom.

Even though art is often a solitary practice, a strong sense of community also surrounds it. There are numerous opportunities to get out of the studio and interact with other people making art. From figure drawing to urban sketching, artists are everywhere, and they usually love to chat about what they’re doing.

A purple pencil case is open, displaying various art supplies including pens, pencils, watercolors, and rulers. Next to it are two sketchbooks, one featuring an elephant on the cover and the other depicting a rabbit. A palette of watercolors, a kneaded eraser, and some drawing tools are also visible.
Ron’s Art Toolkit, surrounded by what he carries in it!
A close-up, stylized portrait of a man with short dark hair and a slight smirk, looking slightly upward. The background features muted colors, creating a dramatic effect.
A self portrait by Ron Ransom.
A green-skinned, humanoid alien with a large brain, wearing a retro space suit and holding a ray gun. The background features a colorful, swirling sky with flying saucers above.
Mars Attacks, gouache by Ron Ransom.
A colorful painting of Point Wilson Lighthouse, featuring a white tower with a red roof and a small attached building. The background has abstract pink and blue hues. Handwritten text in the upper left corner indicates the artist's name and date.
Point Wilson Lighthouse, gouache by Ron Ransom.

Ron carries a Purple A5 Art Toolkit, filled with various sketching supplies and tools, including Moleskine sketchbooks, an Explore Palette and Pocket Palette for his gouache paints, Rosemary & Co travel brushes, and Aquash Water Brushes—one filled with water and one with walnut ink.

Ron’s Supplies

His Purple A5 Art Toolkit contents include:

Gouache Paints

Row 1: Hansa Yellow, Permanent Green Deep, Phthalo Blue; Row 2: Quinacridone Magenta / Primary Red (Split Pan), Ivory Black, Titanium White.
All gouache paints are by Winsor & Newton.

Follow Ron on Instagram or visit his website to see more.

Lexi

Our Shop Specialist, Lexi Cates, is originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and came to Washington for a job as a member of the Washington Conservation Corps. Her love for the outdoors and exploring new and interesting places led her to fall in love with our beautiful state and decide to stay.

An assortment of art supplies arranged on a white background, including sketchbooks, a watercolor palette, pens, and a pencil. The items are organized in a bright orange case, showcasing a mix of tools for drawing and painting.
Lexi’s art supplies.

“Creating art has brought the ability to slow down and be more observant while I’m out and about or traveling,” she shared. “Learning to take a few moments to sit down on a log and sketch or paint something has given me a new perspective on the world and a fun and light new hobby.”

A lighthouse with a red-tiled roof sits beside a tranquil blue sea, contrasted by a rocky cliffside covered in white snow or ice. The sky features soft clouds, creating a serene atmosphere.
A vibrant watercolor illustration featuring a blooming bougainvillea branch on the left and a scenic view on the right. The right side depicts a pelican soaring above rocky terrain, with another pelican resting on the rocks amid cacti under a blue sky.

Lexi’s favorite tools include her Pocket Palette, Pentel Water Brushes, mechanical pencil, fineliner, and Purple Pocket Art Toolkit.

A woman walks barefoot down a sandy path lined with vibrant pink bougainvillea and palm trees, with colorful buildings and a hillside in the background during sunset.
A woman stands in front of a blooming bush, smiling and looking upwards. She holds a coffee cup and wears a tank top with a shoulder bag. Sunlight illuminates her hair, creating a warm atmosphere.
A colorful tablecloth features an open sketchbook with fish illustrations, a watercolor palette, a water brush, and a pencil case. A clay pot sits in the background, illuminated by warm sunlight.
A colorful blanket laid on a stone surface, featuring an open sketchbook with watercolor drawings of shells and a beach scene. Nearby, a cup with a fish design sits next to a palette and pens. In the background, a calm body of water and rocky landscape are visible.

Thank you for sharing your work with us, and welcome to the team!

Lexi’s Supplies

While she carries her Purple Pocket Art Toolkit often, her Duotone Desert A5 Art Toolkit contains the majority of her supplies, including the following, plus a handy Nature Journaling Guide from Wild Wonder Foundation!

Thank you, Ron and Lexi, for all that you bring to the Art Toolkit Team and for sharing your work and reflections with us!

Meet Other Staff Members

Check out our previous blog posts for more!

An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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