About Us

Welcome to Wyndham Art Supplies!

Hello! Welcome to Wyndham Art Supplies. If you haven’t been here before, let us introduce ourselves. We are partners Tammy and Chris, current owners of the family business started by Chris and his parents Otto and Marg in 1992. Tammy has worked here off and on since 1995, and this is where the two of us met! Our son Odin worked with us through high school and is currently pursuing other interests.

Our original store was on the other side of Wyndham Street, but in 2008 we found this lovely three-story stone building at 125 Wyndham and moved in. Wyndham Art has been a fixture in Downtown Guelph for over 34 years, welcoming regular visitors from all over the region, and for those further afield, we have become experts at carefully packing and shipping goods to artists from coast to coast.

Our goal is to create a welcoming, professional and helpful
environment for everyone. While we specialize in ‘fine art’ materials, we
welcome all, regardless of where you are on the spectrum of creative pursuit! As well as being visually stunning and packed with goodies, our store is a safe
space for all, regardless of ability, gender, race, age or faith.

I know a lot about: Printmaking is my favourite medium, and paper is what I love most
in art supplies. My specialty is anything I can do on an etching press:
intaglio, drypoint and etching, pronto plate lithography, linoleum / relief
printing and many of the wonderful ways of making monotypes. Chris and I had
the amazing opportunity to visit some papermakers in Japan a few years ago and
learned a lot about all the work that goes into making the beautiful and
deceptively strong ‘washi’ papers that I use.

My favourite art supply: Lovely papers, especially Inshu gampi tissue and Mitsumata pink
and grey tissues, which we stock in store, imported by the Japanese Paper
Place.

Fun fact about me: : I love frogs and toads and all the exciting things that go on in
my pond, I am partially ambidextrous and I am on my second year of knitting a
single sock.

I know a lot about: Paints and mediums, especially acrylics.  I have been
painting for about 40 years in a variety of media, and I like to play with
different gels, pastes and other modifiers.  I often include paper and
collage elements in my work, and I like the versatility of acrylic, and the
many different qualities and effects that are possible by combining mediums and
techniques.

My Favourite Art Supply: It may sound kind of boring, but I use fluid matte acrylic medium for so many things, it’s my ‘pantry staple’.  It’s good for sealing, gluing, extending, adding transparency, and more! I like to work up paper surfaces with subtle marks and colour, locking everything in with matte medium. These make great starting points for drawing, painting or collage elements.

Fun Fact About Me: In a strange Grade 6 art assignment we were given, each student had a tombstone and epitaph made for them by the class. Mine read “Here lies Chris, with all of his Art Supplies’.

I know a lot about: I have a love for the tactile nature of clay and the transformative properties of the ceramic process. The endless opportunities for surface variation with ceramic forms allow for a relationship to exist between my clay pieces and printmaking, painting and mixed media work. In the last 20 years I have studied ceramics both formally at Haliburton School of the Arts and Emily Carr University and experimentally in my own practice. I am particularly fascinated with the organic, unpredictable nature of alternative firing processes and have been involved with high temperature, long burning wood firings, as well as much quicker and lower temperature processes of raku, saggar, pit and smoke firings. I currently fire in a gas kiln and work in both porcelain and other high temperature clay bodies.

My Favourite Art Supply: Black watercolour ground from Daniel Smith. Super smooth to apply and deep black. Similarly, black gesso; Demco and Golden are both wonderfully matte and opaque.

Fun Fact About Me: I have an established (and growing) mindfully sourced collection of animal bones, fur and feathers and am learning to use natural materials to make my own brushes and tools. 

I know a lot about: I have a passion for pigments & paper... I have a strong interest in colour theory, pigment production & history. I am fascinated by how the pigments artists have used historically are influenced by their physical, social & cultural environment. Since beginning work at Wyndham Art Supplies I have been expanding that curiosity to the history & production of paper!

My Favourite Art Supply: FW acrylic inks are my go to in my personal art practice - they are heavily pigmented low viscosity paint that I find incredibly versatile. I have used them for years & love how they keep their vibrancy over time.

Fun Fact About Me: I had my favorite art supplies tattooed on me years before I was hired (I like to think it helped in my initial interview!)

I know a lot about: As the one making things available on our website, most items in the store have passed through my hands, which is a really good way to get familiar with products! I have the most personal experience with the printmaking supplies, and our paper department, but I try to know a little bit about everything, and learn more every day from our talented customers

My Favourite Art Supply: Right now, my favorite art supply has been the Tri-Art Impressions Printmaking Ink. Reliable, good detail and coverage, easy clean up and fast drying time. The best acrylic printing ink I've ever used!

Fun Fact About Me: When I'm not making art, I enjoy hikes with my dog & tabletop games

I know a lot about: Screen printing, acrylic painting and brush & ink illustration

My Favourite Art Supply: Pentel pocket brush

Fun Fact About Me: I love growing and gardening with native plants and have a small plant nursery in my backyard