Testing Ampersand Claybord in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and More

It seems like an impossible feat to find an artist’s surface that works with virtually all mediums, yet the Ampersand Claybord fulfills it. The ingenious surface is archival, acid-free, and warp-proof, with a highly absorbent, smooth finish that works beautifully with an array of techniques and materials. In this review, I tested the Claybord with the widest range of mediums I’ve ever used for a single review – acrylic, oil, ink, watercolour, printmaking, graphite, coloured pencil, markers, and collage.     Testing Ampersand Claybord in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and More About the Ampersand Company The invention that marked the beginning of the Ampersand company was the Claybord itself. This unique coated artists’ panel was invented by Charles Ewing, who sought to create a rigid surface for his own artworks that would allow for a combination of ink and scratchboard techniques. He was friends with Elaine Salazar, a graduate student at the University of Texas. She believed in the potential of the Claybord with her background in art history, and alongside three classmates won a national business competition with their plan for the development of the Claybord. The prize allowed them to found Ampersand with Charles and his wife, Barbara, in …

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Chloe Cox: Real Refined

Chloe Cox won the People’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work What’s Mine Is Yours. In this interview, she discusses the teamwork behind her reference photos, her experience on BBC’s ‘Extraordinary Portraits’, and the one tool she can’t live without: a broken chair leg. Above image: Chloe with her painting Windrush     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Chloe: I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember – if not professionally, at least at heart. As a child, I was always drawing and painting; it’s what came most naturally to me, vs. the more traditional subjects like maths and science. While studying art in my final school years, I was first introduced to oil paints, and haven’t looked back since.     Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals? Chloe: Because I still work a full-time job, most of my studio time happens on weekends or during annual leave. When I am painting, I always have music, a podcast, or an audiobook playing in the background. It helps me relax and stay with …

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Magda Delgado: A Pile of Passions

Magda Delgado won the Visitors’ Choice Award in the exhibition of Jackson’s Art Prize 2025 finalists at Bankside Gallery with her work Untitled (“Beauty as Consolation” series). In this interview, she discusses how she ripens her ideas before committing to paint, detaching from the ‘big soup of information’, and giving an older project another chance. Above image: Magda with her cat Serge Gainsbourg at her studio in UK     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Magda: Mark-making is something that children enjoy; exploring with the help of brushes, crayons on the wall, sticks on sand, bare hands and paint on paper. Or focusing on textures, such as making sculptures/constructions on the beach, moulding clay, and combining objects, etc. Some of them enjoy it more than others, and some never lose that interest. That was my case. All the time spent with two and three-dimensional approaches was a pleasure, and I was always rewarded with such good reactions. In primary school, I would share an interest with a girl who would become a close friend. We would collaborate on some endeavors for almost a decade. At home, I had someone who was able to transform flat fabric …

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