Alice is very patient while I experiment with art materials from the gift bags that participants and instructors received at the USk symposium in Chicago. I never try these things out at the event — no time for experimentation on site. But when I get home, it’s so much fun to play.

Today, while Alice waited, I found a tiny sample pad of Hahnemühle Bamboo mixed media paper along with a big fat 9B water-soluble graphite stick from Lyra. A wonderful duo, as it turns out. The paper is creamy, slightly textured and perfect for quick drawings. It takes a light wash well too. And with the sharpened Lyra graphite stick you can make thin marks to obtain soft grey washes, or very thick lines that release into the deep black washes. Definitely a combo I will use again.