The holiday season will soon be at our throats ?ahem, ? be with us, and a great many of us are looking for gift ideas. Choosing gifts can be tricky, especially so if the intended recipient has very specific interests and activities. At first, this makes it seem easy. Oh, Polly Painter works in oils, let's get her some supplies. Only to find that she already owns three thousand colours, needs storage facilities beyond the scope of your budget (or a truck), and anyway has brand preferences and equipment needs that you cannot follow even with the best of intentions. No wonder Santa has a whole team of elves.

What to do? Here are four common approaches to these problems along with Opus solutions.

The Tailored Approach

What you need to know before you go shopping for art materials for your near and dear ones is the medium in which they work. Find out, as discreetly or indiscreetly as you choose, whether they paint or sculpt; whether they use oils, acrylics or watercolours; whether they work on tiny pieces of paper or huge canvases.

Then find out what level they have achieved; beginner, intermediate, super expert, or just like to play?

Then, make a list and come on down!

Sets, the Simple Solution

Year round, we stock a selection of sets chosen to fill a variety of needs. There are sets for the beginner, sets for the more advanced. There are sets of watercolour, oil, and acrylic paints. Pencil sets, silkscreening sets, glass paint sets, economical sets, high-priced sets. And every year in the months just prior to the holiday season, we bring in extra sets, to ensure that you can find one to fill your needs, whether you are using the "Tailored Approach," or the "Big Ticket Approach."

Big Ticket Items

A Big Ticket item can be a small thing in size, or it may be a big thing; however, the "big" we are talking here is the price.

A sampling of some of the most popular choices for Big Ticket purchases other than sets include easels, drawing tables, portfolios and presentation cases, equipment boxes, paper drawers, lights and light boxes, sable brushes for painters in all media, watercolour blocks, matcutting equipment, and opaque projectors.

Books for artists make great gifts, and often fall into the Big Ticket category. We have a wide selection of books available for all levels, ask one of our staff for more information.

Let Them Decide: Gift Certificates

Opinion is often divided about Gift Certificates. Many feel that they are too impersonal, while others feel that they are a fine gift. Try combining a Gift Certificate with a stocking stuffer to personalize things a bit, or take advantage of our December bonus - for the entire month of December if you purchase a gift certificate valued at $50.00 or more, you will receive a free 5.5" x 8.5" Essential Slim Sketchbook worth $7.50 to accompany your Gift Certificate.

Consider the following list of stocking stuffers: paper samplers including watercolour, drawing, and printmaking; sketchbooks, of all sizes and kinds; brush cleaners, the painter's friend; pens for writing, calligraphy and drawing; canvases, from tiny to heavy duty; brush holders for the traveling artist; manikins from small enough to put in a stocking to big enough to wear the stocking; brushes for watercolour, oil, acrylic, specialty, natural, synthetic in a range of quality; and colour wheels that are helpful in a lot of artistic disciplines.

The list could go on and on ... No matter what your shopping needs, we can help you find something to make giving to an artist, or buying a new toy for yourself, a creatively satisfying process!

We also want you to know that at Opus, we have very understanding return guidelines, so you can feel confident bringing back any item that you are not satisfied with. Please ask our store staff for assistance if you have any questions. Gift enclosures are provided throughout the season.