The Newest Breakthrough in Oil Paints for Artists

Tusc & Pine Oil Paints…and It Just Might Be the Best

Featured: Tusc & Pine Artists’ Oil Colors
By: Mot Tuman

Join us for this article as we delve into the Tusc and Pine oil paint line created in partnership with Jerry’s Artarama.

While it’s not uncommon for new brands of oil paint to pop up on the market from time to time, it is rare that a brand comes along with claims of quality and history that compare to those of existing tried and true oil paint brands, such as Gamblin or Old Holland.

Setting Out to Create a Better Oil Paint

What Jerry’s Artarama set out to do with their new oil paint line, known as Tusc and Pine, was not just to create a paint that compares to other oil paints, but rather make a better oil paint line than what has been seen before.

As an oil painter herself, her quest to create a great oil paint was a labor of love

Tusc and Pine oil paints may be new to the market starting in May of 2024, but the line has a much longer history than you might expect.

When Heather Goldstein, the director of new product development at Jerry’s Artarama, set out on her journey to create the best possible oil paint line, she brought with her an extensive background of working with art supplies.

Jerry’s Artarama is a family owned business, located in North Carolina, and founded in 1968 by Jerry Goldstein. Heather Goldstein, Jerry’s granddaughter, was surrounded by art supplies since she was born. As an oil painter herself, her quest to create a great oil paint was a labor of love.

See Video on The Process

The Labor Behind the Love

Knowing that she had to find a craftsman just as passionate as her to bring Tusc and Pine to life, Heather reached out to Michael Gorak. Even though Michael Gorak had retired from his career of over 30 years as a professional paint maker, he came back to the grindstone when presented with Jerry’s Artarama’s project.

“Most people don’t start businesses in their 60s,” Gorak commented, “so when you do that you’re doing it for a reason”.

Heather Goldstein Swatching Tusc and Pine

Each pigment was selected with the historical oil paint masters in mind

The team set out to create each color in the Tusc and Pine line with intense scrutiny. One color was made at the time, with each one formulated specifically to what would bring out the best attributes of the pigment. “When you speak of a labor of love, as I have, emphasis on the labor”, Heather Goldstein remarked when reflecting on their work.

Each pigment was selected with the historical oil paint masters in mind, with each tube of paint holding the maximum amount of pigment that was possible.

A team of artists and chemists tested and critiqued each color as it was created, molding the paint to what would best suit the needs of an artist.

The History of Tusc and Pine

The result is an incredibly well made paint. Every tube in the 96 color line is so packed with pigment that the smallest amount of paint brings out an intense vibrancy and weight. In deciding how to name the new line, Jerry’s Artarama realized the only name worthy of this paint would be one that drew from the family history that brought it into being.

Jerry and Arline Goldstein with their grandchildren, Heather and Michael Goldstein

Why is it called “Tusc” & “Pine” – Behind the Name

“Pine” has a double meaning in the name, referring both to turpentine, commonly used in oil painting and sourced from pine trees, and the state that the paint is created in, North Carolina, which is rich in pine trees.

While “Pine” refers to the nature of the oil paint itself, “Tusc” refers to the heart of Tusc and Pine, the Goldstein family. It first stemmed from Heather’s grandmother, Arline Goldstein, and her love of elephants.

Over the generations, that love of elephants has been passed down through collections of elephant-themed tchotchkes and artwork, eventually being taken on as a symbol of the family itself.

Ultimately, while the best oil paint may be relative to whichever artist you ask, Jerry’s Artarama, partnered with MG Art Products, is proud to have created one of the best paints possible and hopes that you will appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into creating Tusc and Pine.

Each color has a story and will come to life from your palette to your painting! Developed One Color At A Time For Painters Who Love To Paint

Range of 96 oil colors – See all the colors in the entire line: Click Here