Introducing the Martha Mae Art Supplies & Beautiful Things x A.Gallo Prairie Palette.

Drawing inspiration from the rich hues of the foliage and sky of the Midwestern Prairie, we thoughtfully designed this palette for painting dramatic landscapes, skyscapes, and autumnal botanicals. Made by hand in Assisi, Italy, A. Gallo watercolors are crafted according to a traditional recipe of raw pigments, gum arabic, local honey, and rosemary essential oil. 

A. Gallo is led by artist Alina Gallo who has a background in Italian and Persian paintmaking traditions. In 2017, with her husband Giuliano Matteucci, she founded A. Gallo Colors in Assisi following a period of research into Timurid, Safavid and Ottoman manuscripts in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum Department of Islamic Arts, the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul and the Museum of Art at Bowdoin College’s Islamic Manuscript Collection.

Alina draws inspiration from the rich history of pigments used by artists across cultures and cross-cultural manuscript painting techniques. A. Gallo products reflect her dedication to excellence, sustainability, and cultural heritage. Her team believes in the power of craftsmanship and the unique quality that comes from hand making paint. Their commitment to quality and tradition ensures that each of their watercolor sets is not just a tool for painting, but a piece of art in itself. 

When this collaboration began, we discussed different concepts and ideas for the color palette. We landed on the colors of a prairie. We referenced photos of Midwestern landscapes, as well as natural prairies throughout the Tuscan and Umbrian regions of Italy. The bright blue skies contrasted with the warm hues of prairie plants and the Earth tones in autumnal flowers guided our paint selection. 

The colors we included are Buff Titanium, Quin Gold, Trans Red Oxide, Perylene Maroon, Morellone, Burnt Umber Dark, Green Gold, Olive Green Deep, Harbor Blue, Indanthrone Blue, Payne's Gray, and Zirconium Blue.

Every batch of paint is made from premium pigments and hand poured into pans at A. Gallo’s studio. This intensive process creates a very pigmented, luminous, and pure paint with excellent lightfastness that activates beautifully when wet. These watercolors are free of cadmium, cobalt, lead and mercury. Featuring the best natural, historical and innovative modern pigments available today, A. Gallo wants to connect users with materials that have been used by artists throughout the ages in an environmentally friendly way. When you open the palette, delight in the delicate handpainted paper wrappers that protect each paint pan. They are so beautiful, we keep them as little mementos.

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Designed for both in-studio and plein air use, The Prairie Palette contains a collapsable travel brush handmade in Tuscany. The Tintoretto 1327 size 6 pocket round brush features Kazan squirrel synthetic fiber, nickel plated brass ferrule, and metallic cap-handle. The fibers pick up lots of pigment and offer a smooth brushstroke that highlights the quality of the paint.

Each palette features a Martha Mae x A. Gallo swatching sheet and handmade marbled paper crafted by a Florentine artisan workshop. One of the reasons we were so drawn to A. Gallo as a collaborator on this custom palette is their dedication to quality and their appreciation of other talented artists and makers. From Assisi to Tuscany to Florence to Chicago, every hand that has touched this palette during the making has been full of intention and creativity. 

The Prairie Palette is the latest custom product in the Martha Mae Design Program where we partner with exceptional makers to create products that delight and spark creativity. 

Now available to shop online at Martha Mae or in-store at our Outpost at The Center of Order and Experimentation.

Happy painting! We hope this inspires you to get creative and bask in the beauty of the fall landscape.