Who would have thought that an avowed Eastside artist would pick a West Los Angeles art supply destination as her pick of the city? But it's true: Painter Lisa Adams, who is in the collections of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art and the Laguna Museum of Art, swears by Utrecht. And it's no wonder. This is the L.A. representative of a small but prized national chain that offers artists one of the largest selections of art supplies in the country. Founded by an artist, Utrecht was one of the first companies in America to manufacture paints specifically for fine art painters; it then became one of the first enterprises in the world to manufacture heavy-body acrylic, a painter's essential. Yet, even with its track record of 50-plus years, Utrecht still accepts returns if its brand, or any others it carries, don't respond the way an artist intends. Sweet. 11677 Santa Monica Blvd., W.L.A. (310) 478-5775, utrechtart.com/stores/dsp_viewstore.cfm?storeID=84.

—Tibby Rothman