BEHIND THE BRAND:
AMPERSAND

Ampersand is a world-renowned manufacturer of premium artists' panels based in Buda, Texas, in the US. A small, woman-owned, family-run company, Ampersand has spent more than three decades developing innovative, archival-quality painting surfaces designed around the needs of artists.

Trusted by artists worldwide, Ampersand is known for its specialist panels with innovative coatings for oil, watercolour, encaustic, mixed media, and more. Ampersand’s patented Archiva-Seal isolates the FSC-certified Aspen wood from the priming and painting layers, helping to prevent support-induced discolouration and giving artists confidence in a versatile, stable surface that is a pleasure to work on.

Ampersand began with a shared belief in the enduring value of panel painting, a tradition that dates back to antiquity. While studying at The University of Texas, co-founder Elaine Salazar recognised the potential of Claybord, a clay-coated panel for scratchboard and subtractive techniques, developed by Colorado artist and inventor Charles Ewing. Inspired by her love of art and background in art history, she worked with three classmates to create a business plan around Claybord, winning a national business contest that helped establish Ampersand in 1993.

In its early years, the company refined its manufacturing process, from coating and drying thick clay layers to sealing wood panels effectively. As artists began using Claybord, their feedback shaped Ampersand’s growth, leading to new surfaces such as Scratchbord, Gessobord, Aquabord, and Pastelbord. In 2010, Encausticbord was developed in collaboration with encaustic specialists R&F to give encaustic artists a robust, absorbent surface that could withstand heat and mixed-media processes. The company later moved from its original East Austin facility to its current location, where it continues to handcraft archival panels with a focus on artist-led development, rigorous quality control, and lasting durability.