A new Pochade box for smaller work.

Even though I have the amazing piece of kit know as the Soltek Easel, it is still pretty cumbersome, and not very discreet. I wanted to have something small, more inconspicuous to set up and paint, maybe at a cafe or on a park bench.

I converted a small panel carrier I made a while ago to a fully functioning lap-box. It still houses a panel carrier compartment underneath the makeshift slide out tray.




It will hold one 17x30 cm panel, or 3 10x17 cm panels. I have ordered a bunch of empty 20 ml tubes so that I can fill them with paint from larger tubes, more economical that way. I can also fit some brushes, box of Kleenex, small medium jar and a palate knife.

I fitted some sturdy rubber feet on the bottom, and a tripod mount in case I want to bring that along too. The extra loophole for the carrier strap is there so that I can secure the box from tipping by fastening it underneath my legs whilst sitting down, so I can have both hands free. The lid stays up by a simple rubber band fastened at the back.

Wet panel carrier!

One problem when painting out doors is how the hell do you transport your fresh panels to the safety of your studio, without smooshing, brushing, dropping, sticking or mucking them up? And if you are out for a day, what if you wanted multiple panels with you for different vistas?

The main issue I found with most commercially available carriers was that they are static, they accommodate one or a few set sizes. Its Annoying when you have a ton of different sized panels, (specifically if you find a nice frame in an antique shop , and want a panel to fit it)




So Ive been playing about with making my own, Macguyver-ish lightweight carrier, and after butchering my french easel (very satisfying by the way) I got some nice brass bolts, screws and hinges, and rummaging about finding various strips of wood around the studio, I made this. A dynamic wet panel carrier that will accommodate any sizes up to 35x43 cm (thats 14x17 " for you yanks).



There are 3 "slots". The middle one is static for one large panel. The outer two are adjustable. With 2 screws on each side I can fasten up to four panels of any size not exceeding the box dimensions, allowing me to carry up to 5 panels at once. I can also fit a stretched canvas in there if I leave the middle slot empty, and still bring panels with me on the opposite side. The width of my panels are 3 or 4 mm. (Birch plywood of course!)



I hope this was helpful for anyone else getting annoyed with keeping their work safe.

A few new sketches of a house from different angles

First of the season