There's only so many choices though and I'm trying to narrow them down. At first my number one choice was a French Easel (full-box, preferably by Jullian). For those who don't know, FEs are wooden easels that can fold up into a box so you can carry it around. They come in a few variations, two of them being a full-box and a half-box. The half-box is slimmer but has much of the same functionality. There's also completely different options available and one them is a Stanrite aluminum easel. It's lightweight (3lbs compared to the FE, which is 14lbs) and much cheaper. The price is also tempting at $80CAN compared to the FE which is about $100CAN more. I don't know why these things are so expensive here in Canada. I guess I'll have to shop online.
Anyway, I really want to get out there and paint because I'm tired of still-lifes and reproductions every summer. I don't have access to a model right now so landscapes seem to be a great alternative.
Hi Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI have a half box Julian. It is a little bit lighter and easier to tote around than the full box. The down side is that it costs just as much!
One thing I love about it is that the palette folds in half, so when you are done painting you can just fold the palette in half and go, no worries. I didn't figure this out for awhile and was using the wrong side.
Also, if your canvas is 14x18 or larger, the easel carries the completed painting for you (just clamp it into place as you would when painting).
I put my paints, brushes, a palette knife and a tiny jar of oil in the easel. Then I just need to carry a canvas bag or backpack with paper towels, a plastic bag for trash, some plastic wrap to wrap my brushes after use until I get around to washing them, my viewfinder, my camera, water and a snack and whatever else I feel I will need.
Very convenient! Watch for sales, sometimes they are discounted.