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I have finally started packing my easels and oil box and backpack.  Wow-what a job!  I love my new oil box.  I drew up the plans for it and my husband(I knew I married him for his carpentry skills) constructed it. The box has come out beautifully.  I use a tempered glass pallette in my studio and wanted to be able to carry it outdoors.  This box accomplished that and more.  It has room for the glass and all my paint tubes.  It would also have room for my brushes if I pare down the quantity of paints that I have in there.  This will probably be something that I use when I'm close to the car.   If I'm going to be walking out a bit then I'll pack a more limited pallette and brushes in my french easel and use the wooden pallette that the easel comes with instead.  Also an option, putting the easel, box and small portable table on my all terrain dolly and carting it into the wild blue yonder.

The weather for next week is looking beautiful and  most of all WARMER!!!!  I paint year round but must admit that when it gets to below freezing or above 90 I do slow down my outdoor painting excursions.

I have been bubblewrapping my frames and putting them into the cardboard box I use to tote them cross country.   I did change my original idea of attaching the spacers to the glass and have instead opted to just cut them to size and bundle them with a rubberband and attach them as I frame.  This enabled me to store the glass more securely.

Currently I am working on the first aid kit.  You know, lots of bug spray, bandaids, neosporin and sun blocker.  I keep the kit to a minimum and only pack what I know I have needed in the past.  I also pack a flashlight(for those times I get so involved I don't realize the sun has gone down and I need to get back to the car).  I also am going to pack my artist umbrella.  This is a good idea if it's a really sunny day as it is important to keep the same light on your surface and your paints.  Also it helps with the sunburn situation.

I also need to find my dropcloth.  (I know it's here cause I used it last week on a paint out.)  I lay the dropcloth down on the ground underneath where I'm working and spray it like crazy with bug spray. This keeps all the litte beasty's from crawling up my easel legs and my legs.  It also cuts down on the amount of bug spray that I need to spray directly on my person. (I know it's important-BUT BUG SPRAY STINKS!) 

Well, I better get back to my packing-
Enjoy the day!
Jennylynne

   Well, today, I started with the packing.  I am taking ten 8"x10" and ten 11"x14" frames.  I have also attached the spacers to the glass and cut the backings in those sizes.  The only thing that I will have to do when I get there is to create the painting, attach it to the backing, slip it ino the frame, attach the paper backing and wire and put my business card and the name of the painting on the back.  I also take photos of the finished painting before putting it into the frame for a record and in case I want to post it later to my website.

I have begun using spacers for my pastel paintings as this is easier and gives it a cleaner look than mats.  It's also one less thing to pack.  I like the look of the paintings-it gives it more of an oil painting feel once framed.

I have also started packing my french easel, my new oil painting box, my backpack and the travel boxes that hold my unfinished and finished paintings and my pastel travel boxes.  I am taking two easels this trip-one is my french easel and the other is my newest Anderson easel.  The new easel allows me to stand right in front of the painting surface instead of having to lean over the front storage compartment-saves on the back when painting for long periods.

Most of the areas I intend to paint are where I can keep my vehicle close thus not having to hike long distances with the backpack and easel.  It also allows me to use more pastels when painting close to the car.  When painting away from the vehicle, I tend to really pare down my pastels and supplies to a bare bones. You need to remember that whatever you carry in YOU HAVE TO CARRY OUT! - Usually while tired from a painting session.  When I first started plein air painting I took everything but the kitchen sink-Okay-I tried to take that too.  

My pastel travel boxes hold between 100-300 pastels securely.  I personally use the travel boxes from Dakota Pastel.  Other artists friends use the heilman boxes.  Both are wonderful boxes but the Dakota boxes are secured with velcro which is easier to take on and off with my arthritic hands.  The Dakota boxes can be purchased at Dakotapastels.com.  they come in three sizes and have been very durable for me.  I just purchased a new one this year but my old one is still going strong.

Well, gotta run for now-lots of packing to finish.

Have fun in the outdoors and happy painting!
Jennylynne 

Count down to Augusta Plein Aire Event!

Well, I finally got my Wallis papers in sizes 9"x12" and 11"x14".  These are the two sizes I use when painting outside.  These sizes allow me time to capture the light (which is constantly on the move) and get in the main sketh and values quickly.  I have used larger sizes but only for two reasons-1) if I can come back another day at the same time to continue and 2) if I intend to record the values and light and finish it in the studio.

This is just the method that I have developed and what seems to work for me.  The next phase in my prep work for the trip is to mount the papers on a foamcore or gaterboard cut to 16"x20".  This allows me room beyond the painting space and also fits in my handy, dandy, rolling box that is slotted to hold ten of these boards.  This box allows me to not only have the papers already mounted and ready to use but is a great way to transport them back to my studio or keep them safe until framing.  If anyone's interested in seeing the box, let me know and I'll take a picture of it and post it in another blog.

This painting trip will have 9 days of painting time.  I usually go out for three hours in the morning-then lunch and a nap- then three hours of more painting in the afternoon.  The  first day of the trip, I will map out the locations that I want to paint(since I've been there before I pretty much know the spots I want to revisit).  Since it's a plein air event, I will also have to schedule time for checking in and deciding which sponsored events I want to participate in and where.  

This year, I plan to also try some oil painting in plein air.  I have had an additional box for the canvases made to help with transporting them.

The next thing I need to do is get my frames, glass and framing material ready to travel.  There is a show on the tenth day where artist and exhibit and sell the paintings they have done during the event.  There is a whole lot of prep that goes into this step.  I'll save that for a later blog.

next time, I'll talk about the other supplies and materials that I need to take and how they are packed.
See you out and about!!
Happy Painting-
Jennylynne