Painting of the Week: End of Summer
While watching toddlers learn to blow bubbles in the pool one day, I realized that every available deck chair had been draped with a pool towel, and that it looked incredibly artistic in a kind of Wayne-Thiebaud-meets-David-Hockney kind of way. I was just aching to paint it, but someone asked for another batch of guacamole, or maybe a sippy cup. So once all the house guests had left, and there were no small fingers nearby that would have been trying to get into my oil paints, I recreated the scene on my patio with my favorite striped towels, because I just love painting stripes…. And I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet.
Lounge Towel
Three Pool Chairs
Slouchy Towel
You can purchase any or all of these (I think they make a great set!) by following the link.
And as always, you get free shipping within the US when you purchase a Painting Of The Week!
Terri, love your website and seeing your plein air paintings. I am an artist also, and this year joined a plein air group and have gone out (usually) weekly or bi-weekly doing landscapes. I read that you use an Open M Box. During the Easton (MD) Plein Air Festival I noticed that a majority of the artist’s used them also. (My fellow artist’s use various setups, including Soltek, Guerilla, etc. but these M Boxes are new to me).
Currently, I use a Jullian french easel or a little pochade box (cheap, it’s literally a converted wooden cigar box) that attaches to a camara tripod. I love the quick setup of the little box, but it is wobbly and I think the Open M box would be best for me.
Question: do you use one of your camara tripods or did you buy one of the Open M’s (they are ridiculously expensive)? What tripod do you recommend? And which of the options do you think are worth springing for? I spoke to an artist who spent about $1000 on one of their setups-that does seem pricey.
Sherry, thanks for your kind words!
I like my Open Box M (www.openboxm.com) easel very much. I can fit it, and everything else I need to paint with, in a daypack. I have the 11×14 box, and that is the limit of the size panel that you can work on: the Jullian easel is better suited for larger canvases.
The tripod I use with this rig is a Manfrotto 3001 with a ball head. I don’t use my “photography” tripod for my paint box: that one is three times as heavy and four times as costly! Besides, I’d just as soon not have to worry about whether there is oil paint hiding on my photo equipment, just waiting to adhere to delicate electronics. When I purchased my box, I bought the tripod through Open Box M also because their prices are competitive with all the photo stores. A good tripod is worth the price. A cheap tripod will wiggle, and you’ll feel like you’re chasing your painting with each brush stroke.
You can easily get spendy on this stuff. But after trying all sort of step ups, I’ve had my easel for several years now and I’m still happy with it. It has held up to everything I’ve subjected it to!
Best of luck with your painting!
Terri
Thanks, Terri!
Yes, my cheap tripod/little pochade box does wiggle; once I was painting boats and was literally set up on a wooden bridge, which vibrated every time a vehicle drove past. I dropped a brush, which fell thru a crack between the boards. If a good set-up will be really stable, it’s worth every penny then. You would know-especially with all your years of photography/equiptment experience.
Thanks again, for giving your time and honest opinion. I really appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Sherry
Absolutely love your art. I am a fellow artist and just like you enjoy colours. I will keep coming back to your blog from time to time to see your latest works. Feel free to visit my site and I would enjoy it if you would leave a comment in my guestbook. I always enjoy hearing from fellow artists and art enthusiasts alike.
Best wishes, Anna