http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMay 2020 61
PRACTICAL
Oils on the go
Wondering what to pack for your painting holiday? Clare Bowen
shares details of her essential oil painting kit, advises on how to prepare
for air travel and how to manage your paintings while you are away
Easel and pochade
There are several types to choose from- I like to use an Open Box M. Having
tried others I keep coming back to this
one as it is light, not bulky and has a
great mixing area. Mine is 11 3 14in but
they do other sizes. You will need a
tripod if you stand to paint – I use an
Italian-made Manfrotto Befree tripod
that is lightweight and good quality but
there are lots to choose from.
Another favourite for travelling is
a French pochade. You don’t need
a tripod and you can leave your wet
painting on it for transportation home.
The big advantage is you can use a
greater variety of canvases and boards
and it works well for larger paintings
This is my essentials list;
yours may be different
but plan it before you gol Brushes and brush roll. I recommend
Rosemary & Co’s bamboo brush roll
as you can stand it up when you’re
outside, making it easier to access.
A painter friend had a soft brush
roll and the wind blew hers into a
Venetian canal, to be lost forever!
l Paints and palette knife. Take colours
you are familiar with and make sure
you have enough for your stay
l Palette Garage (from USA). This holds
my squeezed-out paint for the day.
It saves weight as you don’t have to
carry all your tubes around
l Medium, cleaners and brush cleaning
pot
l Panels and/or canvas
l Wet panel carriers
l Easel/pochade
l Light
l Tripod
l Viewfinder
l Sketchbook and pencils/pens
l Matchsticks, masking tape and PVA
glueW
hether you can you take
half your studio in the boot
of your car or just the bare
minimum in a day pack,
hopefully this article will give you some
ideas and help. I’ve written this from my
experience as an oil painter, so you may
need to adapt for the medium you use.
Panels and canvases
If space is tight, panels are a great
option, especially homemade ones.
You can buy ready cut MDF 2 or 3mm
boards. If you do get thin boards,
choose smaller sizes, eg 8 3 10in,
103 12in, as they can warp.
p My equipment, selected for a month-
long painting trip to Venice. Rosemary & Co
bamboo brush roll, Raymar wet panel carriers,
Palette Garage, Open Box M easel and
Manfrotto tripod