At todays meeting Loretta U, Dave, Thomas, Tim, Joanne,
Diane M, Bill, Loretta L, Kristina, David, Diane H, Brenda, John, Jim, Jeanie,
Eugenia, Dawn, Susan, Tedd, Eunice, Renita, Annie, Tom, Carol Kelly (new)
Sharon, and me, Celeste.
Today’s suggested table topic: easels and pochades. Tell us
about your favorite and tell us if you have one on your wish list --give us the
reasons why.
Celeste: I brought in a book about David Curtis. Here inside
the book you will find a photo of him. He is painting with a really cheap
looking contraption. His paintings are magnificent and he can do them with this
lousy equipment. I think this means that the equipment does not matter. Just what
is the point of this discussion? (laughter)! All that said, I like the Soltek best.
I brought in a small painting that I added some paint to and
also a painting that I did at “Fine Art Saturday” last Saturday.
Jeanie: I am working on a painting right now that is 48 x 24. I have a very big easel. It is almost
too big for the room. I don’t have a pochade.
Eugenia: I am back from Florida and Connecticut. In Florida
I saw the Dali museum; in Connecticut I saw the New Britain Museum and some
John Singer Sargents. I took a workshop in Florida with Dreama Tolle Perry.
When it comes to Easels and pochades I
am dazed and confused (Laughter)! My wish is that my gear would all be
contained into one thing and that it would fit into a backpack. I brought an
itemization of pochades and their attributes. I brought in a painting from my
workshop.
Dawn: (Welcome back, Dawn)! The way I work is to paint on a folding table or on a
wall! I have no pochade and no easel! My work is done largely with sanding. I
brought in a recent painting.
Susan: I have had the same studio easel for over 25 years. I
have an open M box for oil painting out-of-doors. I have a Sienna a box for
pastels and I think it is a great piece of equipment. I brought a plein air painting
(pastel) that I did recently at Oaks Bottom.
Tedd: I have a David Song easel for my studio easel. I like
how it moves up and down. I wanted to tell you about an app for an iPad called
Art set pro. You can paint just as if you are really painting! I did a painting
this morning at breakfast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/art-set-pro-edition/id728530673?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/art-set-pro-edition/id728530673?mt=8
Eunice: In my studio I have an old clunky crank easel. It’s
functional… but it is old. I use my Easy L if I take any trips or have to be “mobile”.
Loretta U: I have a wooden easel in my studio and I have a
French easel if I have to be portable ---if I need to go somewhere.
Dave: I have a Soltek easel for plein air. I have another
studio in Fort Collins and there I have a French easel. What I like to do is
take my glass pallete and use this carrier to carry it around (a wood wet
carrier). That system works really well. I brought in two recent paintings.
Tim: I have built a lot of easels and purchased some. I
believe that you can't beat the Strada --- however having said that it doesn't
mean that I won't make or buy something else! (Laughter!) I think that the
Strada is the best for work under 16 x 20. I brought in something that is not a
self-portrait! (Laughter)!
Diane M: I like the French easel, but I have not had best
the best of luck with them, the legs break.
I have replaced one of my French easels with an H type easel. I like it --because
it is secure.
Bill: My studio is in the basement. So I have to put up with
the joists there. When I move my easel I have to move it in-between joists. (Laughter)!
I was in Kaui recently. I used my Soltek easel there. I had to put booties on
the legs. (Everyone knows you cannot get sand in those telescoping Soltek legs)!
One good thing is that I understand if you have an issue, Soltek will fix
and/or refurbish the legs on your Soltek.
I like how the Soltek fits into a suitcase. I brought in a
painting that I did of a young woman in Kaui.
Loretta L: I have returned from a trip to Mexico City. I saw
murals there that were just beautiful. I also saw Lee Miller photography. It
was a great trip. I have an old Costco easel that was given to me. It is being
held together now with duct tape. I recently purchased an Easy L for outside.
It seemed expensive to me, but it seems
to be a good piece of equipment.
Kristina: I got a Strada mini for my birthday. I also have a
Soltek easel. I am going to put a couple of my pochade boxes up for sale in
case any of you may be interested in them. I have an Easy L and a 6 x 8 "thumb-box".
I don't like my studio easel. I brought in a recent palette knife painting.
Dotty: I want to have everything in my backpack. I sometimes use the cigar box. I can do a
painting 6 x 8 or 8 x 10 with the cigar box. It allows me to have 6 to 8 colors
and I also have a wet panel carrier. This all fits into a backpack. I do have
an Easy L pochade box as well. I brought in a recent painting from downtown.
Diane H: When I think about friendships and relationships…I
think about the fact that you have to decide if you can “put up” with the foillables
of another. I think that is the same as it pertains to easels and pochade
boxes. You have to ask yourself if you can live with this or that problem. I had
a sienna easel for pastels and replaced it.
I brought in a recent oil painting.
Brenda: I have five pochade boxes. When you travel every
ounce counts. I am not happy about the wing nuts on the open M box. The pastel
version of the open M box is very heavy. I have just returned from Cuba. It was
a very challenging trip. For one thing I had a pad of canvas and it turned out
that the canvas wasn’t primed. So a lot of my painting buddies loaned me some
of their panels. I only used one brush the entire time I was in Cuba. I used the
Strada easel in Cuba. Here is my painting of a beautiful old car. It got
smeared and somehow that improved it! (Laughter)! The people in Cuba are absolutely
beautiful. I had a wonderful time but I also came home appreciating America more---because
we have it so great here. I am showing you some of the other work that I did in
Cuba.
Annie: I came today to find out what you all use! Laughter! I
paint mostly on tables. I did find a thrift store Julian easel. I find it is
awfully heavy.
John: (Welcome back, John)! I am brand-new to this group and I really like it a
lot. Thank you everyone! I brought in a colored pencil that I did of a kestrel.
Jim: I have just returned from Renton Washington where I
took a workshop with Ned Mueller. I wanted to see his approach and try to practice
his way for myself. First I am showing you how I used to draw a portrait. Hey
these aren’t so bad ---(laughter)! You
can see the difference in how I was drawing portraits and how I later drew them
under the Ned's instruction. He uses a bistre Conte crayon. He starts with tone
and then puts in the dark. This is a little similar to painting because he is massing
instead of drawing linearly. Oh about easels --I have a Richeson big easel in
my studio. I have a Julian French easel …actually I have three of them. I do
also have a French easel that was made from bamboo….but it was just all springy
and bouncy, I couldn’t use it! laughter! (There was applause for Jim when he
finished showing us all his drawings.---great presentation)
Renita: I have a little aluminum easel that works
everywhere. It works inside and it works outside. I have a grocery cart with
wheels and I put my pallete on top of that! It all works just great. I also paint
on the table at home. I brought in two paintings that are recent.
Joanne K: I have had a metal easel for 35 years. It is a fold
up metal easel and it works fine to take it inside or outside. I also have an
easy L… a Versa in size. I also have a smaller box that is the easy L and an
open M box for travel. -- I have a Santa Fe easel. I am showing a painting I
did from “Fine Art Saturday” last week.
Tom: I have made several pochade boxes and easels. I am
showing you one that I particularly like. I made an easel for my wife that I
call the St. John’s easel because it sort of looks like the St. John’s bridge
(laughter)! This pochade that I’m showing you has an aluminum pallete. I have
ordered a cinnamon roll pan that has a lid that will fit in this! (Laughter)!
I can use a strap with
this pochade and hold this around my waist and set it on my lap. It works
really great. I didn’t bring a painting but I will show you my screensaver
on my iPad--- it is one of my paintings.
Carol Kelly: (First time here welcome Carol Kelly). No one has
mentioned the Alla Prima Pochade box yet. It is my preferred pochade box. It
has drawers and it has magnets everywhere. The downside is that it can be a
little bit fragile. I have had to send away for repairing the drawer. But it is
so well designed I can’t recommended it highly
enough!
Sharon: I have a big easel and a Julian French easel and the
SolTek. I leave my French easel set up on the patio in the summer to paint
outdoors. I am showing two of my seascapes.
Thomas: Thanks, Brenda for the Cuban cigar! Laughter! I
think if it comes down to number of easels--- I win! (Laughter)! I have 14
or 15 pochades and easels. I have only sent back two pochade boxes --- one was the
Guerilla box. I sent it back because it was just too clunky and heavy. I also
had an Easy L that I sent back because I was not in favor of where the tripod
head attaches. I am asked all the time "what pochade box should I use"? I almost
always steer people toward the Strada or the open M. For myself, I don’t like the “all in one” solution. I
don’t like a box where everything goes into it. I just find it limiting. I
travel lightly and I guess I don’t need to be “told” what to put where. The Soltek…
I think about those legs. How you have to keep sand out of the joints! I’m showing you this cigar box that I made. If
I were to do this again I would’ve cut a hole into it for my thumb in a
different place. I used friction hinges for this box and also the Strada easel
uses friction hinges too. What this means is that you can put the lid at any
angle. I use a Manfrotto tripod. I wanted to bring in my Gloucester easel today
but I knew that it would be too big. The Gloucester easel is fantastic because
you can paint in a gale! It it the best for withstanding wind and weather.
I like what Scott
Gellatly does with the idea of the cigar box thing--- he just uses a cigar box
and when it gets all gunked up he just simply throws it away and gets another! I may go that
route myself someday.
Announcements:
"Fine Art Saturdays" are at the Troy building from 1 to 4 on
Saturdays. There may be some differences in this schedule in the future, but for
now it remains Saturdays 1 to 4. RSVP required. The next model will be a female clothed model
(dressed in a Madame X style). The session is filled. email to be placed on the Fine Art Saturday email list: studio.oneeleven.at.the.troy@gmail.com
Joanne Kollman is having a workshop prior to the
model session on Saturday. It is at 10:30 to 12 o’clock. This will be upstairs from the
studio one-eleven. You can find out more on Facebook. (The model session is now filled, but the workshop has space--Scroll down the Facebook page to find it):
Brenda has one spot open in OSA March 29. This is for her
pastel class that is on Tuesdays. http://brendaboylan.com/workshop/11810/7-week-pastel-class-spring-rescheduled
Here are Brenda’s upcoming events (Portland paints the
Desert, Cuba paintings, urban demo):
Susan Kuznitsky has classes at OSA for the costumed model
and that begins on March 9.
Thomas Kitts "ask an artist.com" is up and running. Check out
his website and contact him with questions.
Ward Stroud’s fundraiser is on February 19 ---here is the
link --and if you can’t make the fundraiser you can still donate directly to him at gofundme.
Brush and palette painting sessions are every other Friday
find out about it here:
Portland artists are showing at the Brian Marti during Feb:
Mike Rangner show continues at Art on the Boulevard.
http://www.artontheboulevard.org
Here are the drawings from today's Thursday Drawing club session at Medley: https://picasaweb.google.com/103423620849168017992/TheThursdayDrawingClubFebruary182016?authuser=0&feat=directlink
We had a great time at the June O. Underwood "field trip" to Milepost5, ArtHaus and lunch on Feb 17. If you have an idea for a field trip email us allaprimaportland@gmail.com
Here are the drawings from today's Thursday Drawing club session at Medley: https://picasaweb.google.com/103423620849168017992/TheThursdayDrawingClubFebruary182016?authuser=0&feat=directlink
We had a great time at the June O. Underwood "field trip" to Milepost5, ArtHaus and lunch on Feb 17. If you have an idea for a field trip email us allaprimaportland@gmail.com
Thank you everyone for coming today and sharing your ideas
and paintings. Next meeting Thursday, February 25. Suggested table topic: lost and found edges. What
can you tell us about what you know about lost and found edges…? Let’s discuss.
Love Brenda's Cuban paintings!
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