130. Lightweight Wooden Wet Panel Carrier by Colin Joyce

Let me introduce you to my new favorite thing!

During my research for my blog post about plein air supplies, I came across this local artist who makes custom hand-built wet panel carriers and I could not resist.

I have been wanting a high quality carrier for so long, and his prices were exactly within my budget.

Colin Joyce is a painter himself, and his product reflects his knowledge. There are no frills or extra components, just exactly what you need in a low profile, lightweight carrier. As soon as I opened the package and saw the beautifully stained wood grain I fell in love. I lifted it out of the box, and could not believe how light it was!

When empty, it weighs about 2lbs, 12 oz.

The construction feels extremely sturdy with screws holding it together, rather than just wood glue (which I’m sure was also used).

You can order different sizes and carrying capacities. I wanted to have a single carrier that would suit me for long painting trips (just in case) so I went with the double capacity. (“Standard size carriers will take up to 6 panels back to back, whilst the double versions up to 12”)

Mine holds twelve 8x10 panels (back to back).

The slots for the panels allow a tiny bit of wiggle room for my 2.5mm panels when they are back to back. Colin says that the maximum width for panels is 4.5mm if you want them to fit back-to-back. Otherwise if you use thicker panels you will only be able to fit one per slot.

When completely full, it weights about 5 lbs, 15 oz.

The comfortable shoulder strap makes it really easy to carry, and the lid stays securely closed with the buckle.

And after a close inspection from Vader, I am assured that this box will be a wonderful companion for my plein air adventures.

I even love the fabric of the strap that he included. It suits my aesthetic perfectly!

To finish it off, he adds his logo, which seems to be burned into the wood for that hand-made look.

You can check out Colin’s work and order one of these on his website.

I am not sponsored or affiliated with Colin. I only promote products I own and believe to be high quality. I wouldn’t use something if I didn’t like it!

069. Urban Sketching & The Fear of the Blank Page

Now that spring has sprung, I find myself giving up my snuggie and slippers for my sneakers and sunglasses. 

I grab my sketchbooks, pens, watercolor travel sets, and just go. 
Sometimes I don't know where I'm going, and I just walk until I find something that inspires me.

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Sometimes I remember a cool building or sunny bench that I want to revisit.
The only constant is that I want to paint.

There is a huge difference in painting from a reference photo vs. painting from life. When you paint from a reference photo, everything is already flattened conveniently to a 2D surface that you can copy.

From life, your eye must decipher the depth, understand the shadows and highlights as the sun dances over the grass or through the tree limbs. This carries an added challenge, when you're trying to capture the scale, perspective, and colors of what you see! However, with just a little practice, it becomes much easier, and far more rewarding. 
In my previous post I shared my Plein Air sketchbook tour, and talked about how meaningful the experiences were when I was painting. 

Besides, there's nothing like a change in environment to get out of an artist block or a creative funk.

Time and time again, I find myself craving a good sketch/paint session, but have no clue what I want to make! So rather than fuss over it or overthink it, I simply GO! 
Seriously, I just throw everything in my bag and leave my house.
This creates momentum. That momentum steamrolls any of my doubts or fears, and from there, its no longer about "I feel like sketching but I don't want to ruin my sketchbook or I don't know what to paint" and it becomes "where can I sit and start sketching?"

It may seem so simple and obvious, but that is the difference between a stack of blank sketchbooks and ones full of stories, experiences, and adventures!

Plein air painting/urban sketching has become as much a part of my work flow as answering emails. 

This weekend I'm headed out into the Scottish highlands for a camping trip!

I ordered a GoPro so I can eliminate the tedious and inefficient process of filming my plein air sketching with my phone. Hopefully it arrives in time so I can test it out this weekend. I'm definitely planning on bringing my sketchbook and paint!