August - Back in the Desert Heat!

 Vail, AZ

August, 2024

Settling back in my home routines

To offset all the boring home maintenance tasks that had accumulated while I was away, I was happy to return to my Friday painting group at SAWG (Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild). I so appreciate getting together and chatting, sharing ideas, encouragement, and information with a group of fellow artists.

The first couple of weeks, I wasn't feeling up to a real painting, so I did a couple small 5 x7" (13 x 18 cm - a bit bigger than A6, I think).

The first little painting was an expansion on a sketch that I did on vacation.  I was really caught by the boys pose and his dog's exuberance.

Best Friends

The second was my friend's cat, Van Gogh.  I've known him for years - back when he was a community cat, getting fed by my friend and slowly encouraged to come in out of the cold and be a house cat.  He still loves to be out in the hunter's darkness, but as he ages he's appreciating the soft sofa, catered dinners, and a comprehensive health plan.  He is a distinguished gentleman, with his clipped (sign of being caught in a Trap, Neuter, and Return humane society sweep) ear tip.  He loves his cuddles, but is not shy about giving you a slap if he's not in the mood.

Van Gogh - being a bit intense!

I had a project in mind to fill a hole in my plein aire setups

From my tiny A6 pocket kit, to my big watercolor easel setup (tripod and 9x12 tray and painting support), and a couple in-between - I like to have go-to kits that I can just grab without thinking about too much more than how much I want to carry.  

1. My tiny A6 sketchbook and a couple of pens fit nicely in my pocket or my daily carry-around bag. 

2. Slightly bigger is my usual A5, 5.5 x 8" (or thereabouts) sketch book with a gear bag holding a bunch of sketch tools, watercolor, etc - I took this kit with my on my trip this summer - it all fits into a medium size fanny pack or a small daypack - great if I'm going to be doing a log of walking and probably sketching on a bench or sitting on a rock.

4. The big 9x12 block watercolor kit fits into a large day pack (my old snow shoeing pack) , with a tripod, a stool and a bunch of other stuff.  This is great if I'm not planning on going very far away from my car.  Fully loaded with art stuff (but not water, or snacks), this kit is about 15 pounds.

I wanted something in between option 2 an 4 - an easel support but for smaller sketchbooks or watercolor blocks in places where I might be doing some walking, want my hands freer, or where I might be standing to paint.  Marinas and ocean beaches come to mind.

And, I have to admit, I just love building things.  This is way less professional looking than the truly lovely crafted offerings you find on ETSY, but can be done for a fraction of the cost - if you don't mind it looking like scrap lumber :)

So . . . .  3.  I made my version of a James Gurney Style Easel (if you don't know hin, look up his videos on You-Tube; he's a great artist and a skilled, creative craftsman!).

It's very small: 9 x 6" (23 x 16.5cm) and about 1" (2.5cm) thick at the hinge.  The scrap board I used was some very thin 3/16" (.63cm) plywood that I had left over from making my 9x12 easel.  The super-strong magnets were left over from another project, but they run about $10USD at most hardware stores.  The Adjustable Torque Hinges are plastic and came 2 to a pack - I got them on Amazon for about $8USD.  I had sandpaper and Acrylic Varnish and a small drill, a dremel, and a couple other tools already in my garage.

First, I cut the board into my size, including an extra strip along the hinge locations for added strength.  I also glued on a block that will support the 1/4" T-nut (for screwing onto the easel).

I chiseled out a groove for the hinges so they would have a slightly slimmer profile - this was tough as the wood panel was so thin to begin with.  

The hinges had solid plastic across from the tightening screw - but this prevented the lid from closing all the way; so, I used a dremel and cut away this part of the hinge - I was glad I got the plastic kind!

After glueing and screwing in the hinges; the next step was to drill shallow holes for the magnets and for the T-nut.  I was pretty messy with the glue - but the super strong magnets kept wanting to jump out.

The completed support.  My tripod is an Amazon Basics and this quick release camera mount is an easy way to get the easel onto the tripod - it just screws into the T-nut. 

The tripod isn't fully extended but shows how I can use it for a watercolor setup.  I'm looking forward to using it this fall.

Parting Shot - a bobcat in my front yard!

I had just enough time to snap a quick photo from my window as this beauty strolled through my property just after dawn.  This is my sketch in my little daily sketchbook.

So glad I looked out the window when I did!