Been a while, haven’t posted much, since this thread and the workshop. Personal things have been going on, everything better now and I hope all will be back to normal soon.
The workshop was fabulous, it was a Stapleton Kearns workshop in NH. I learned a lot even though I didn’t come away with any good paintings. As always the knowledge given percolates away in my brain’s back burner and is absorbed. That man is full of knowledge.
In the weird news dept, Stape looks just like my father. Couldn’t tell from his blog pictures which is good because I wouldn’t have gone, and I’d have missed out on this wonderful experience. But sitting at the table over breakfast that first morning, I realized I was looking at my father! Didn’t sound like him, but the face, mouth, teeth, and… the little gestures he does with his mouth… looked just like my father. But it didn’t freak me out like I thought it would, his personality & voice were different so it turned out to be OK. Just kind of weird. I didn’t say anything to him about it, just left it alone, didn’t want to open that dark can of worms.
My, I’ll call it “pochade box”, since french mistress conjures up a different image to someone who doesn’t paint
, worked out. What I discovered I liked even better was the giant palette that I attached to the platform hooks. Having the platform hooks as a separate unit made it possible to attach palettes of different sizes by themselves if I want, or to use the pochade box. Who knew the thing would be so handy? What turned out to be a complete disaster from the moment of set-up on the first day was my canvas holder. Had it not been for the kindness of one of the participants (who it turns out makes beautiful pochade boxes
http://www.all-in-oneeasel.com/oil-easels.html), my entire workshop would have been ruined. Steven just happened to have packed a tool kit, he pulled out C-clamps, and clamped my canvas holder to tripod. He explained to me that I’d inserted the t-nut backwards. Which made perfect sense to me as to why I could never get the thing to work right. All along I was thinking it was just slipperiness and needing a piece of leather between the wood and tripod mount. He was so nice, taking the time to look at it and explain it to me as he clamped it together. (I saw two of his boxes in action, they were outstanding, beautifully built, lightweight, thin….and as soon as I can afford it, I’m getting one)
So after all my rambling, here’s my photo’s:
Set-up, with new & improved canvas holder
Close up of box, it weighs 4#:
Open. I need to fix it so the side boxes lay horizontally:
How it’s attached to the base/platform hooks. It’s important to make the holes in the base (platform hooks) the next size up than the screws, otherwise it’s a fight to get the box off.
The back of my new & improved canvas holder. I discovered that attaching it at the bottom
(you can still see the screw holes from the original placement) put the canvas too high for me (I’m 5’5’’). Without thinking it through, I put the t-nut attachment in the center, which really isn’t ideal for where the pochade box & palette sit. If I were to do it again, I’d lower it a few inches.:
To be con't in next post.
Libby
I like the "palette ledge" and your choice of oak: the extra hardness is worth the minimal increase in weight. I positioned the hinges on the outside and used poplar, unlike your oak. The box has held up well to heavy use for 2 1/2 years but the hinge screws are starting to pull a little loose. In retrospect, I'd choose a heavier, harder wood like oak instead of poplar.
Bet you can't wait to get out and use it.
, I'll post pictures as soon as I can, right now there's tons of stuff to do and daylight's tickin' away.
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