Plein Air Practicalities by Jim Lynch

At the end of the 19th century the Impressionists began searching for portable painting tools that would make it easier for them to paint outside. Today, we benefit from many products that would be the envy of our predecessors, such as vehicles, digital cameras, communication devices, and navigation systems. These new tools originate not only from art suppliers but also manufacturers who address the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, such as hikers, fishers, and others who seek inspiration in nature, as well as artists themselves. I have investigated many of these items, and these are my suggestions for supplies, as well as alternatives used by other artists.

LUGGAGE

The problems of portability in painting are exacerbated by international travel, and it simplifies matters greatly if you have a suitcase with wheels to carry your equipment. I have a large Orvis duffel bag on wheels that has a solid compartment on the bottom. Another option is a hard case on wheels such as a photographer might use to transport equipment.

If you are painting in a city, consider a collapsible grocery cart to transport your supplies. A backpack is a better choice when painting on the beach, in the mountains, or in the wilderness. For example, DesignStar makes the Studiopack for French box- and half-easels. The bag can hold canvases, a small chair, clothing, and supplies. Another tool is the Universal Easel-Thing. This wheeled device is similar to a cart but is designed to hold a French easel in place. The legs can be extended or retracted. I prefer to use a small standard backpack to carry my palette box and a lunch. My umbrella and easel fit in a padded case I carry over one shoulder. This arrangement leaves both hands free.

CLOTHING

Artists must be comfortable when working outdoors. Unlike the early plein air painters who needed to bundle up in layers of bulky woolens, we can take advantage of the many high-tech fabrics to stay warm and dry in inclement weather conditions. Gore-Tex is a windproof and waterproof breathable fabric that allows moisture to escape from your clothing while creating a barrier to the elements. This process is furthered if, closest to your skin, you wear a fabric that wicks away moisture. Wick-away fabrics are often labeled as such, and they are preferable to cotton, which in cold weather actually makes you colder because it absorbs your body's moisture. For an extra removable layer of warmth on cold days, Gore-Tex coveralls or insulated hunting or ski pants and jackets are ideal.

Of course, each location has its own climate peculiarities. In rainy places, I use a Gore-Tex rainsuit and waterproof hiking boots. I have also painted from the middle of a trout stream, protecting myself with fishermen's waist-high waders and boots. If you can convince a model to join you in the water, provide Neoprene fishing waders that fit each leg, which he or she can roll to water level.

For snow scenes, battery-powered boot-heaters or electric socks are a prerequisite. Grabber Mycoal makes toe warmers that last up to six hours. In addition, adhesive body warmers allow you to wear a heating pad on an aching back. Gloves with battery-powered heaters are a good idea as well. One fishing glove well suited for painting is made of fleece and exposes the fingers above the first knuckle. There is a mitten top attached to pull over your fingertips when they get too cold. Another suggestion is to layer thin cotton gloves under a latex pair. This combination will keep you warm, reduce moisture, and protect your hands from contact with toxic paints and liquids. In my pockets, I carry chemical powder packets that produce heat when they are crushed?a very effective hand warmer.

There are necessary precautions even in warm weather. For an artist, too much sunlight can be just as menacing as the cold. A good hat will protect your eyes from the sun so you can see your subject better. I found a hat with character, style, and a six-inch brim at the AZ-Tex Hat Company in Scottsdale, Arizona. They also make a woman's hat with a straw top and felt brim.

EASELS AND UMBRELLAS

The big news on easels came from the airlines in the form of restrictions on carry-on luggage. Not many easels fit the 9"-x-14"-x-24" parameters, and with this in mind, I designed the Backsaver Easel. Although it meets the size restrictions, the easel is sturdy so I check it as luggage and carry my paints and pastels aboard the airplane.

With the Backsaver Easel, any full-size camera tripod can be transformed into a portable plein air easel. I eliminate the camera head from a Bogen No. 3001 tripod and slip the easel into the resulting hole. The height is adjustable for sitting or standing so there is no bending over your painting. The shelf attachments offer a flexible setup: You can situate the palette in front, to the right, or to the left of the painting surface.

Easel Pod also makes use of a Bogen tripod for its easel, which can be adapted for the left- or right-handed painter and with attachments for watercolors and pastels. Made of aluminum powder-coated parts and stainless steel rods, the easel will not pit or deteriorate. Easel-pod can be set from 101/2" to 50" high and comes with 10 adjustment rods.

Soltek, too, makes an aluminum alloy easel. Their box easel folds to only 21/2" x 121/2" x 19" and weighs just nine pounds. It can hold surfaces of up to 30" and includes a removable palette that stores inside the box. The easel's legs lock automatically, and the wide-leg stance provides added stability.

For the classic French box easel, Jack Richeson & Co. makes a model that is 16" x 22" when closed, weighs 17 pounds, and comes with an 111/4"-x-18" palette. The company also sells a backpack to hold the easel along with paper or canvas.

An important accessory to any of these easels is an umbrella. If palette and painting surface must be in the shade, the light and temperature differences will throw off your color selection. I incorporated an umbrella holder into the design of the Backsaver Easel and developed Lynch's Windproof/Sun Block Plein Air Umbrella. It is a large silver umbrella with a green liner that blocks all ultraviolet light and reduces the temperature beneath the umbrella by as much as 10 degrees. To prevent the easel from tipping over in the wind, the umbrella has vents for the wind to blow through, and with a particularly high gust, the umbrella will lift out of the easel instead of endangering your painting and palette.

Easel Pod makes an umbrella for its easel as well. Yarka also makes a field umbrella. It has a 60" canopy with dark, glare-proof lining, which eliminates solar refraction. The umbrella can be tilted and comes with its own travel pouch with a handle. For more coverage, look into E-Z UP's Instant Shelter. This pop-up structure is 91/2' x 91/2' and 8' at its peak.

PALETTES

While I was working with Albert Handell, we challenged each other to develop a palette for pastels that would allow for the most spontaneous selection of color. I came up with the Pastel Palette. It firmly holds various sizes of pastels on a single level without the use of dividers. Because all the colors are in view, there is no searching for the right stick, and I can choose my colors intuitively. The palette comes in three sizes: 14" x 20", 14" x 30", and 14" x 40". The smallest fits in the carry-on compartment of an airplane.

I also created Lynch's Oil Palette to hold everything I need to paint in oil in a single container. It has a bay for tubes of paint, a pop-up brush, a palette knife holder, and space for medium and brush cleaner. It comes in three sizes: 111/2" x 161/2", 15" x 24", and 15" x 36".

Using a plastic box with a dry seal to make the paint box airtight, Gil Dellinger adapted my oil palette for use with acrylic, alkyd, or watercolor (the box is now available from Lynch's Plein Air Art Supplies). Possum Products makes a palette just for watercolorists or acrylic painters. This 16"-x-103/4" palette has 22 removable reservoirs with lids. When sealed, these containers will keep the paint wet for days and even weeks. The company also makes a waterproof nylon envelope to hold the palette and keep the reservoirs in place.

Another good palette for oil painters is Easel Pal. This folding oil palette has two panel doors that open from the middle to expose the palette. The closed doors protect the laid-out oil paint. It comes in two sizes: 12" x 16" and 16" x 20".

Jack Richeson & Co. offers two palettes designed around the ideas of two noted artists: Stephen Quiller and Zoltan Szabo. The Quiller palette, available full-size and a smaller travel variety, has a central mixing area; wells for primary, secondary, and intermediate colors; and 12 additional wells. The Szabo palette features small and large wells with a sloping wall configuration and tight-fitting lid.

STORAGE

To carry supplies, many plein air painters choose pochade boxes. When I am going on a short trip with limited space I use an 8"-x-10" box by Open Box M. It holds my oils and brushes plus four panels. I suggest prepared panels from Ampersand Art Supply or canvas panels from Source Tek.

Another pochade box is available from Phantom Canyon Ranch. The lightweight birchwood box has three compartments with space for brushes, supplies, and 10 or more 37-ml tubes of paint. It is 9" x 12" and has clips that can hold canvas or panels as large as 12" x 20". Optional accessories include a tripod mount, a brush tray, a pastel tray, and a shoulder strap.

Brushes are another storage concern, and Jack Richeson & Co. offers a laminated oak carrier to keep them organized and intact. The 331/8"-x-16"-x-2" case has an adjustable shoulder strap. For a more flexible option, the company also sells the Bamboo Brush Mat. Brushes fit into slotted compartments in the 163/4"-x-211/4" canvas holder and are protected by a fold-over flap.

When the painting is finished, transporting wet artwork can present a problem. For those who are comfortable rolling their pieces, one option is a transport tube, such as those produced by ArtBin. These plastic containers are 21/2" to 3" in diameter and come in five lengths: 13", 25", 37", 43", and 60". Additionally, several companies make storage boxes designed to hold panels of various sizes. Open Box M and Phantom Canyon Ranch make panel storage boxes out of wood. These boxes make easy work of transporting paintings of any medium, including pastels, provided they are painted on panels or sanded paper mounted on museum rag board.

If you paint in pastels on paper and don't like to attach the ground to panels, there are other storage options. I cut my unused Wallis sanded paper to 16" x 20" and tape it to the top of the palette, which is detachable (a drawing board can be used as well). As I complete each painting, I remove it from the stack and tape it to the bottom of the palette, covering it with glassine. This process exposes a new surface for my next painting. I continue in this manner until I have used all the paper. When I have accumulated too many paintings on the bottom of the palette, I transfer them, still taped together, into an envelope I make out of Fome-Cor. Then I seal the envelope and don't open it until I return to my studio.

When I am using canvas while traveling, I always glue the fabric to panels so I don't have to wait for them to dry before sliding them into a storage box. For those who don't like to paint on hard surfaces, Anne Massie of Charlottesville, Virginia, has devised another method. She cuts her canvas to the size she will stretch it, wraps it around Fome-Cor, and tapes the canvas to the board. If her paintings are wet when she is ready to leave, she removes the wet canvas from the Fome-Cor and loosely stacks the wet canvases on top of one other in a cardboard box. She may have to do some touch-ups in the studio, but if she paints thinly her paintings are largely intact. Stack dry paintings in between two Fome-Cor sheets to protect them from being creased or punctured.

To try avoiding the problem of transporting wet paintings altogether, experiment with alkyd white to help your oils dry faster or use acrylics. Liquin, a Winsor & Newton synthetic oil medium, also accelerates drying time.

TRAVELING STUDIOS

When I wanted to travel off-road into wilderness areas my search for a portable studio led to an extended-cab pick-up truck with four-wheel drive and a slide-in pop-top camper with zip-down windows. I can carry 60 panels in storage boxes inside the camper, which allows me to extend my painting trips and still enjoy the luxury of a hot shower and meal at the end of the day. The camper is large enough that I can set up my easel inside just as I would on location. When I arrive home, I remove the camper and use the truck for other jobs such as delivering large paintings to a gallery or photographer. Another artist I know converted a bass-fishing boat into a studio.

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY

One indispensable tool comes from the outdoor industry. It is the Leatherman tool and has an instrument for just about every task an artist might need on location, such as knives, can openers, files, and even a mini saw. I also recommend binoculars or a monocular to see details when your subject is far away or inaccessible.

Another gadget to consider is a Global Positioning System (GPS). These devices are no longer in the exclusive domain of navigators, and some models are available for about $100. In addition to pinpointing your location if you ever need help, if you want to return to a spectacular location tomorrow or another time of year, enter the location in your GPS's memory and you will have no trouble getting back to the exact place. Many GPS interface with three-dimensional topographic maps by Maptech. This software allows you to track your painting excursion on the maps by automatically imputting points from your GPS. If you are planning a trip along the Appalachian Trail or to a national park, Maptech can supply a digital tour guide.

Of course, even if you know exactly where you are, you need a communication device to make any contact. I suggest Motorola Talk About T6000. These hand-held radios cover a distance of two miles, can fit into a shirt pocket, and also have a radio with headphones, an altimeter, a clock, an alarm, a stopwatch, a timer, and a weather channel. Although they are not sold for use abroad, I had no trouble in Ireland or Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. I prefer the radios to a cellular phone because I often find myself outside of the phone's service area. If you have a cell phone and know you will be outside of range but still want to be in touch with civilization, use Globalstar. With this system you can bounce a call off a satellite that allows you to communicate from anywhere. It is expensive to own but can be rented from some cell-phone stores.

Finally, of course, never forget a camera. Most of us are familiar with taking slides as reference materials, and although a 35-mm slide is hard to beat for depth of field, digital cameras can be a superior means of taking field notes.



Jim Lynch is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, and he is represented by Spirit Echoes Gallery in Austin, Texas; Water Street Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan; Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, Montana; Artists by the Sea in Redondo Beach, California; Abbey Lane Gallery in Creed, Colorado; and Jim Lynch Studio and Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also conducts fly-fishing and painting workshops in the western states, Ireland, and other locations. For more information, write: P.O. Box 574, Santa Fe, NM 87504; or call: (888) 833-3383; or E-mail: jimlynch10@aol.com; or visit his Web site: www.jimlynch.org.