Blog

First, I want to remind you that there are still a few spaces in my upcoming workshop, August 11 and 12, in Stockholm, Sweden. It is about how to paint outdoors, in and around our beautiful city. Take a look at the section Workshop for more info (också på svenska).

I’m back from a good long vacation, and I have painted outdoors as much as the fickle weather this summer has allowed me to. I can't carry heavy things, so I've worked out a way to bring as little as possible with me when I go out to paint. Maybe you will be inspired to make plein air-life lighter.

Painting outdoors, in the open air (en plein air), can be a wonderful experience – if you come prepared. It is important to take care of one’s own wellbeing: Hat/cap with a brim, and plenty of water, which you can use to rinse your hands after finishing painting, to avoid that colourful steering wheel.  If you apply sunscreen and insect repellant before you set out you don’t have to carry them. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. And remember to bring the cell phone / mobile phone; it is your life-line to civilization.

Regarding art supplies, it is not necessary to take the whole studio with you. I find it important to choose the palette carefully, as pastel sticks are heavy. It is a good idea to bring small bits of sticks, about a third or a quarter of a stick, also used bits. That is entirely sufficient for painting on location. You definitely do not need to drag around 10 pounds (about 5 kilo) of full length sticks. The wooden travelling boxes for pastel sticks tend to weigh a lot by themselves, so consider using the cardboard boxes the pastels came in, and secure the lid with rubber bands around the box.

Make the stuff you actually bring serve multiple purposes. A lightweight camera tripod converted to an easel also serves as – a camera tripod. Use an easel with a shelf, and you don’t need to bring a foldable table. One of those microfiber cloths for dusting and cleaning is perfect for wiping pastel dust off your fingers, your pastels, and (depending on type of paper) wiping off offending areas from the painting, and serves for blending too.

A sketching pad takes care of several functions:  It is a support for the painting (no extra board needed), it provides safe transport, stocks your papers and paintings ­­– you can even use it for note-taking and sketching. A folded piece of paper from the pad is great as a dust catcher while you paint, and can be neatly tucked away in the pad when you are finished. A thin pad (few sheets) is sufficient and more lightweight. Just check that the cardboard at the back is sturdy and does not bend.

The picture (upper picture) shows a study on Fisher 400 paper, size A4 (8,5x12”). The pastel paper is clamped to the pad, and more pastel papers are stored between the sheets of the pad.

When the painting is finished, it can be placed between sheets of the pad, and the clamps keep the whole package very secure (lower picture.) The “legs” of the clamps can be folded so there is nothing protruding. The important thing is to see to it that the pastel paintings cannot move and slide within the package.

Extra tip: If you travel by airplane, you can put the pad in a plastic bag and tape the opening shut, put it in your checked suitcase, and the paintings will be safe from condensation in the unheated cargo space.

Enjoy a lightweight plein air session!

In coming posts, I will talk about handling shifting clouds, and what to expect to accomplish while out there.