We returned to Spruce Creek Park this week. I decided to set up on the dock  this time. The sun was intense, but the light was beautiful.  We saw a pair of eagles while we were there. Always nice.

Enjoy the one minute video of my painting process.

What do you think? What would you differently? I'm not sure where we will be painting next week, but I hope you will come along and enjoy discovering plein air painting with me.

The SunEden Traveling Easel

Since my beloved french easel is a bit cumbersome, I decided to look for a lighter set up. So I logged onto a forum and asked some plein air artists  what they used.
My informal poll came out overwhelmingly in favor of the SunEden Traveling easel. It was priced very competitively so I pulled the trigger and ordered it. And by 'ordered it' I mean I sent the link to my husband with the message "I must have this for my birthday". He got the message. I know. Subtle.
As you can see in the video, it's super light (3.2 lbs) and compact enough to fit into a smallish bag. I would love it if they would design a bag specifically for the Traveling Easel Package. Hint, hint to SunEden. In the meantime I will make do with my Talbots bag.
The other key items I purchased in preparation to outdoor painting are a Soleil Travelers umbrella and a Mijello palette. Both were from ASW. I put velcro on the underside of the palette to stick it on the tray while I'm painting. Kind of proud of that bit of Macgyver-ism. Also it has a tight fit lid and wipes clean. If you use acrylics you can just peal the old paint off. All good features to my mind.

Next week I'm planning on joining a local plein air group as we pack up our necessaries and meet at a state park to paint. So I will let you know how how my new gear works in the field.
Here is the You Tube link for the video if you prefer.