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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Plein Air Painting Products: PanelPak and PalettePak

Like most professional plein air painters, over the years I've gathered a variety of wet panel carriers for oil painting.  I like each of them for different reasons.  PanelPak is one I use most often these days because it fits in my backpack with all my painting gear.  Basically, the PanelPak is a sturdy frame that will hold two 1/8" panels, front to front with a gap between them, and the panels are secured in the frame by two big elastic bands.  This package is so rugged I just throw it into my backpack and don't worry about it.  And the elastic bands seem to last for years.  I've been very happy with the PanelPak.  Here's a photo of my 9x12 one, so you can see how much it's been used:



Today, I got two more of them.  One is 6x8 and the other, 12x16.  The 12x16 also incorporates a new product:  the PalettePak.  This is a PanelPak with a mid-value, neutral grey plastic panel that serves as a palette.  Lay out your paints, then paint; and when you're done, put the palette back in the PalettePak and head home.  Once you're home, stuff the whole thing in a Ziploc bag and put it into your freezer.  The paint will stay fresh for a long, long time.  The palette also comes in different sizes for different-size PanelPaks.

Here's a picture of these latest items.  I put a 6x8 oil sketch of some cows in the smaller one, so you can see how the PanelPak is used.  To complete the package, imagine another panel inserted in the frame.  By the way, PanelPak is great for pastel boards, too, so pastel painters, take notice!




PanelPak is available at www.panelpak.com.