After another successful week in my series of Paint Sedona plein air painting workshops, I had some time to do a little painting for myself. But I had a partner. I was lucky enough to hook up with Carl Judson, founder of Guerrilla Painter and Judson's Art Outfitters. Carl came down from Colorado to experience the Sedona Plein Air Festival this week.
Carl and his products have been an inspiration for me over the years as I pursued my "backpacker painting" concept. He designed the 9x12 Guerrilla Painter pochade box I use nearly every day when I go out painting in oil. When I heard he was to be in town, I made sure we had time to visit.
I took him out to Red Rock Crossing to paint. But rather than paint the iconic image of Cathedral Rock looming over Oak Creek, we chose to stay in the shade under the sycamores. Carl did a beautiful little painting of some of the local flora.
When I saw his pochade box, I was surprised it wasn't a Guerrilla Painter box. "Well," he said, "it's the antecedent to Guerrilla Painter. I must have painted over a thousand paintings with it." One thing I noted is that it doesn't hold a standard size panel. "I usually paint 7 1/2 x 10 which fits perfectly in my envelope-style filing system. Since I don't sell my work, it doesn't matter if I don't paint in a standard size."
Carl does a lot to support plein air painters and to promote the craft and travels widely in his mini-van to do so. I hope to paint with him again in a future encounter.
