**Authentically Human! Not Written by AI**
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| This fixed-horizontal setup worked well for me. |
As you know, I like to sketch in gouache on my lap, and I also like to sketch when we have snow. Recently, we received about 14", and eager to paint, I dug out the ski poles, strapped on my snowshoes, and stuffed my kit into a small backpack. But I knew I wouldn't be able to sit to sketch—any suitable rocks and fallen trees were deep in snow. So, I decided to stand.
But wanting to keep things light, I chose not to take a tripod. Instead, I took a small pochade box cleverly designed to be used without a tripod; it hangs from your neck by a strap and requires balancing the box on your belly. I'd used it a couple of times for oil painting but found it awkward. You might then wonder why I chose this box. I thought: With the right clamps, shouldn't I be able to juggle the important pieces securely, the watercolor journal, the tray of pan gouache, a water jar? Truth be told, though, I really didn't want to lug out a tripod along with the snowshoes, poles and backpack.
The words "secure" and "juggle" turned out to be contradictory. Most of the time, my goal was to keep the tray of gouache from flipping off into the deep snow and managing the water jar so it didn't wash over my journal.
After getting over the emotional disappointment, I decided that painting in deep snow really requires a tripod. But I wanted a set-up lighter than the tripods I usually mount a pochade box to.
Poking through my Closet of Many Boxes, I found enough parts to put together a very light and portable set-up. I stole parts from an old pochade box, a French easel, a plein air umbrella and a Stanrite 100 easel. I've put some pictures below so you can see how it's assembled. The project took just a couple of hours—most of the time was taking things apart to see if they had what I needed—and only a screwdriver and drill.
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| This is the handle of my plein air umbrella, attached to the hexagonal mast of myStanrite 100 easel. I had to drill a hole in the handle for the screw and knob assembly. Let's call this thing the "mount." |
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| This is the palette from my French easel. I've attached an adapter plate, which I requisitioned from an older pochade box, for the mount (pictured above.) |
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| Here I've flipped over the palette so you can see the plate with the screw hole for the mount. |
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| The mounting plate on palette with mount attached. |
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| The hexagonal mast of the mount inserted into the Stanrite easel. |
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| Final setup with gear attached. |
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| The first 5x8 gouache I did with this setup. Worked perfectly! |
