Product Review: Daytripper Easel from Prolific Painter

Photo by Trina Stephenson

UPDATE 8/4/20:  People who have read my blog have reached out to me recently that the manufacturer is addressing shipment and customer service issues, and these are improving.  But please, do not contact me about this easel, as I cannot provide any more information than is on the maker's website and in my review below.

Like most people, I enjoy a new toy for Christmas.  This one came a little early:  the Daytripper Easel from Prolific Painter.  I've seen the easel in action at several plein air painting festivals over the last couple of years.  Designed and built by my friend, artist Joshua Been, it seems like most of my painting friends at these events use one.  Despite the fact that I have closets filled with pochade boxes, tripods and easels, I decided I needed to try this one out.

I already have a good tripod, so I just purchased the palette and upright panel holder.  Both of these are made of strong but lightweight wood, so the whole package is very portable if you want to hike in to some remote location.  (I didn't weigh it, but Joshua says it's a little over 6 pounds with the Dolica tripod he sells; mine's a little heavier.)

The palette is well-designed with an adjustable hanging system, plus holes for brushes, wing shelves for knives and other small items, a cord for hanging your paper towel roll with a clip for your turps can, and an optional Plexiglas interior for easy clean-up.  (I opted for the Plexiglas.) The inside of the palette is a mid-value, neutral grey to make accurate color-mixing a snap.  The rest of the palette is painted flat black to minimize glare in the field.  The palette rests on your tripod's two front legs at a slight angle to eliminate any bounced light off the Plexiglas.

The upright panel holder, which attaches to the quick release mount of the tripod head, comes in three different lengths and two different configurations, which means you have lots of choices for panel sizes.  I chose the 18" off-center mount, which lets me paint on an 18x24 canvas in the horizontal position.  That's about as big as I want to paint in the field!  The only issue I had was that the brackets for holding the panel or canvas were a little hard to adjust.  You adjust these by sliding them up and down.  I found a little bar soap worked into the mechanism did the trick.

What I like especially about the system—besides the fact that it is lightweight but very stable—is that I can raise my panel to eye-level.  Although in these photos I have it a little lower than that (hey, I'm just getting used to the system!), here's a photo proving otherwise.  I'm a tad over six feet.

Joshua has done a great job at giving all the information plus many photos on his website.  You can read more about the Prolific Painter Daytripper (and other goodies) here: https://www.prolificpainter.com

Oh, and here's the painting I did while testing out the system.  I'm looking forward to my next outing!

Oak Creek Afternoon (Study) - FOR SALE! $150
9x12 oil by Michael Chesley Johnson

What Makes a Good Reference for Studio Landscape Painting?

You, a plein air painter, have decided that it's now cold enough outdoors to retreat to the studio.  You'd like to work on something big, but you're not sure what.  You start pawing through boxes of old plein air sketches, scrolling on-screen through thousands of digital images....my, but that's tiring work!  Maybe you'll spend the morning watching YouTube videos instead.

Well, here's a video for you.  If you're looking to take your plein air painting to the next level by doing some studio work, you need to know what constitutes good reference material.  In this video, I describe what makes good reference material and how to gather it so your studio time will be more successful. Pencil sketches, color studies and photographs all have their place in your work, whether your medium is oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel or something else.

So sit back with a cup of coffee, and enjoy.  It's only six minutes long, the perfect length for a coffee break.  Afterward, I expect you to get back to the studio.

Skill and Confidence: Is My Work Any Good?

Is my work any good?

This question is a thorn throughout one's entire art career, but it seems more painful when just starting out.  You have little or no confidence at this point, and for a reason – you don't know anything yet, so of course your work isn't very good.  However, as you practice and learn more about your craft, you can't help but improve, and so your confidence level rises.

Early on, it's easy to get over-confident and to think you are really something.  My late mentor, Ann Templeton, once told me:  "When you're just starting out, you get better fast.  But then you get to where it's hard work to get better, and it also takes more time."  For awhile, you may not see any improvement at all.  When this happens, your confidence can nose-dive.

But then you make a little jump in your craft – maybe you discover a different way of applying paint that brings your work to a new level – and your confidence follows.

There's a dance that happens between your level of confidence and your skill level.  My conversations with other artists tell me this is very much a shared experience.  But if you're just starting out in your career and are in a hole, take heart.  It does get better!

I've created this short video to explain how it works.  If you've been in this dance, too, I'd love to hear about your experiences.  (Don't see the video?  Here's the direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0IA8obYRhQ )

By the way, don't forget that my 2017 calendar is available.  You can see a preview and get it here:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-chesley-johnson/2017-michael-chesley-johnson-calendar/calendar/product-22972902.html

Also, my $50 rebate for workshops is available until December 25.  For details, please see my previous blog post:  http://mchesleyjohnson.blogspot.com/2016/12/bring-friend-to-workshop-get-50.html  Bring a friend!  I hope you'll join us this winter.

Also, please don’t forget my books (available at Amazon.com) and my videos (available at North Light Shop) and my workshops (on my web site)!

Bring a Friend to the Workshop, Get $50

If you're thinking of taking one of my Paint Sedona workshops this winter, I want to give you something to encourage you.  If you sign up by December 25th, I will give you $50 for each friend you bring.  Here's how it works.  The workshop is regularly just $300 – still inexpensive by most standards! – but if  you bring a friend, it's only $250.  If you bring two friends, just $200.  Three, and you pay only $150.  This is my Christmas gift to you.

As a reminder, the deadline to sign up for this deal is December 25th.  You must bring at least one friend who will take the workshop  The gift will be applied to your workshop balance after paying your initial deposit of $150.  To register and pay your deposit, please visit www.PaintSedona.com.

But wait, there's more!  Sedona can be an expensive place to stay for a week.  I am offering a package deal of five nights' lodging at the studio plus the workshop for just $600 per person.  That's only $60/night per person for lodging!  There are four very comfortable bedrooms with a shared kitchen at the studio, and you and your friends can stay there, space permitting.

If you've not been to Sedona before, the video above will give you an idea of what you will experience.  (If you're receiving this blog post by e-mail, you won't see the video, but here is the link: https://youtu.be/yQHlPfboqL8) I hope you'll join us this winter!

New Painting: Autumn's Turn

Autumn's Turn
24x36 oil/canvas
Available through Goldenstein Gallery, Sedona, Arizona
928-204-1765
info@goldensteinart.com

This winter, I'm spending more time in the studio, working on larger projects.  I want to share with you the result of my latest project.

One of my very favorite spots on the planet is Red Rock Crossing in Sedona, Arizona.   The clear, cool snowmelt and spring water from the mountains and forests of northern Arizona descend through Oak Creek Canyon to this special place.  Here, the rushing waters widen and rest, lapping gently at shelves of red rock edged with graceful sycamore trees and gnarled cottonwood, all beneath the eternal gaze of Cathedral Rock.

For many years I've wanted to make a painting of what, to me, makes this place so special.  Although I love Cathedral Rock, for this piece I've chosen to keep its magnificence in the background and instead to give the creek center stage.  I've presented Red Rock Crossing as it appears in autumn, when the cottonwoods and willows are at their best color, and when the red rocks beneath the surface glow with a sympathetic light.  "Autumn's Turn" offers a window onto this restful place and time.

I chose to present this moment in a way that shows the full breadth of the creek without being impeded by a frame.  Although you could frame this 24 by 36 original oil painting, I have painted the edges of the canvas to create the illusion that the scene continues beyond its bounds.

"Autumn's Turn" is available only through Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona, as noted above.  This is a one-of-a-kind vision of Red Rock Crossing.  No reproductions of it will be made, so you will be guaranteed to have the one and only original.

Here is a video of the painting (can't see it? here's the link: https://youtu.be/jZ4aF3LTFN4 )