The New Box

Back in May I went to a plein air workshop with Garin Baker, an American master and a good friend, and posted a bit about it at the time. Part of Garin's workshop was devoted to his assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of available outdoor painting outfits. He spent time going through the various kinds of equipment and gave his recommendations. My personal experiences painting outdoors had been limited to a French easel, though I knew about pochade boxes, as I posted a few weeks back. What had been missing for me was a discussion of pros and cons from a respected outdoor painter like Garin. His insights and experience plus my own bias to travel light led me to buy a new box.

At the workshop, I "made do" with an old box from years ago, a simple wooden sans support, which was all that would fit in my luggage. By the end of the three days it became obvious that I'd made a poor choice. The box wasn't too heavy and definitely not very sturdy. On the final windy day my panel came loose, flew back, hit me in the face and knocked off my cap. Luckily a fellow painter retrieved the cap before it went into the Hudson, where we were painting.

Garin Baker demonstrating using an Open Box M

Clearly a more stable, easily used sketch box would be my next art purchase. My inclination is always to travel light, but with the caveat to use sturdy equipment. In Garin's estimation Open Box M provides just what he needs, and seemed perfect for me too. These sketch boxes are lightweight but strong. Mated with a good tripod they're very stable, too. There are other pochade boxes of course, but this brand has stood the test of thirty years to become widely used. These unique boxes can only be obtained from the maker by ordering online and require several weeks before delivery since each is still handmade.

As with almost all pochade boxes, light weight means less space for storage. My box is the 11x14 model, which is effectively simply a folding palette with enough space under the closed lid to accommodate small lumps of oil paint. No storage at all. My setup comes as a kit, with the box, a wet panel carrier (very handy), and a bag with a shoulder strap. I loaded the palette, put a couple of light panels in the carrier, threw a covered turp cup and a tiny bottle of turpentine into the front pocket. All that weighs less than my old French easel when it was empty. And after all what's the point of hauling paint tubes around? Leave them in the car if you have to bring them. I did put my tripod, a roll of paper towel, a water bottle and my iPad into another canvas bag, but even so didn't manage to exceed the weight of a full French easel. And the tablet could easy stay home since my smartphone is a camera too.

Open Box M showing panel mounting system

As of this writing I've managed three outdoor sessions with my box. So far it has been a definite pleasure. It is easy to carry, easy to set up. There is a spot on the bottom to screw on a quick release plate for a tripod, making it easy to put together and take down. The Open Box M has a lid system that opens to hold a panel or canvas. There are two prongs that clamp tightly onto the painting and make the box very stable, even in wind. The panel is held with a spring mechanism strong enough and adaptable enough to accept panels or stretched canvases nearly twenty inches wide. Of course, height isn't an issue.

As mentioned, I've been out with this new setup and tripod three times at this writing. Not far away is what at first seems an anomaly--an Asian garden--where I spent around four hours painting the centerpiece,  a classic Chinese pavilion. The park is named for a former governor of Iowa whose attitudes and policies promoted international understanding and a special relationship with China. The Asian garden is along the Des Moines River, across from downtown. There are temple dogs guarding the pavilion at each end and white stone walkways. It sets over a waterfall on the riverbank, a peaceful spot that attracts walkers and sightseers but isn't very busy on weekday mornings. This is the result, "The Chinese Pavilion," 12x16, oil on panel.

The Chinese Pavilion, oil on panel, 12x16