Pack Smart

Torwards Godrevy    (c) Tessa Spanton

This little watercolour sketch was painted out of doors  on holiday

size 1 1/2 x 6 in

   

A little sketch done on a day out or on holiday holds  memories and a lasting reminder of the place.

I wrote two articles about painting out of doors. The first of these was in the September issue of the Leisure Painter magazine 2014. It has the title Pack Smart and offers ideas for getting started painting outdoors and how to travel light.

I put together several kits: The Micro, the Mini, The Essential and extras  are light enough not to put me off taking them out with me.
 The Micro kit weighs about the same as a banana. It includes a postcard sized watercolour pad, a water brush and various recycled things such as some blister packaging from pills or throat sweets, the lid from some food packaging and a small square plastic box that had Fererro Rocher chocolates in it. Well someone had to eat them!

The Micro Kit

The Mini Kit    1.Closed    2. Open

This includes two of my favourite items. A good quality folding brush made by Pro Arte and Winsor and Newton's amazing field box filled with my own choice of their Artist's colours. I have several of Pro arte's folding brushes. The one below is a round and the size is around 10. I also have a smaller size round, a flat and a filbert. I used the flat for the sketch above.
The field box has it's own built in water bottle, palette areas and water container that doubles up to keep the box closed when not in use. Remember to empty it if you take it through customs.

 

The Esssential 

Mini kit plus clip folder, tin for pencils, waterbrush etc and 1/8th imp cartridge and watercolour paper.

Plus sometimes a very lightweight fishing stool

The Full Works  (sometimes the fishing stool comes too.) I use this if I want to work larger and don't have to walk too far. I would only carry this with me if I am going out with the intention of painting. It holds 1/4 imp paper, a water bottle, a collapsing water pot and lots of brushes. There is room to stash the mini kit as well. The case is made by Mapac and has a comfortable shoulder strap.

My second article Smart Tools was in  October 2014 and the blogpost is here
To find out more Leisure Painter is available from some newsagents or online here as a hard copy or digital version