In preparation for my train trip to Flagstaff, Arizona next week, I am lugging around
my new EasyL supply pack. It holds the 10" x 12" x 2" pochade paint box, various brushes,
two liter frozen water bottle, roll of paper towels, roll of toliet paper, twelve 5 ounce tubes of
acrylic paint,collapsable tripod, razor palette scraper, little bottle of GOOP (to clean brushes),
a small bottle of Gatorade, one collapsable water holder, various bungee cords
(to hold notebook on easel), bug spray bottle, gold-plated brush holder, and handy clothes pins.
So there are plastic connections to snap together. The cushioned shoulder straps, back
and hip cushions are GREAT. But the weight, am I a casual landscape painter or
a mountain-climber??? I haven't used my "stone bag" yet, but this morning (Tuesday)
I packed it, and strapped it on underneath the easel. I am told it can help hold paint tubes.

       Next to our property are overgrown trees and weeds, our neighbor's pond, and
a couple paths to traverse (when they've been mowed). One path follows the rim of the
pond. The other path drops down, winding past some cat tails, then back up steeply
again. Yesterday (Monday) was another hot one. A late start at 1 pm, loaded back,
carrying my folded lawnchair on my left hand, I went down by the cat tails and ended
up unpacked, unbuckled, sitting, moving about to look at the green foliage, strategize
possible diagonal tree limbs, just taking it all in. Working with all green stuff is very
different from all rock. Lots of visual information. There was 2 - 3 hours of taking it in,
moving around, coming back to look again, planting broken sticks and large yellow
leaves to mark possible scenes. Then, loaded up, buckled, snapped, strapped, trudge
home for a late lunch (3 pm) unbuckled. After lunch, more buckling, snapping, trudging
to check previous marking, finally setting on a dappled path scene.

                  11" x 14" acrylic on paper
      Almost had a stik tite fit. Was setting my brandnew "baby" down and when I looked stik tites
were all over the cushion pads and back straps. EVER TEMPTED TO SCREAM AND GIVE UP
THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENS ??? (oh, material things......) I chose to turn away and busy myself
with setting up the tripod, etc. 
 
                              10" x 10"  acrylic on board
      Did better this morning, out on site by 7 am. Set up at end of trail, looking back toward the
creeping sun flecks. Tried to do all green study in my 11" x 14" notebook. Then, as the sunlight
trickled and tickled the back-lit leaves, made adjustments to the study, on and on, until I finally
stopped and finished the painting, leaving it as is. Becoming familiar with what my eyeballs are
telling me, oh so much homework. I'm tired of just painting what I see, doing any scene willy-nilly,
getting back home exhausted, looking at the work the next day and wondering what I was trying
to achieve. I want pictures to work. So much homework. Doing lots of processing in my head,
trying color schemes that seem to work for the artists I admire, listening to my Matt Smith instructional
DVD : "no painted attempt is wasted, it's all practice." Well, at lunchtime, my green path was still
looking good to me. 
 
      I am happy. Tried to pack it all up in a hurry, took me five minutes. Then another five minutes
to hike it home. 

EasyL field easel and pack. www.artworkessentials.com
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