Close to Plein Air Time

The days are growing longer and the weather here in the Willamette Valley is becoming, well shall I say not quite so wet, so I am preparing for the plein air season! For the past several years I have been out during the late spring and summer painting on location with a group of local artists enjoying the benefits of working from real life. I have become addicted to painting one on one with nature.

In preparing for this year I am thinking about the best way to pack and carry my supplies. I don't want to lug a bunch of gear up and down and around the valley. In the past I have pretty much packed my supplies in whatever I had on hand. I have used a canvas portfolio to transport my paper, a clip board, and anything else I could zip into it. The rest of my stuff has been packed into a canvas bag. I also take along my handy, dandy tote bag full of pencils. I want to continue to have ample supplies for whatever comes my way but I also feel a need to compact as much as possible and make my outings a bit more comfortable.


With paint the artist can use a few tubes and mix many colors on a palette. With pencils I need many colors to mix the pigment on the paper. My handy tool tote bag filled with my pencils is a great way to transport my pencils to a class or workshop but it's a bit awkward when working in the middle of a rye grass field.

My quest is to find the perfect plein air kit for working with colored pencils, and a way cool lunch pail :)