After childcare issues made it so that my husband and I could not take a romantic trip to Napa to celebrate our 19th anniversary, my wonderful husband agreed to get me something I've been coveting for a while now -- the portable watercolor easel that some of my favorite artists/teachers use, the En Plein Air Pro Traveler Watercolor Easel.

I went out two days ago to the Lafayette Reservoir with my daughter and her friend to try it out.

The easel can be used sitting or standing

Here's my set up with brushes, pens, sketchbook, thumbnails, and palette

I love the easy to attach easel that can be set at almost any angle including completely flat! It has a pull out brush holder and can be used as a table top easel! I also really like the shelf that holds my palette and the collapsible cup that came with it.

The backpack it comes with - and all fits in!

After recently trying to sketch a landscape on the Richmond Shoreline by balancing my sketchbook on my lap and juggling my brushes in the cup holder of my travel chair - I realized I NEEDED this! And, I was right! :)

Do you have/use a travel easel when you paint outside? If so, which one?

Another day out at Point Richmond while Chloe is at ATDP. In previous years, I will spend the hours while she is in class at the local Starbucks. This year, I am using every precious minute to sketch! Needless to say, I am enjoying my time in Point Richmond much more this year!!

Today, I remembered my chair and sat out on the Richmond shoreline sketching the San Francisco skyline shrouded in fog. Good thing, I took some photos as the sky changed dramatically during my sketch.

I started with a couple of value/composition sketches.

But, I decided I liked this second thumbnail better with more foreground elements included.

Here is my finished piece.

I am happy with my new brushes (a Rosemary & Co. Roger Jones size 12 sable, a Rosemary & Co. size 7 squirrel mop, and an Escoda Versatil size 16 synthetic sable) and the techniques I learned from Shari Blaukopf's Sketching Landscapes Craftsy class! I finally have a sky with no unintentional water blooms!

Next, I went back to Kaleidoscope Coffee and sketched the back of the coffeehouse. Here was my view.

I used Steven Reddy's techniques from his Sketching Interiors Craftsy class to arrive at this sketch that I'm pretty happy with:

Which do you prefer? Interiors or landscapes?

New Portable Watercolor Easel!

Point Richmond Sketches