Tools of the trade. What I take  plein air painting.

Plein air painting back pack

My computer backpack has held up well over the years. It will hold paints, brushes, water containers, paint rag, spray bottle, as well as a few business cards and my ice tea and lunch.

Plein air painting board

Half inch thick gator board (foam core) holds my half sheet watercolor paper that I paint on. Large clips hold the 140 lb hot press watercolor paper in place. The board is 2 inches larger than the 15x22 inch paper.

Canson paper palette

Paper palette for mixing paint. I use the largest (12x16 inch) Canson palette with the thumb hole so I can hold palette and paint rag in one hand.

Plein air paint rag and spray bottle

Paint rag is an old cotton tee shirt, and spray bottle is one that closes water tight.

Plein air painting portfolio

This canvas portfolio is made and sold at Columbia Art and Drafting Supply on NE Burnside in Portland Oregon. It carries watercolor paper, paper palettes, and board to clip paper to.

Utrecht acrylic paints

Tubes of Utrecht paint that stay at home. These are 5oz tubes. Too heavy to carry. Note there are no earth colors. More about colors later.

Plein air bristle brushes

Synthetic bristle brushes work just fine. 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide.  I use a Ron Ranson Hake watercolor brush for  underpainting washes that often start a painting.

Plein air pack on luggage cart

Plein air pack, portfolio, and easel on a luggage cart. All we have to do is add one painter and we get plein air paintings.

Plein air painting easel

Watercolor easel from Blick Art Materials on NW 11th Ave. Portland Oregon. The table is made from "gator board" covered with contact shelf paper. Here I can set paints, brushes and water.

Plein air paint box

Paint box from Ace Hardware contain the 9 colors I paint with in a single tightly closed box. This is a box for screws with a lid with ridges that reduce the paint flow between colors.

Plein air equipment

Here is what my paint studio looks like at the Rose Garden in Portland Oregon, June 2014.