Plein Air Envy

I am declaring this Spring + Summer to be my first plein air seasons! I have been drooling over all the gorgeous pochade painting boxes and travel easels out there, but haven't been able to rationalize the $200 expense. Inspired by this, I hacked one this week using one of those cheesy $15 "learn to paint" sets that come in a wooden box.

First I removed the plastic interior and all the supplies. I will use most of them, the rest can go in the kids' art box! The wood inside is hideous, but what do you expect for $15?

I salvaged the plexiglass from an old Ikea frame for an easy-to-clean palette. I cut it to fit scoring it with a sharp knife and snapping off the excess. It didn't come out perfectly straight, but oh well.
I fitted the inside with elastic straps to keep panels up top and little plastic containers (also Ikea) down below. I bought a plastic palette cup that clips on the side of the palette. I think I will need to invest in an all-aluminum one to avoid solvents from eating through. I will probably need to use little screws instead of thumbtacks, as well, to secure the elastic. One has already gone "boing!" and popped off. I will also have to install a chain of some sort to keep it from opening up all the way, making it more functional as a painting surface.

It's a bit of a trial and error process, but I am hoping to get good use out of my little bargain in the field soon!