Sunday, July 3, 2016

Lammert Paint Box & Canvas Holder



Introducing the handcrafted Lammert Paint Box and Canvas Holder .
This is a nice alternative to the traditional French Easel for workshops, demonstrating, Plein Air painting or in the studio.

Inside box dimension is 12"x 16".  Box weighs 6 lbs empty - 9 lbs filled with either oil paints or pastels.
The box is designed to store oil paints and brushes  in the box while traveling.  
(Scroll down to see photos of my oil and pastel set up)

The 11"x 11 3/4"glass palette is coated with gray paint and cardboard on the under side.  It is attached to the box with velcro and will stay in place while the box is carried vertically.  The palette and wood divider is designed to easily be removed.  

There are D-ring fasteners attached on the outside of the box for a shoulder strap.
(shoulder strap not included)

The Canvas Holder will hold a canvas vertically up to 20" and horizontally 24" or more.
The design was created so the box and canvas holder can be used with any medium weight camera tripod.  I recommend the SLIK U8000 because I like the stability of the tripod.

 Wind Tested:.......when hanging or strapping a backpack or bag with extra supplies to the back leg, this set up has remained stable, (no movement) in 25 mph wind with gusts to 40 mph.


There are slots carved in the lid area that will keep a brush from rolling around when not in use.  The elastic strapping will hold several brushes in place while in transit.  On the left door is a small bungee chord that can be used to hold towels in place or other accessories.  
(See my oil box set up below.)


When the tripod legs are fully open in place, the paint box slides down on the front 2 legs and will remain  in place until lifted back off.


This photo shows the box without wood divider and glass palette.


My Oil Box set up....
I usually have 8 tubes of paint with me at all times and 3 to 5 brushes in the box.  The bag on the left holds a viewfinder, color wheel and value finder.  I sometimes tuck a towel under the bungee chord when painting.


These are my pastels.  The main box is a Sennelier 120 half stick box.  I've used the lids of other boxes to house the pastels that I have sitting in the lid areas.  Some of those pastels are hand made and offered at Cindy's Art Beat in Fairfield, IA.


The above  photo shows how I stack my pastels in the box.  The smaller boxes fit inside the lid area when closed.  Everything fills the space so there is no movement of pastels during transit.

Paint Box (includes wood insert and glass palette).........$175.00
                                       without insert and palette..........  165.00
Canvas Holder .................................................................   60.00
Tripod ..............................................................................   50.00

May be purchased individually or All together at $285.00 plus shipping

Payment can be made by personal check (items shipped when check is validated) or through Pay Pal.
contact me at ginlammert@yahoo.com to order. 
SPECIAL NOTE:
Because these boxes are handcrafted, there may be up to a 4 week delay in receiving your set up if we don't have any in stock.  


Friday, July 1, 2016

Along Hwy 2

9"x 12" Pastel on UART #800 grit paper

I drive by this property at least 4 times a week on my way to & from  Bentonsport.   I left home early enough this morning so I could do some Plein air painting before opening the Iron & Lace store.

In a short amount of time, I was able to block in my light &  dark values.  It's  been awhile since I've worked outdoors with my pastels.  I'm definitely changing that habit, starting now.

The work you see here was created using UART paper.  I dry mounted it on foamboard so I could do an underpainting wash technique, using mineral spirits with the soft pastels.


I finished the work while at the store today.  Photos are a GREAT tool for me to use since I don’t have a photographic memory.    Still, there truly is no substitute for working on location .....from life.

I also want to thank my artist friend, Jessica Kirby,  for giving me the paper I used today.  I've been hooked on Wallis sanded paper ( no longer available ) and have primed my own boards for painting.  Now I plan to order UART paper....enough so my students in the next VFS workshop can try it out. 


Sunday, June 19, 2016

"Open" sign

(click image to enlarge)
Oil - 14"x 11"

This is the sign that lets everyone know the Iron & Lace store in Bentonsport, IA is open for business.  Betty Printy (the Potter and owner) has a variety of plants growing along the side of the porch and building.

I'm using colors Raw Umber, Prussian Blue, and Turquoise light on my palette these days.  They weren't "standards" for me in the past but I've grown to like the mixes I'm coming up with more and more.  Here's my current oil palette:
Cools:     Naples yellow (optional since white and yellow ochre does the job)
                Yellow Ochre             Ultramarine Blue (optional)      Turquoise light
                Alizarin Crimson        Prussian Blue
Warms:  Cadmium Yellow Light        Cadmium Red Light       Venetian Red
                Raw Umber
Titanium White and Ivory Black

I use Naples Yellow a lot to mix in colors to get a lighter value.  White mixed with Naples Yellow and sometimes Cad Yellow light make my "whites" .

I also check a painting's values by removing all the color.  The image here shows this process before I adjusted the "shadow" area to match closer to what the actual painting looks like. 

 I always have to double check the images I take with my camera.  They either come out really washed out or on the "blue" side when I photo artwork outside.  
           

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Oil Class Outside!


The Martin's backyard became the meeting place for this past Tuesdays oil class group in Bloomfield.  We couldn't ask for better weather.....and such concentration on everyone's part.  They are all used to painting indoors from both set up still life's and photo reference material.

For me, this was a treat to share with them why I enjoy working outdoors.  I think they were all surprised at how fast and how well they created a work.  It's a whole different experience then working indoors. It's all about the Light!!!!

 I'm not sure I have converts to painting exclusively "Plein Air", but the experience went along way in helping them understand the different challenges and rewards of painting surrounded by nature verses in a controlled environment.

Enjoy the photos here!  I became busy myself so forgot to take pictures of everyone.




Sunday, June 5, 2016

Sort of Formal!

10" x 8" Oil on board

One of my oil painting students brought an old silver creamer, platter, and this tea pot to class a few weeks ago.  I couldn't resist setting up this little still life to paint. 

Monday, May 16, 2016

3 years ...my time flies!


It's been 3 years now that I've  been giving oil painting classes in Bloomfield  Iowa.  The image here shows one of my favorite still life set ups.  Thank you Facebook for reminding me of this.  I had to share here!

Oil classes are held Tuesdays  3:30-5:30pm & 6-8pm at the Courtyard Gallery & Studio in Bloomfield.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

"My Friends Tulips"


14"x 7" - Oil on Stretched Canvas

I was in need of having tulips for a specific project and a friend of mine just happened to have silk tulips that looked so real, I couldn't pass up painting them more then once.  This is the version I liked the best.  I wanted something different......so placed them laying sideways on a box so they would hang over the edge.