Travel preparations
I’m off to Mallorca for a family holiday in a few weeks. So what gear do I bring? The forecast is for very high temperatures. So it may not be realistic to paint en plein air. Hmm.. I don’t want to bring a load of gear that might never get used. So my plan is to pack my ultra light ZipShot tripod, (each leg has 4 sections. I removed two from each leg to make the tripod smaller in height). It’s now intended for sitting only. So I will probably bring my fold up seat.
The travel box of watercolours has been modified to include 6 more colour pans (in the middle section) ( I have a habit of modifying everything) and a block of 9x12” watercolour paper. I prefer a block which is glued on all 4 edges, to a pad which is only fixed in one side. To the back of the watercolour block I have glued a small sheet of carbon fibre which features a nut which attaches to the tripod. Those, with all my accessories will fit in a tiny back -pack.
Accessories:- Fold up water cup. It came with a screw on lid. I cut out the middle section of the lid. This makes the cup much more spill resistant. The cup sits into a hole cut in a piece of Correx panel, a very lightweight plastic sheet. I usually fix 12mm masking tape to the paper perimeter. Ideally I do this before setting out. If the sketch/painting is worth framing I include most of the white edge, not sure why. I do love to see pure white paper in a watercolour, even if is at the edge. Perhaps it bothers me to hide a small part of the painting, plus it reminds me of what paper I used. Removing a sheet of paper is a delicate operation for which a craft knife comes in handy. Don’t ask how I get this onto a plane. I won’t tell you. What else? A few mop brushes. A mechanical pencil. A tube of gouache white (to cover over my many happy accidents). I mix the gouache in a separate plastic palette to avoid contaminating my watercolour palette. I have ordered some gouache from M Graham & Co. They are made with a honey binder which makes them stay liquid for longer. Normal gouache dries much too quickly in a warm climate. If they arrive before I leave then I shall pack them and let you know how I fair. Some tissues (a few sheets from a kitchen roll). I use my camera/phone to capture a fugitive foreground, like a passing pedestrian or an animal. I think I'll do a blog to illustrate that. I put the phone in a lanyard for easy reach.
Water… In Ireland I use my canteen for drinking water and painting water. Abroad, I prefer to drink from a filtered water bottle. My Nikken is good but expensive. If I think I will be painting someplace where dirty water can not safely be disposed of then I bring a dirty water container, my 500ml Nalgene bottle.
I love to paint in sandals, shorts and T-shirt. But then I get lost in a painting and get sunburnt. So I usually pack a long sleeved shirt and a big sun hat.
Wish me luck. There is much talk of air traffic control strikes on the news. So I may not get away at all.
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