Bringing the Everyday to Life

This is a re-post from a couple of year's ago.  But, I have had some recent conversations about introducing plein air painting to kids so I thought I would share this again.  This is an affordable way to make a plein air easel for your kids or grandkids.  It is light and easy to set-up and my boys love going out painting with mom, even if it is only for 10 minutes.  Happy Plein Air Painting with the kids in your life...

My eldest son has been pouting when I go out to paint en plein air and asking to come with me.  So, I decided my boys were old enough to start painting outside.  However, there are no kid plein air easels that I know of.   I wanted it to be similar to mine and light enough that they could carry their own gear in a backpack.  So, I decided to make my own.  In this post, I will share with you how I made the plein air kits for my kids.

My Plein Air Set-up

First, I will share with you what my plein air kit looks like because I fashioned my boy's kits after it.  I purchased my plein air easel from Eric Michael's "En Plein Air Pro".  Here is the website:  http://www.enpleinairpro.com/.  I bought the En Plein Air Pro Watercolor Traveler Package.  I love it!  It is very light and fits in a backpack which comes with the set.  I have started to ware out the backpack, so I have just bought a new Kelty Redwing backpack which works great.

My Plein Air set-up consists of the following:

1. Typical Camera Tripod
2. Paper Support with adapter to attach to the tripod
3. Tray with brush holders and water cup holder
4. Palette
5. Backpack that fits everything

My Plein Air Set-up

Making the Kids Plein Air Kits

Here is how I got or made each element of the kid plein air kits...

1. Tripod -  This was easy.  I just bought a tripod from Amazon.  I got a fairly cheap one (about $20) because I wasn't sure if the kids would like this or not.  Click here for the link!  It works great because it is light weight and small.
2. Paper Support with adapter to attach to the tripod -  This was the hardest one.  I could make a paper support easily, but how to attach it to the tripod?  I got a great idea from an artist I met at Plein Air Camp Hill.  I can't remember his name, but he made his own easel as well.  I bought a magnet from Home Depot and screwed it on the tripod where the camera should screw on.  Then, I glued a metal plate with Gorilla Glue to the back of the paper support, which is just a piece of hard board (11" x 14").  I actually bought a 2' x 4' piece of white board at Home Depot ( it is basically Masonite with a white coat on one side and seemed a little stiffer than just Masonite).  Also, I don't think it will warp as easily and tape easily comes off.  I also glued a 1/2" x 1/2" strip of wood on the bottom to hold paper.     
3. Tray with brush holders and water cup holder -  I used the tray from my kit as a template for cutting a piece of the white Masonite.  My dad did the actual cutting with wood drills and a Jigsaw.   The tray is 11" x 13".   Also, it is important to glue a strip of wood on the back side of the tray so that it stays perpendicular.  This fits on the tripod legs.
4. Palette - I bought a Prang Watercolor palette at Michael's.  They are vegetable based paints, so when my youngest eats some of the paint, I am not totally worried.
5. Backpack - I bought a backpack that fits everything in it.  They can carry all their own gear and they love it!

Well, that is it.  I tried to make it simply, but also similar to my Plein Air Set-Up so that the boys could feel just like mom!  So far, they are very proud!  If you have any question or want any clarification, leave me a comment!  Good luck making your kid plein air easels for the kids or grand-kids in your life!

Until Next Time, Happy Painting!

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