Thoughts on plein air easels.

Most watercolour easels have a tray for storing brushes, palette etc. And most easels put this tray at the front of the easel. This is usable but I have found that I feel more comfortable working without anything sitting between myself and the artwork.

There are times when my painting benefits from being able to keep my hand low and parallel to the painting surface, and this causes the problem depicted in the illustration above. Having the tray at the front also leads to constant wondering if I am getting paint on my sleeves.

I own an easel with side trays which is a much nicer experience for me. It is an original Z-easel designed by Joseph Zbukvic. Of all the things I own, this easel is the oldest, having owned it since I was a teenager.

Unfortunately, nobody seems to make them like this any more, leaving artists to build their own solutions. I hope that easel builders will consider these types of easels again and that they will become available.