I realize that a lot of my recent articles have been focused on watercolor. I have to admit, watercolor is so very portable, that I tend to use it more often when I am on the road. The car is my preferred method of travel these days, certainly. And that seemed a shame – with no air travel / packing restrictions and the best acrylic paints I could hope for, with open qualities that allow me to use them endlessly when painting outdoors! So I decided to fix that problem.

First up. I don’t like tiny sketching chairs, as I’m not quick when I am on location, so comfort is required. I have a folding, aluminum art horse, that literally has wheels and an easel and box for supplies and a PADDED SEAT – which I love. I wish I could link it for you – but I can’t find this exact one online.

I sort of eschew the traditional pochade box approach. I like all of my components containerized – so that I can work out of doors and put together a kit that is meant only for that purpose.

And I had all manner of carrying for things EXCEPT for acrylic paints. Until recently; when I was cleaning up my studio area and came upon a watchmaker’s tin set that I used to use for jewelry parts. It has several aluminum containers, about 1 inch deep and 1 inch in diameter which are perfect for holding my Golden OPEN acrylics.

And yes, I have a continued love affair with my label maker.

I like to paint out a swatch for the set, so I can easily see the colors I am working with. You can see them listed here:

If you like my color choices, feel free to shop my Amazon storefront for your Golden OPEN acrylic paints. I have them all sorted by color family so it is easy to see what’s available. Click here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/palettini?listId=3EBSUMX6I8FCH

Once all of the containers were filled and labeled, I painted out my swatch sheet and placed it on top for reference.

There are 34 colors in the tin, and a water mister fits inside as well. The lid has a foam insert in it, which holds all of the containers firmly in place when closed.

I’ve had mine for a long time, but I did find something online that looked promising. Check out: https://www.esslinger.com/aluminum-storage-box-with-54-pieces-18mm-individual-tins-with-clear-tops/

The containers are individually lidded, which so far as kept the paints open and working. Air being the enemy of open time, I believe the glass lids and foam insert are an important part of this project. I do have a large binder clip that I use to ensure the tin stays closed when not in use.

As you can see by the photo, the entire package is small. Just a little over 5″ x 7″ in size. I can put this into a ziploc bag with a canvas or panel board, as well as:

• my favorite paintbrushes
  • a size 6, Silver Brush, Ruby Satin Round, and
  • a 3/4″ Silver Brush, Monza Glaze brush
• a 3″ x 5″ gel plate for mixing (yep, it is pretty dirty, but cleaning it off afterwards is half the fun), as well as
• a sheet of Gray Matters palette paper

Just throw in a couple of water containers and you are ready to go.

What shall we paint today? Tomorrow’s weather is NOT looking promising. Of course! Just when I am itching to go out. But certainly this week I will make it a priority.