The return of the Take-it-Easel

I am sorry to post late today. I flew in to Boston late last night from Minnesota. You probably got up late anyway. Here is today's post.

I am pleased to announce the resurrection of the Take-it-Easel. This is the Gloucester easel that I have used for years. For you hardened outdoor painters this is a great easel. It doesn't blow down in wind and you can paint enormous canvasses on it. This easel has been unavailable for a few years and I have been asked so many times "where did you get that easel?" Now I have an answer.


"top">The Chicoms are producing a version of this easel that is sold through the major mail order catalogs. I recommend this easel and not those. The commie easel won't work out of the box, it is put together wrong and is not built to last a lifetime like the Take-it-easel. Although it can be worked on, and made serviceable it is never going to be the "Cadillac" that the real thing is. Tobin Nadeau, whose family has been making this easel for years has set up a new workshop in Vermont and begun building them again, using American Maple. That is what you want. He has redesigned the leg mechanism and that seems like it will work well too. This is a workbench built, handmade product, made in the USA with craftsmanship and care. If something breaks or you have a problem with it, they will fix it.

Tobin is going to produce a STAPLETON KEARNS SIGNATURE MODEL! That will be tricked out just like mine. Call him and ask for that. It is an ongoing project and I expect to tell you more about those as they come on line.

I was asked about mediums for outdoor painting in the winter I like to use Liquin but I think the same medium that you prefer for the rest of the year should be fine. I don't use a particular medium for outdoors. The writer who asked me that said they had had a problem with Kamar varnish. I didn't even know that K-Mart made a varnish! I recommend a gloss damar retouch or final varnish. There are lots of new high tech varnishes out there, some that thin with rocket fuel or who knows what. Damar is the old standard and can easily be removed or painted over. It is simple, time tested and reliable. I would however, not spray it onto a cold painting