On the Road: ART BAGS!

-
I am on the road at least once a week with art supplies and and not every bag is suitable for every situation. After years of making art and being an art teacher, I have whittled it down to four different bags that I use when I travel/teach. My goal is to get the most that I can fit in my bag, and have ease of  transporting it.

Starting from the top; a black cross-body bag, that I got for free from AARP.   I am saving my money for a bigger and better bag, but for now, this nylon freebie works just fine. It is my watercolor bag. In this small 9" x 6" x 3" bag I can pack the following:
  •  3-4 of my Kremer  pan sets,
  • fold-able cup (purchased in a camping store) 
  • folded paper paper towels,
  • waterproof and a non waterproof black ink pen
  • a pencil or two
  • an eraser
  • brushes and water-brushes. 
  • a pad of watercolor postcards, and a 6 x 9 or so watercolor book/pad.

The red bag I purchased in a second hand shop in the Adirondacks a few weeks ago for 5.00, and it is a new rolling computer case.  I plan on using to transport small art safely to galleries or stock when I visit clients or go to shows.  The rolling part sold it. And the price!

The black and white polka dot is the winner that goes with me every week to the Woodstock School of Art where I have been studying with Meredith Rosier for 7 years. It was gifted to me, and the only thing that would improve it would be a flap for the top (I have to use a plastic bag if it rains on top as a cover) as it is an open bag. Typically I carry all of my pastels, 3 or 4 large boxes/containers, a  large sketch pad that holds my drawings and blank paper, all of my watercolor supplies (that are in their own black bag above) and an assortment of drawing tools in a variety of bags/boxes. (which I need to organize a bit better) it has a few outer mesh pockets that hold my water/thermos, some latex gloves, or last minute supplies that I decide to throw in. If I am using it for oil painting, it fits my portable easel, all of my paints, a palette box with a pad of paper inside, knives, and a bunch of boards/pads/canvases. The beauty of this bad boy? It is huge, and it has wheels!

The bottom most bag was the most expensive one, but one that was my steady partner in teaching for many years and is made by the bag company Thirty One. It does not have wheels, but it holds a ton of books, supplies, and has 6 outer pockets which hold liquid media such as glue, matte medium, gesso etc. It can get a bit heavy, so if I don't want to carry it, I plop it on my wheeling luggage carrier, secure with a bungee, and voilla.

Scour yard sales, junk stores, etc. for your bags. You dont' have to pay a fortune for bags that are specifially for art supplies. Save that money for paint or paper!

Please leave a comment on any hints you have on taking your art on the road! I'd love to hear them! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La Cucina

-
Image
Tonight my house had the aroma of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and candles. Keith Jarret was playing in the background, and I had just opened a nice bottle of reasonable red wine. (Osborne Solaz, 2004 Temranillo/Cab- 7.00) I needed it for the sauce, so why not have some while cooking! I took good care of myself all weekend, and felt like cooking for the first time in what seems forever. I am an excellent cook. A collage cook one might say, or better yet, a bricollage cook. I take what is in the house and make a dinner out of it. I think about flavor, texture, color and variety. Most of the time I would rather put this creative energy into visual arts, but on occasion I will push my fine art aside, and the art of the evening is cooking. Candles, music, wine, and a lovely table. I must think more like Monet, and not only make the meal art, but somehow make it my visual art too. The best I could do was a photo of the beginning of the sauce. It looks rather bizarre if you ask me,
Read more

Cape Painting

-
Image
My framing blogs will continue when I’m back in the studio next week. In the mean time, I am enjoying adventures on the Cape. Again I opted to not bring oils as the place I am staying is not conducive to oil painting, so I bought watercolors and my acrylics, although I have not used the acrylics yet. I have a small messenger type bag, that I can put in a few palettes of my Kramer watercolors, several water brushes, a few paper towels, a 6x6 watercolor pad, and a watercolor postcards. This time I bought watercolor greeting cards to paint on too. I can wear this light bag across my body, and hike for miles, plopping myself down on a bench, rock, or table, and paint the scene at hand in an instant. I got to experience the tail end of hurricane Dorian too, the roiling ocean and wind captured on camera and paper, etched in my dna now. I will be bringing home new ideas, new small pieces, hundreds of photographs, ready to settle in for a fall of painting and design work for m
Read more

Framing: Sources for Frames

-
Image
When I was primarily showing fine art collages, and framing antique prints, I collected a wide variety of frames for my work- rarely were two frames were ever the same. But over the years, I have whittled down that collection, as I find myself  using either white (for abstract work) or black floater frames for my paintings. It is more professional to have a "even" look in framing one's work, especially if you are showing several works, or having a solo show. On occasion you can find frames in places like Ikea, or the Christmas Tree Shop, or other such venues. If I find good ones, I will buy them up and keep them for future work. But most of the times I either buy them at Michael's , or American Frame .  On occasion if I am flush, or need a specialty frame, or it needs special care, I will gladly go to the local art supply or framing store. But I usually don't have the money to do that...so I order and frame myself. Michael's has their sales and 40%
Read more