HARBRON Plein air

  "When you get the opportunity.. plant your feet and just look" Just back from viewing the International Watercolour Masters exhibition at Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire. You'll note in the photo above that my jaw has dislocated from the wonder of it all. Looking at the original work of artists reminded me how limited social media can be for viewing and showcasing art. I like instagram, it's good for inspiration and making connections, but it does not fulfill me. I am frequently overwhelmed, compulsive and shallow. In the gallery I plant my feet and spend time with each painting. I feel a deeper, more intimate interaction going on. I observe the paper, its surface, the paint and how it has moved there and shifted here, the marks defined by brush and, er, not brush. The layers, the depth, the light refracted there, absorbed here, how this becomes abstract, how that pops with sharp explosive colour. Everything showcased with utter clarity in the absence of lens and screen...

Dear Artists, I have signed-up for the plein air competition at Monpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, in June. This has prompted me to shift some attention away from the studio and get out into the glorious spring with my Harbron plein air kit. Expect more frequent blogs soon. I am also preparing to dip into YouTube. I am a massive fan of the platform and I have benefited so much from talented artists sharing their skills there. Some of my favorite channels include James Gurney, Oliver Pyle, Paul Clark, The Danish Painter with Marie louise, and Imperfect Paintings with Albert van de Zwart. If any of these names are new to you, do check them out. Recently I have been thinking about the future of Harbron Plein Air. Initially it was just a small lock-down project to supplement my art, but the success of the Harbron Ultra-Compact Tripod Easel and Harbron Tripod Shelf has really given me a boost. The positive feedback I have been getting has spurred me to continue building my range of accessori...

Throughout January I have been participating in the 30 faces / 30 days challenge with Sktchy . I joined because I wanted to boost my work output during a difficult month of short days, and prolonged, uninspiring weather. I also wanted to continue developing my skills for rendering people into my art, and I had made this my winter project. The format is simple: each day, over thirty days, a photo is posted on Sktchy, accompanied with a video of one of eight artists demonstrating their own techniques for interpreting the photo. Naturally, each artist has their own style and process which adds to the interest. I opted for the pen and pencil version of this course (there are also pencil and Procreate versions) and although it's up to you which medium and style of expression you choose to create, I chose to follow the processes of each artist quite closely because I wanted to experiment and get out of my comfort zone.  The days alternate between pen and pencil, with some examples incop...

I have recently been working on a new design of the Harbron 'Miniatures' Panel Box and I am very pleased with the results. The new boxes have an improved flush-fit catch system on the lid, which gives the box a cleaner profile. I have also managed to economise on production, which allows me to bring the price down. You can find the NEW Harbron 'Miniatures' Panel Boxes here . This continues to be a handmade product, crafted by me, mainly using hand tools. They are not really a viable income stream for me to be honest, as each box is constructed over two days and take between one and two hours to complete. But I enjoy making them, and I get a kick out of serving my fellow artists, so I'll continue to make them for the time being.  Seconds on Special! In the meantime, I have some old design 'seconds' left which can be obtained for the special price of £24.99. This includes three 5 x 7 inch canvas boards and postage. I have listed them on ebay where I have deta...

Harbron easels can easily be adapted for watercolour painting. Here's how... To work with watercolour on a Harbron easel you will need an additional support in the form of an easel board. This is simply a rigid surface upon which you can mount your paper before placing into the easel as you would a panel or canvas. Here are some suggestions to make an easel board: Recycle an old canvas board. I have repurposed some old Winsor & Newton canvas boards by carefully removing the unwanted canvas, scraping away any glue residue, and lightly sanding the surface to finish. It is a ten minute job and provides a good surface that is robust enough to resist warping, and can be used time and again.  Source a hardwood drawing board When I was a young teenager, my grandparents gave me a lovely A3 portfolio with a hardwood drawing board inside. I continue to use the drawing board today, whilst the portfolio contains the lovely watercolour sketches they left behind. The board is 6mm thick and d...

Should I Get the Compact or Standard Tripod Easel? There are two tripod easel designs available from the Harbron Plein Air range. The difference between them is distinguished by the length of the body. The short body model is called the Harbron Compact Tripod Easel and the long body model is simply know as the Harbron Tripod Easel. So why wouldn't you just go for the long body model?  The Harbron Compact Tripod Easel The compact easel is my original design and the one I use most on my plein air excursions. This is mainly because I rarely work on surfaces higher than 12 inches which is the maximum height the Compact Tripod Easel can accommodate. These days I cut and prep. my own surfaces from 3mm or 6mm MDF board and they tend to be around 8 x 16 inch to 10 x 12 inch. I also like to do small studies on 5 x 7 inch. The Compact Tripod Easel accommodates all these sizes and holds the board firmly with no movement even when pressure is applied to the outer edges of the surface (with exc...

  "The ink on the printed page has been magically transformed into paint and brush marks which retain the expressive energy of the original paintings"   ★★★★★ It arrived with a great sense of occasion. A doorbell chimed, humorous banter with the delivery man, large box smothered in foreign postmarks and documentation of another country. Two hands were needed to manoeuvre its heavy weight through the house and land it on the kitchen table.  'What's that?' asked my young niece after I called her over to share the excitement of the unboxing. 'This has come all the way from America' I explained '..and features an artist I'm sure you're going to like' There followed 'oohs' and 'aahs' as a large book emerged from the box, its cover ablaze with fiery oranges, hot pinks, warm blues and mellow greens - Aspen Trail  (2015). We had arrived in Erin Hanson's world, of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California, places of her homeland and p...