Hi All,

I thought this month I would share this new easel setup that I’ve come to devise.

First, let me confess… I tend to like working in a functionally cluttered environment. You will (probably) never see a shot of me in a ball gown working in an aesthetically pleasing studio space. It’s most likely because I like having things visible and in reach when I’m working; which segways into why I have such a strange easel setup that will at some point result in a portal opening to a Plane of Eldritch Abominations (my friends).

So I started with a Sante Fe II easel: (You can find the unaltered easel through this link at Jerrys)

https://www.jerrysartarama.com/best-classic-santa-fe-ii-easel?gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYgRQGXNTslewuBT_gDcC7x_o4pCDZU5QAI5DEgCtv_WvGLTnXrHE2xoC8FoQAvD_BwE

that I’ve had for quite a while. It used to have a ledge with these big aluminum brush basins but they got in the way so I took them off. I also lost them instantly but that was always going to happen. Over the years I’ve reconfigured the easel in many different ways culminating in this sorta Frankeneasel that I have now.

Santa Fe II

 

 

I have four studio lights and a fan mounted to the top, on the rail that holds my mahl stick. Recently, I acquired a piece of steel 36”x 48” from etsy…

https://www.etsy.com/listing/526612136/steel-bare-metal-magnet-board-custom-cut?ref=yr_purchases

This was the final piece of the configuration that I’ve been working on for a while. With the steel piece in place (and covered by craft paper because it is rather reflective) I can use various types of magnets to position smaller pieces and also to hold tools close at hand, like palette knives.

Palette Knives

Magnets

Magnets are Cool

I also use smaller neodymium magnets to pin inspiration and reference to the board. It’s actually a lot more useful than I anticipated when I thought about doing it. It’s certainly more functional than the C-clamps that I had been using previously.

My crazy amount of c clamps

Plus, magnets are cool.

https://totalelement.com/products/1-2-x-1-8-inch-strong-neodymium-rare-earth-disc-magnets-n52-24-pack?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplpD12X18N52-24PK&sc_intid=D12X18N52-24PK&gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYoix2PSuca73gQT94Vr-Yu2wSO1oH0Gs-EGlCJQ4K2JTvUnJeJCwiBoCdowQAvD_BwE

iPad Holder

The iPad and phone mounts on the side come from https://www.thejoyfactory.com/

And are the sturdiest that I’ve found so far.

Venting for oils

I also have some dryer duct affixed to an inline fan that circulates and replaces the air in the room in about half and hour. I can almost never smell the oil when I come into the room to resume painting and Vicki never complains about odor. The one in the link is slightly better than the one I have:

https://www.acinfinity.com/component-cooling/inline-duct-fan-systems/cloudline-t4-quiet-inline-duct-fan-system-with-temperature-and-humidity-controller-4-inch/?gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYuLrQ7VHYNLE1taptRzJvONg47DO3IOMxQcTbDB4kxymXxdD3m5utxoCIukQAvD_BwE

Most of the power on the easel is run through this positionable plug mount:

Electrical Outlet 2

Electrical Outlet 1

https://www.amazon.com/Outlet-Charging-Station-Removable-Desktop/dp/B07RR39CDF/ref=asc_df_B07RR39CDF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343187910376&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3478964008721507006&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014055&hvtargid=pla-753064950600&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69721953515&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343187910376&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3478964008721507006&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014055&hvtargid=pla-753064950600

 

That’s mostly it.

It will probably keep evolving.

I’ve already lost half the magnets.

 

(edit: nope I found them ? )