I inherited an oil painting box, called a Pochade from an Aunt over a decade ago. I have not used the oils as they are getting too sticky and require spirit to get them working again.

So I bought a set of water based oils from Jackson’s and have been working out the best ways of using them. I have also been following a Plein Air artist Tom Hughes who uses oils and I love his work and videos.

Ideally I want to get out and start painting with oils straight away, as the weather is improving but I need to get my equipment working as smoothly as possible. This is where the Pochade comes in. It can carry a lot of equipment but more importantly it can hold the canvas in place and store without smearing the fresh oil.

So I set about making my own; a smaller and lighter version. I started with an old tripod and created the way of attaching a base (the palette) to it.  Then using old brass hinges I made the lid, which can hold a 10×8 oil board. Adapting a few screws and pins I gave myself options for landscape and portrait shapes, plus I made a brush holder and water plinth.

The photos show the difference is shape between the old and new boxes plus how it attaches to the tripod.

My next post will be about my first oil painting outdoors.