Painting in Biddeford, Maine, on the Saco River

My Sweetie

Roger enjoys visiting with folks who stop by to watch me paint.

The photographs in this post are courtesy of Marina Lamb of Biddeford, Maine.  She and her husband Greg visited with Roger and me when I was painting at the boat ramp on the Saco River in Biddeford recently. 

Joan (with the block-in of my painting begun) and Roger, chief supervisor.

I dedicate this blog post to Nikki Jacquin of Regina, Saskatchewan, because she has asked me what I pack for plein air painting.  Marina's series of photos gives a good idea of some essentials.  My Gloucester easel is amazingly stable in windy weather. Because each of its three legs is separately adjustable, I am able to paint on uneven ground, even among rocks and boulders. 

You can catch a glimpse of a spray bottle in the bottom left corner of this picture.  I use it to spray a fine mist of water over my acrylic paints to keep them "open."

When I am painting in my studio or traveling by car, I carry my paints in that aluminum "suitcase" that you see on the rock.  When I need to pare down my "stuff," I take only some of my paints with me in my backpack (which I will already have lightened to make room for the paints).

This gives you a good idea of my setup.  In a resealable Masterson
box, I work on a paper palette which has a damp sponge pad beneath it to help keep the acrylics workable.  I store my brushes in a canvas holder which I can roll up and carry in my backpack.

This is one of the nicest pictures of  me painting that I have.  My photographer friend Lou Zucchi will tell you that I am not good at smiling for a camera, and he's right.  He'll verify that this is a "genuine" Joan smile.    Kudos to you, Marina!   Thank you again for your kindness in taking these photos and for your willingness to let me share them with my readers.