Question about plein air equipment for pastel

[lynn p.]

Dennis and Nolan--Am very excited to have signed up for a 2 month plein air workshop ( 3 hours per week) with landscape and cityscape painter, Alan Flattman.  He is teaching in the US at the moment and lives near here but almost always teaches far away.  I don't have a plein air outdoor easel or other things I will need for class.  I have a Heilman box for my pastels so can carry that.  What easel and other things do you suggest?

[Val]

I'll be waiting to see the answer, Hoping to find pastel equipment in Guat. city on monday.

[lynn p.]

Yes, I am sure Dennis will have ideas Val.  In the meantime, because I am worried about getting everything, I bought a used tripod that my pastel box will attach to.  I found out that the Heilman boxes come with an attachment for the tripod and an easel that actually lifts out of the open pastel box.  Just worried about the weight of my box--it probably weighs 13 lbs full.  I read that the Julian easels can be flimsy in wind so I got a very sturdy tripod by Bogen.  I ordered this little thing called an Easel Butler that can attach to your easel or tripod like a side shelf.  Very cheap and am hoping I could just put a lighter box of pastels there.  Yikes, all so complicated and a bit expensive! I hope I love the class! Now for the sunscreen, backpack, hat etc.

[Val]

Oh dear.... I never thought about a box for the pastels! Going to have to see what I can find around town. I have a good sturdy easel, my art backpack with the seat built in the frame (I've had it about 7 years) for my sketching  and w/c.
  I bought some flat water tight boxes at a tackle shop for storing my brusho powders in...and a larger one for all of the soft tool bits for my pan pastel. One like that would be perfect as they have lots of little movable slides for compartmentalizing! But wait...  I am in the Rio after all!   

[Val]

I watched the 'Intro to pastel' lesson yesterday and found a little snippet that might be helpful. It is at time marker 1 hour, 3 min. into the lesson regarding prep for paper/board for plein air.