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Cory Trepanier’s Into the Arctic video journals. Brought to you in part by Eureka! For life outdoors, and by Merrell, let’s get outside.

As I made before we go on our big trip and I am still getting some stuff together one of the most important thing I do not want to forget is my art supplies of course. In going on a trip this big, there is a lot different considerations that I have been working, the different environments that I will be painting in require me to carry easels. At times, I will be working on some really big pieces or big enough considering I will be out in the field I will be using probably as half box French easel I can put canvasses up to 42x24 inches.

And it will support it well specially if I tie things down. On other occasions when I need the backpack and I just would not have enough room on my back or enough strength to carry the bigger easel and everything I carry what is called a pochade box. And this is a really neat contraption mounted on a tripod. I will turn it like this, and I do have my panels appear that I have within them all ready to go. So that will all be folded and fits into my backpack, and you have your paints. I carry it in the front of the pack. A third option is when I am actually canoeing and I have the concern of the possibility of dipping or getting everything soaked, the same pochade box actually works its way right inside this case.

And inside here I have got this portable panel carrier. These panels that I have been using the last few years are Baltic birch prepared on one side with linen melted onto the front side. In the past I have spent many, many hours cutting and putting coatings on it to protect the paint from the wood so I put chillac (Inaudible) and three coats of jeso and create the surface. And it would take many, many hours preparation. These I am able to get, all ready to go. And they are wonderful to paint on because of the nice texture of the linen as well that I really like. Once I get beyond 12x16 inches, that is when I really like to move in to a canvas or linen that allows me a little more balance when I am actually painting.

So this is a pretty unique system, what I am doing now is setting aside enough paint to support each of my options when I am in the field. This way I can just take one option together and go. So, I have got my pistachio that I have been sorting through and deciding what colors to take with me. I have a pretty extensive pallet, in the studio I tend to work with almost 24 different colors. But now as it gets heavy when I am in the field it slows the pace down a little. So I am going through and cutting back and try to bring as few paints as necessary which for me still means I will probably be carrying about 16 or 18 different colors. But I like that I have options when I am out there.

So anyhow, this will keep me up until the night. Yes, brushes. Lots of choices for brushes too. I like to bring stuff that is a little firm not quite stiff like a hog hair. This is the nice synthetic option. And this option here is somewhere between a soft watercolor brush and a sable brush. This has got nice texture which allows me to put on the paint thick but still keep it smooth without a lot of really heavy edges because I am not crazed about painting in that way. And so I have got to put a selection of these together for each of my kits as well if you will. When I get to a location up in the artic and if it is hopping in the canoe or it can be hiking, I can just grab my gear and go. So, get this done hopefully before the sun goes down.