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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Plein Air Tip #2 How to Store Finished Plein Air Paintings

'Tropical Beauty' 5x7 plein air pastel with watercolor ©Karen Margulis
painted on location St George Island, Florida sold

What do you do with the finished pastel paintings when you are on location? I have tried a few ways but have settled on this method. I use a pad of tracing paper! I buy an inexpensive pad of tracing paper that is 9x12. This works for me because I don't paint larger plein air pieces. If you paint larger then you'll need a bigger pad!
When I am done with a painting, I slip it between the pages of the tracing paper. I put the pad in a plastic clear envelope for extra protection. Another thing I do is use a binder clip to close up the pad of paper. This is especially useful as you add paintings and the pad gets thicker.

A tracing pad and a clear envelope form the office supply store make a great storage solution

A bonus tip! If you paint small 5x7 and smaller, you can use a small magazine or a travel guide that you pick up at the hotel. Slip the paintings in between the pages. They will stay protected until you get home. It isn't a good permanent storage solution but works great in a pinch.

Come back tomorrow for a new Plein air tip!

1 comment:

robertsloan2art said...

Great idea! Simple and practical. I'm going to have to try this.