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| 'In the Footsteps of Van Gogh' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis purchase $125 |
It is a good think I prepacked my plein air supplies and set out the clothes I was bringing. It was really just a matter of putting them in my suitcase. That was the big dilemma. Which suitcase to bring. I admit that I am a bag lady. I can't resist a good bag or suitcase. So I have a few options. Before the New Mexico trip I tried them all. Walle, the ginger kitty (big boy) helped.
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| "This one will work" |
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| "Too small!" |
I really wanted to be good and travel super light. I ordered a carry on suitcase from Rick Steves. It is a great suitcase but too small for a month. If I didn't have to bring art and workshop supplies it might have worked. In the end I decided on my favorite....a white hard case suitcase that I covered with stickers. I love that suitcase. But Delta airlines had another plan for me.
My white suitcase was damaged on the flight home from New Mexico. I watched it get thrown about 10 feet and land on it's head. Ouch! When I retrieved it from baggage claim the handle seemed stiff. It worked but it took more effort to pull it up and down. It had a slight bend in the handle frame. Now I had a dilemma....should I buy a new case or take my chances with my favorite?
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| I love packing cubes! |
I will be blogging and posting photos to Facebook during this adventure. The trip begins in Paris and then we travel to Auvers-sur-Oise, then to Meuvaines, France (Normandy). That is the workshop expedition portion of the trip. Then I head to Sweden to meet with a friend for a week. The last week I will spend in Finland. I am teaching a pastel workshop in Vaasa Finland. I invite you to follow along with my adventure!
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| Walle says "Take me to France!" |
3 comments:
Well, you don't want to forget to pack the ginger cat! Walle is so cool. Gorgeous feline. "If it fits, I sits."
Maybe when you get home you can set up his favorite with a blanket or a couple of towels folded in it for him to use as a cat bed. That's what I'd do for Ari if I had the space to leave a suitcase out. Instead, I made a little nest for him on the foot of the bed along with his favorite throw pillow, a tiny one maybe seven inches square. He likes resting his head on his cat size pillow.
Your trip sounds wonderful! I can't wait to see what you paint on your European tour! Who's your Swedish friend? Anyone I know from WetCanvas? One of my three favorite teachers lives in Sweden, Charlotte Herczfeld, a Colourist who studied with Susan Sarback.
So glad you're going to be blogging on the way. Cool that you can get by with one suitcase for an entire month. It's very organized with all those zippered bags inside, looks like it'll be easy for you to find anything you need immediately.
I got a heavy plastic waterproof zipper bag with embedded white mesh from Daniel Smith as part of a bundle with a journal, bamboo pens, walnut ink and some sepia Pigma Microns. That's what I'm bringing in my rollator for today's clinic trip. Not too heavy, not too much stuff packed. If I do pastels I'll just use my 12 color Conte sticks.
Delightful read! The cat pictures were hilarious. Loved your packing tip.
Looking forward to reading more adventures. Thanks and Bon Voyage!
Did you know you can have the handle assembly replaced? There are suitcase repair places near most major airports. It's expensive, but cheaper than a new case, and if it's one you love it could be an option. I would think they are in Europe too and it's a fast repair.
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