m i s t y . p i l g r i m . f i n e . a r t

 When I was in the south of France this past summer (really, this workshop is amazing, "Art in Provence with Jill Steinhaus) all of the supplies were provided and then our paintings were shipped home for us.  Jill was using a "soltek" easel, and I loved it so much I went online to buy one. I nearly threw up when I saw the price. But...having gotten to test it out for 7 days straight, I bought the Soltek 2.0 anyway, ordering it online.  I have not regretted it. I've tried various plein air easels over the years, En Plein Air Pro, Julian half- and full-box french easels, and others. They were fine.  This is more than fine. It is lightweight, sturdy, well-engineered, and can be used on just about any type of terrain. Seriously. I've stood in a rising tide and painted on this thing (see below). I think I now have the perfect, utterly perfect plein air setup.  I got a Patagonia roll-top backpack to accomodate the length of the tripod portion for half price because...

In July 2025 my beloved gifted me,  for our 25th anniversary, a 7-day plein-air painting workshop in the South of France. At the time, I was still somewhat blocked and hadn't painted in nearly a year. I was still in shock over all the rapid moves of 1000s of miles, and this helped me bust out of it.  I had been experimenting with using a palette knife to paint with. I love the simplicity of it. You just wipe it on a towel, done. No washing, no conditioning. Plus, it helped me to get those lovely impressionist images I was chasing.  The workshop is "Art in Provence".  My first "real" painting in Aux en Provence was of the house belonging to the caretaker for Paul Cezanne's home.   Paul Cezanne's home   Mason Maria,  oil on linen panel.  Caroline's Vinyard, oil on linen panel.  For 7-8 days (and some evenings) during an unprecedented heat wave we painted starting at 9 am for several hours, then ate an enormous French lunch, drank wine, and...