3 types of travel and 3 ways to pack for a successful watercolor painting vacation
Which supplies will I need on this trip?
My first diving experience
“Define your travel mode and find clarity”
Which watercolor supplies should I take? Define your travel mode and find clarity.
I sent my supplies ahead with a ground carrier. Not only did this cost hundreds of dollars, but I didn’t use half of them. Less really is more. Traveling with too much is expensive and exhausting.
Travel by car. With this mode, you cram anything that fits in your vehicle. Unlimited luggage. Yes, there’s even room for that 20 lb porcelain pallet, all the camera accessories, computers, paint tubes, etc. For a trip like this, I take my Kanken Fjallraven backpack. Crammed inside is a Strathmore 9 x 11.5-inch journal. It’s decorated with travel stickers, like a road car. Pack one that can take watercolor and pens. I’m not creating a quality painting to hang in the Louvre. It’s about building skills. I take full sheets of watercolor paper only if attending a workshop. Always my Winsor&Newton pan palette, the largest one on the market. A folding brush holder with brushes, waterproof pens, a mechanical pencil, paper towels, and liquid mask. Include anything new you want to try. That’s always fun.
Travel by air, but check your luggage. If you check your luggage at the gate, expect to carry less than travel by car. Always double bag paint tubes in zip lock bags. Since the luggage cabin is not pressurized, paint tubes often burst. Limit the mess to the zip lock bag. Any version of a liquid mask needs this exact double-bagged treatment. If masking fluid leaks, it ruins anything it lands on, including expensive brushes. My large sketchbook, brush container, pan palette, waterproof pens, and a mechanical pencil. Collapsable water bucket, and Frisket pen are nice to have with you.
Travel by air but carry on your luggage. This is the most limited way to take art supplies. I choose paints in pans that are only semi-moist, and be sure and include a note for TSA. They are our friends who keep us safe, and they need to know your pans contain harmless watercolors. I also pack a few watercolor cards. Waterproof pens and a mechanical pencil. Include two of my favorite brushes and a small pan set with colors appropriate to my destination. Blues for the Caribbean, yellow ocher, and siennas for the desert. You would be surprised how awesome a painted watercolor card looks. Every card you mail is your painting ambassador. Everything packs away into my Winsor Newton Travel Bag. Thus, everything fits in your carry-on.
By matching your supplies to the available space, you will have everything you need when you arrive.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139: 9-10