How lucky am I? I have just received the most beautiful pochade box, which has been handmade just for me… Now I can Paint En Plein Air! 

The box has been engraved with my name and a quote, which has a lot of meaning for me. Whenever I was feeling sad or low, my wonderful dad would sing,  “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...” whilst imitating the late great Louis Armstrong.

Dad never failed to make me smile or cheer me up…. “life’s too short to be miserable ducky, you have to live for today and be grateful for what you’ve got, count your blessings…”

I researched pochade boxes for ages, asking other artists what they used and why, and finally set my heart on the pochade box of my dreams, the Alla Prima Blackfoot , but alas, this was way over my budget. I was waiting for “one day“… I am so grateful to my mum and sister for making my milestone birthday extra special and my dream come true.

I can’t wait to use my lovely pochade box, but at the same time I don’t want to spoil it. It’s really lightweight and so beautiful and pristine.  Ben Hackett of Alla Prima Pochade in America made it just for my with his very own hands. The design is very clever and uses magnets and springs so everything just snaps into place.

Ben was very helpful and sent my pochade box all the way from America to the UK.  In the accompanying literature, Ben says,

” It’s kind of pretty, but it’s a tool. It’s supposed to get dinged, scuffed, and covered with paint smears… You’ll probably chip it eventually – good for you, it means you’re painting… Go paint! “

If you are in the market for one of your own Ben produces them in different sizes with various attachments.  My  8″ x 10″ Blackfoot will take canvas boards up to 14″ in height and as wide as you wish. There are several videos on Ben’s Alla Prima Pochade website, which explain the pros and cons of each one.  

So, what I need to do now is to “Go paint!”