Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carriers can be used to transport wet canvas boards safely, and store them while they are drying. We asked prolific plein air painter Mark McLaughlin, to test them out along with Jackson’s Handmade Boards on his latest painting excursion, and here he shares his experience.
Mark McLaughlin Tests Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carriers
I’m a painter based in South London and have shared a studio in Loughborough Junction called Clockwork Studios for over 25 years. I love to cycle around my local area seeking out new locations for paintings.
One of my favourite places to paint is in Brockwell Park near Herne Hill. It has great views across the city, beautiful trees and hidden places you can lose yourself in, even though you are in a large urban area.
I love to paint throughout the year capturing the seasons with the ever changing light colours and atmosphere that creates lovely challenges for the artist. My favourite plein air painting medium is oil paint as it allows such a great range of mark making, colour and texture.
I like to work on boards and canvas. I make canvases up to the size I need and prime my boards, staining them with a mix of Raw Sienna and Cobalt or Ultramarine Blue according to the atmosphere of the location.
Common Problems Transporting Wet Paintings
When transporting canvas boards, I usually take a similar size board for plein air painting I’m painting on and use spacers made up from canvas stretchers taped together to separate the wet paintings. This I found can work ok but at times taping them together can be awkward if its not sticky enough due to weather conditions. There’s also the risk of losing spacers in long grass, or even forgetting to pack them!
Trying to tape wet paintings in the wet or when your hands are cold is challenging too, especially in cold windy days with lots of leaves blowing around trying to stick to your painting.
Transporting them home if they haven’t been tapped probably leads to smudged areas which can of course be touched up but is another extra task to do. I was intrigued to see what the Jackson’s Canvas Board Carrier would be like.
First Impressions of Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carriers
I was given the larger Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carrier 40 x 50 cm to test. First impression it’s a simple and sturdy design, not too heavy, a shallow moulding on both sides sandwiched between hardboard allowing to place two same size wet board paintings on either side. There are also six levers to secure the boards on each side. I did think these seemed quite sharp to handle but well secured with a screw fitting which I guess you could adjust to help the tension.
Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carrier and Jackson’s Handmade Board: Oil Primed Medium Linen on MDF Board
I was also given a few sizes of the Jackson’s Handmade Boards (oil primed medium linen). These I loved, really nicely made and a clean finish and a great surface to paint on. The idea would be to have the same size board to fit within the carriers dimensions. I did however have a few smaller boards which you could place in this with only a few levers holding the board in place.
Testing the Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carriers
To try it out I took it to my local park to paint and see how well it works. Placing the pre painted board in the carrier is quick and good to go. I found it quite a useful board to place paints and the usual painting gear on whilst working in situ without a box easel set up.
I found it was very easy to transport, because I usually cycle to places this fitted into my cycle courier bag well. The carrier also has a shoulder strap which is easily attached with the secure D-rings allowing a comfortable and adjustable option.
After finishing painting it’s a very easy process to place the wet canvas board face down in to fit the boards carrier moulding. Once in, it just needs the metal levers to be turned across the boards to secure. Besides this, the true test was transporting them home. Once home It was great to see it was still secure and taking the board out it had little smudge or sticking effect on the edges due to a good bevel edge on the moulding. Overall, having both sides is also useful if painting more than one painting in a session.
I did find the metal levers very sharp which potentially could cut or slice your fingers when turning them in and out. This certainly needs to be rectified. The other niggle is having tried this carrier with other branded boards they are not compatible with. A Winsor & Newton 40 x 50 cm board for example is too large for this 40 x 50 cm carrier which I think is quite an issue.
I liked the overall quality, not too heavy and bulky. The strap was good, adjustable and comfortable. The 40 x 50 cm carrier was a good size and I liked the fact you can carry boards on both sides. You also could carry a smaller boards 30 x 40 cm board which can be secured by three levers only. It’s definitely a quick and easy way of transporting wet paintings without the risk of smudging your oil painting, which in the end of the day is what we’re all looking for. The carrier board itself also became a useful base to put your paints, rags and brushes on whilst painting too which is a bonus if not using a box easel set up.
Further Reading
Tips for Plein Air Painting in Winter
Plein Air Painting With Jackson’s Materials
Plein Air Oil Painting Set Ups: Pochade and French-Style Box Easels
Shop Jackson’s Plein Air Canvas Board Carriers on jacksonsart.com
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