In the past I have seen people that have tried plein air painting and have had a bad experience during their paint out and not return to plein air painting. I have heard a lot of reasons a painter might feel uncomfortable outdoors like it's too hot, too cold, too buggy etc. Any one of these reasons could be why a new outdoor painter will not return to the great outdoors. An outdoor painter needs to be prepared for any situation that arises during the outing.
One of the unfortunate situations that I have seen, is when the wind picks up while someone is painting and knocks their set-up down. Depending on the size of canvas and the type of easel being used; a wet canvas and the easel can go flying to the ground in no time. This is why I always bring my exercise ankle weights to my paint outs. I don't bring them out of my bag unless I feel the wind is going to be a problem. I am assured that my easel, pallet, and painting will not fall flat on its face if I have it anchored down with my weights.
Being well prepared for the outing will make the painting experience a more enjoyable one as apposed to a nightmare. Now, let's be prepared and Let's Paint!
During windy days I put one aprox. 5 lb. anckle weight on the back side of my French easel.
I also put another 5 lb. anckle weight on the front single leg of my French easel.
