The Thumb box. Pictures don't really show how small it is
Last September when Ken Chapin and I were painting as part of the Colorado Mountain Plein Air Fest, we decided to hike back (and up) to Agnes Vail Falls on the southern flank of Mt. Princeton. For me it meant carrying my pochade box, heavy tripod, supply bag and camera, about 20 lbs. I look over and Ken is carrying this tiny sketch box. It was a Julian Thumbbox, and every jagged, uneven step of that hike I became more jealous. During that week he did a couple of really nice little paintings with it. This was quickly becoming something I 'needed.' Besides, Kevin MacPherson once said that he learned to paint by doing about 1,500(!) little 6"x 8" paintings. So after a couple of hints to my wife, I found one under the Christmas tree.
The coldest, snowiest winter in recent memory has made taking it out in the wild difficult, so instead I've been painting indoors from photos. Here's my first effort:
Late afternoon at Wilkerson Pass, 6 x 8, oils
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