Product Reviews

Portable easel

David Potter Ltd. Of Norwich, renowned for producing top class easels for over 25 years, has come up with another winner in the shape of a robustly manufactured but surprisingly light all-purpose easel, which is at home in the field and in the studio. What is more, it is so designed that it can serve equally well as a table-top easel. It is constructed from aluminium and lightweight steel tubing and weighs just over 5lb (2kg to be precise). This means that it can be carried comfortably while the artist is searching for that elusive ideal composition. The metal parts are finished in a protective stoved epoxy paint which gives them an attractive matt black appearance. 

The U-shaped mast, which carries the drawing board, canvas or other support, may be secured with sturdy adjustable clamps in any position from the horizontal to the vertical. When packed for carrying, the easel is extremely compact and may be carried comfortably by the U-bend in the mast. This mast slides up and down some 2ft to give the easel even greater adjustable height, and takes a canvas or board of up to 28”, firmly secured to the solid beech wood base support by an elasticated top clamp. 

The three-section telescopic legs are secured by quick release clamps and their length may be fixed at the 18” minimum or the 4ft maximum, or at any desired length between the two extremes. Each leg has a tough rubberised foot with an angled base which is suitable for both field and studio use. 

With the main easel I received a most useful accessory in the shape of a removable wooden shelf, measuring approximately 22” x 8”, which may be firmly clamped to the easel at any convenient position below the support. It has two 2.5” diameter circular holes to take plastic water cups, and a deep 15” groove for holding paintbrushes, pencils etc., as well as plenty of surface space for paint boxes, tubes of paint and other necessities. As a watercolourist I found this shelf of particular help and convenience. 

There are various other well designed accessories that are worthy of a mention. Firstly, there is a watercolour palette with a ball and knob mechanism for fixing to the wooden shelf just described, and for oil painters, there is a hardwood painting palette. 

There is also an ingenious attachment, consisting of a pair of small wheels, which clips on to the easel frame and enables it to be drawn along the ground rather than carried, with the artist’s work and equipment firmly attached. 

Another useful accessory is a plastic ‘stone bag’ that attaches to the easel legs, and may be filled with stones or smaller rocks to give greater stability in windy weather. The Tri Seat is a handy and comfortable folding seat of light steel tube construction, which will support artists of up to 14 stone! Finally, there is a high quality Velbon pan head camera attachment, which clamps to the mast and converts the easel to photographic use. 

I tested the David Potter Portable Easel in the studio, in the field and on the dining room table and found it first class for all three uses. Having frequently struggled in the past with easels of varied and eccentric design on my demonstration visits to art groups, it was a joy to come across an easel of such excellent and well-thought-out design, easily carried, readily adaptable to various uses and easily adjusted. I give it full marks and recommend it unreservedly. 

Ray Campbell Smith, Leisure Painter magazine, January 2001

David Potter’s Portable Easel 

This quite ingenious latest piece of kit from David Potter Ltd has been designed to be as useful and flexible as possible. The primary structure is a light but surprisingly stable black aluminium and steel tubular easel with a curved open top they call a mast; this acts as the support but also the handle when you turn it into a trolley.  The easel unfolds from a compact size, easy to fit even on a bike and certainly very comfortable to carry (only just over 4lb 8oz [2kg]) with all your other equipment.

Once unfolded it can be adjusted to take small pads or framed canvases right up to 28in. (71cm) high or even longer. The legs can be moved in to make it higher, or out for maximum stability in windy weather. The angle of the support can be moved from completely horizontal to completely vertical to adjust to any standing or sitting position. 

A very clever elasticated band pulls down to form the bottom rest, and when you are ready to go home it can pull out and down to hold your equipment and, with the wheels accessory, makes a secure trolley to roll your way home. 

There’s an equally useful tray available which locks onto the legs to provide a shelf and they have even thought of cutting out two holes to use for cups of water, or, perhaps a picnic and glass of wine to keep you going! 

High winds could be a problem with something so light – spiked legs have been avoided, presumably because they would make the easel difficult to pack up – so a neat little plastic bag can be provided to stretch between the legs and which you can fill with stones. 

There is a matching three-legged stool available and for the days when you are recording as well as painting, a clever Velbon pan head clamps to the mast for photography. 

All this comes for a very reasonable price, for the easel itself (£79.99) and you can add the extras when and how you wish. It’s been a long time since I saw something so neat and clever and useful. I can see this forming a basic piece of equipment for any painter who travels, whether it’s outside to your garden or on a plane to far away places. Top marks all round. 

Tom Robb, The Artist magazine, November 2000