Customer Reviews
My painting buddy Karen recently received her Bitterroot box and we were both thrilled with the beauty of the design and the quality of the execution--literally can't imagine a better pochade box--puts all others in the shade. I placed my own order immediately & can't wait for my pochade to arrive. Thinking seriously about ordering a Belly River just for the fun of it.
-Jack
Thanks, Ben, for the customized Alla Prima pochade box and 8-panel wet painting carrier that arrived today. I've enjoyed my 6x8 Belly River so much I wanted a bigger box and more wet panel carrying capacity, and the solutions you came up with are brilliant. I also appreciated the very speedy turn-around time on my special order. Only two weeks from discussion to shipping! It's nice to have such well-crafted equipment, but it's even nicer when it has been tweaked to exactly meet my requirements.
-Rob
As a new painter, I'm finding the pochade has really helped me develop. It encourages me to paint small panels, instead of being overly ambitious and having a canvas on my easel for weeks or months. I find I can learn more by painting a few smaller panels a week than painting one larger canvas over the course of a month or two. The Bitterroot is easy to set up, easy to pack up, so now I can paint whenever the spirit moves me.
I'm looking forward to taking it out into the snow this winter and then with me on a trip to Europe this spring. I'd also explain that for me this pochade settled the perennial debate of pochades vs. French easels. Your designs have the nice features that first drew me to a French easel -- the all-in-one nature, easy access to supplies, generous working area -- without all of the weight and, sad to say, the poor workmanship that goes into so many French easels today. After I realized that I don't need to paint large canvases en plein air -- I don't really have the time (I have a young son) or the need (I don't see myself as the second coming of Emile Gruppe) -- then it became clear that one of your pochades was the one for me. I've shown the box to a couple of friends. My art buddy loved it, saying it was about the coolest thing since paint. A friend who is a woodworker loved the design and craftsmanship.
-Mark
Got my customized Bitterroot and couldn't be more thrilled with it--it rocks, Ben, and makes plein air painting a true joy. I got one for my pal Frank and he told me on receiving it he just couldn't quit playing with it like a new toy. These things have personality, it's a real comfort just having the thing there in the backpack. I'm recommending them to all my students and painting buddies without exception.
-Jack
Hi Ben,
Well, I took the box yesterday to my workshop and showed it to my students. THEY ALL LOVED IT! I am hoping you will get more orders. Everybody loved the build of it and especially the magnets! Hoping to use it this weekend while I paint some models in a Rose Garden.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know. I will post a link on my blog for people to find you..
Happy Painting!
Gladys
(Note from Ben--Glady's website is worth checking out!)