My new custom-built Barclay studio easel!!!

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 02:15 PM

I am getting an new custom built easel! I am SO very excited folks, I cannot tell you how much.

While I was out studying with Bill Whitaker, I was fortunate to meet one of his other students, Dan Murri. Dan is a gifted and talented young artist who shares a love for Bill's work and also covets his fabulous equipment - especially his Barclay Studio Easels.

The Barclay is the easel that Norman Rockwell used. It is a full-sized studio easel that uses a crank to move up and down. Here is one of Bill Whitaker's Barclays:

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 02:19 PM

Isn't it a beauty? Well, Dan Murri has a friend, Scott Bingham who is a custom wood worker and a darn good one too. Dan talked to Scott, then to Bill, and Bill to me, and it went from there.

Scott is now building me my very own Barclay based on Bill's with improvements suggested by Bill. Here is Scott himself working on it:

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 02:22 PM

Scott is making it out of Mahogony and all the accents will be of brass. It is sure to be a top quality easel - he is doing mortise and tenon joints with a lighter color wood inlaid to the pegs. The gear is being custom made so the carriage moves smoothly and quickly up and down.

Another picture of his progress:

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 02:27 PM

I have always wanted a top quality studio easel that is like a piece of fine furniture, and one that had some "history", but they have always been too expensive.

Scott's modified easel is quite affordable and the improvements suggested by Bill like replacing the box tray with a shelf and extending the mobility of the carriage downward will make it even better.

Here is a detail shot:

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 02:34 PM

Scott has indicated an interest in building more of these Barclays for other artists and creating a market for them. I want this gentleman craftsman to succeed - his work is really wonderful and the product promises to be the easel of my dreams.

So, I will post more pics of his progress as he sends them to me.

If you are interested in talking to Scott about getting one of his custom Barclays for your studio, then you can contact him at:

[email protected]

I have called him and asked permission to give his phone number here too.

This is gonna be so cool.

Jeff Fuchs · 03-11-2003, 05:37 PM

That's a great project. I have a woodworking shop, though not as nice. I'd build my own easel, but I have nothing to use as a prototype. Still, I might give it a shot some day.

Michael Georges · 03-11-2003, 05:59 PM

You may also contact Scott at:

801-356-9611

Jean Kelly · 03-11-2003, 07:11 PM

Please keep the info coming Michael, my easel is so bad it wobbles when I sneeze. I've come to hate it with a passion.

Jean

William Whitaker · 03-11-2003, 10:10 PM

Michael,

The original Barclay easel was made by the old Friedrichs company in New York. My two Barclay replicas were copied from an original with slight modifications to the base, making it steadier. The design is far better than any serious studio easel produced today with the exception of the Hughes line of easels.

Unlike easels with high center posts, the Barclay works nicely in a room with a normal ceiling height, yet can be extended upwards to hold a mighty large canvas too.

Barclays were built with fast gear ratios. I was fortunate to find a machinist who installed the same gear ratio in mine. You don

William Whitaker · 03-11-2003, 10:19 PM

You artist easel buffs out there,

I