Fancy easels

[Timothy C. Tyler]

I need a better easel for my studio. Several companies make lovely adjustable easels. I won't mention names but from a range over $500.00 there are several. I'd enjoy hearing first hand reports. For example, I own a Juliann French easel and won't buy another for several reasons.

I'm doing more and more large, complex works and moving my present large easel is a lot of work. Personal reviews of these large commercially made studio easels is very helpful.

Thanks,
Tim

[Virgil Elliott]

Tim,

I won a Best (the brand) European (the model) easel in a competition, and I'm pretty happy with it. especially since I put wheels on it. These are imported and sold by Jack Richeson. I've also had an Anco Greenwich for twenty-two years, and haven't appreciated the cranking hardware and clamping hardware wearing out as quickly as it does. I have quite a few easels, but the Best European suits me better than the others.

[Tom Edgerton]

Tim--

I've got a Best Santa Fe I, a nice sturdy well-made thing which shows a lot of craftsmanship. The weak link, however, is the screw bolt that tightens the lower platform on which the painting rests. It is the devil to loosen and move, and then re-tighten. You never know when it's tight or not, and it requires a lot of fiddling to make sure. A couple of times I've thought it was tight only to hear the painting crash down in the middle of the night. Reason enough not to buy another one. The Santa Fe II has a winch mechanism which might eliminate this problem, but I have no experience with it.

When I move into my studio later this year, I'm getting a Hughes--**** the cost. I've seen a couple of them up close, and they are seductively elegant and sublimely easy to maneuver. A better mousetrap.

Best--TE

[Linda Nelson]

I have a Santa Fe II and the winch works great. the only "complaint" would be size restriction with the easel - I am working on a painting that is 84" tall - I can rest the canvas on the base shelf area but it's still to tall to use the upper clamps - in fact I had to remove them since the were pressing on the inside of the canvas. To give the canvas something to rest on, I had to tape foam core across the top of the two vertical guides. I think this easel is great for canvases up to 6' or so.

At Peggy Baumgartner's workshop last year she gave a tour of her studio - she has the most jaw dropping exquisite easel I've seen - with a counter weight system that is incredible. I forget the brand, but if you don't mind spending more, I'd give her a buzz

Linda

[Tom Edgerton]

Linda--
Peg's got a Hughes, I believe. They ARE incredible.
--TE

[Linda Brandon]

While we're on the subject, I would love to hear from somebody who has a Soltek field easel. I will trade my Open Box M for a Soltek (yes, I know this is not the right place to post this).

One of the local art stores advertised the Soltek as being "bulletproof". Interesting marketing angle.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

I asked my wife and she said I can't have a winch in my studio..."artists of the caribean"?

I have been drooling over the Sante Fe 4-I can't see why anyone would buy the Santa Fe 2 which is more $. I also can'tell what is different about the two.

[Linda Nelson]

Other than where the aluminum canister is located, and that the white shelf is made of removable tiles and not a Melamine surface, I don't see any difference. It certainly looks like it's the same as the II for all the things that really count. Cheaper is definitely better...