colored pencil box

last week i bought enough prismacolor pencils so that i'd have a set that could stay in my daypack. no more hurriedly choosing pencils from the ones spread all over the table; these would be ready to go at a moment's notice. but i needed a box for them, one that fit almost perfectly so the pencils don't bang around when i'm out walking...


i decided to cut up an old box and make one that was the exact size i wanted. i reinforced it with masking tape, then i glued a painting to the top and put packing tape over it to protect it further. the lid is snug enough so that it stays on by itself.


everything i need... a mechanical pencil, my favorite colors (alright well most of my favorite colors), a small bit of eraser, and a piece of muslin for smoothing/cleaning off sticks, stones, etc. i'm using the new pencils that i just got at home, and i put my old ones in the box - i can fit more in that way.

i love this box!! i carry around for the slightest reason! it's my art kit for the woods...

and if you're wondering why i didn't just buy a set of 24 (which comes with a nifty tin), it's because i wanted to choose the colors i like best...


i also got a pencil sharpener for my pack... this is the best 'self contained' and portable sharpener i've found. it's not the greatest design because the shavings get caught between the sharpener and the side of the canister, but it does do a great job of putting long, sharp points on colored pencils. i just shake the shavings down to the bottom often... dick blick sells them here.

left on mt. shasta last week...

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“I am an artist. It’s self-evident that what that word implies is looking for something all the time without ever finding it in full. It is the opposite of saying, ‘I know all about it. I’ve already found it.’ As far as I’m concerned, the word means, ‘I am looking. I am hunting for it, I am deeply involved.’”

~Vincent van Gogh, via tumblr

XO