Efficient equipment, tool or "stuff" management is always an issue with creativity. With the Art Comber, I always have a portable art studio at my beck. I draw everyday, but attend paint-ins/outs a minimum of least once a month. It is one thing to simply draw with a pad and pencil; it is another to be able to get out of my vehicle or attend a workshop with a self-contained studio intact and, almost instantly, sit down and let colors fly and create. The seat is quite comfy, much more than a campstool. The average indoor dining chair seat measures 17"; the Comber measures 14 1/2" and the height is quite close to a regular chair, too. I've taken the Comber through a variety of terrain -- roadside, parks, reserves, beach, arboretum, poolside, barns, and other artists' homes. The relatively light weight is important since you are pulling and lugging around a lot of stuff.

My cart (approx. 21" x 8.5") holds: 1 digital camera (strapped on), 1 14"x18" cushioned lap desk w/metal clip-fastener, 1 sketch pad/book, 1 14"x20" watercolor-paper block pad, 1 ceramic/metal mixing pan (15 1/2"x 11 1/4"), plastic or paper trash bags, 1 12.5" x 9" clipboard, 2 collapsible canvass paint tube caddies, 2 brush caddies, 1 portable easel (use depends on style of painting), 1 tri-leg 23" x 3" camp stool (for an extra flat surfaced mini-table, if necessary), scissors, tape, water spray bottles, 4-6 stackable water containers w/closeable lids, Kleenex, jar or plastic bottle, bottle of water, sandwich, bug spray. I use portable caddies and Ziplocs to handle much of the stuff (erasers, glue tubes, sponges, frisket, rulers, water bottles, etc.). One improvement would be to add side pockets and a few compartments, so unpacking for the colorful spontaneous event would be even simpler. Until then, I am very pleased with the Art Comber and the caddy also serves as tidy storage when I am not painting.

-- Carol Watson

Art Comber
$50
Available from Jerry's Artarama

Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:

Cintiq

Art & Fear

Tiny Showcase