Tools of the Trade II

Lately several people have expressed interest in the taboret I use in my studio. So it seemed like a good time to embark on Part II of my "Tools of the Trade" posts, and divulge the details. I have to confess that the taboret design is not entirely of my own creation. Connie Winters put me on to the idea, and she had seen it used by Alice Williams.

The basic concept starts

with a drawer. I had a leftover drawer from a cabinet project, and it was perfect. The next step is to create a hinged top or lid for the drawer. Be sure that the lid projects out over the edge of the drawer, so you have a good place to grab when you want to lift it open. My husband engineered the lid using piano hinges. I asked him to split the lid into two pieces, so I could leave some tools on one side when I opened the other side. I attached a piece of plexiglass to the lid, which serves as my mixing palette. I also included a raised ledge along the back of the lid, to keep things from falling or rolling off.

The beauty of this setup is the storage in the drawer, which you can access very handily during the painting process. Just lift the lid, and voila! there are your paint tubes, extra palette knives, medium, etc. All right in sight and right at hand.

My husband also built the moveable stand that the drawer rests in. It's just the right height for me, and as an added feature, it's on wheels. So I can roll it around the studio wherever I want to stand to paint. So there you have it---my specs for the perfect taboret!

In case you missed my first "Tools of the Trade" post about the still life stand, you can read it here. Stay tuned for more trade secrets to come....