My new plein air wet panel box arrived on Saturday. I have a painting trip coming up and I am excited to use it. I looked around everywhere for a good wet box and found this one that is hand crafted by Alla Prima Pochade. Ben Haggett, a painter and superb craftsman living in Montana, makes all of his products to order. He offers several different models of plein air pochade boxes as well as the wet panel carrier that I purchased.
When I opened it up I was immediately impressed with the tight craftsmanship and the well thought out design. It is elegant in it's simplicity and the ingenious design of the removable dividers is impressive. The box will accommodate up to eight 9"x12" or 10"x12" 1/8" thick panels or other combinations of 8"x10" or 6"x8" panels by using the included divider strips.
They are attached using small but powerful magnetic buttons. I was initially a bit skeptical, but the magnetic strips are solidly attached and do not move without deliberate intent. I'm looking forward to filling this box up with wet paintings and will be saving up my money to buy one of Ben's painting boxes with all the bells and whistles. Anyone looking for a great little wet box that I expect will last a lifetime, should check it out.
