portrait on blue and 'table easel'

Here's my latest 6x8" original gouache painting on Strathmore toned blue mixed media paper, which I told you about in my last blog post. I love it. The blue paper (really a cool gray) certainly helps the lighter colours pop.
Also, here are a few pics of my new paintbox and painting materials. 

I just bought this cute little 12x10" decorative suitcase. It's perfect as a table easel and the lid stays propped open.

 

Here it is, fitting all my supplies perfectly. It's about 3"deep. I've been looking for a table easel and this one is a lot more fun, and practical, than the wooden ones. Most importantly, I can balance it on my lap for painting outdoors. 

I've got a pad of 5x7"paper resting in the 1" deep lid, gouache paint kit, water container, paper towels, brushes and a gray paper palette for mixing. Since the lid is 12x10", it fits an 8x10" pad too. (That's just a piece of foam core board behind the paper). Perfect!