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When shopping for a good easel, it is important to understand the different types of easel designs and what you will be using the easel for.

One type of easel is the classic tripod, based on three legs. Some have crossbars to add stability, and you can also adjust the height of the working plane without adjusting the stability of the easel. The second type is the H-frame design, which are based on the right angle. The main portion of the easel is rectangular, and most pieces are parallel to each other. With the crossbars and the parallel bars, the easel bears the shape of an “H”.

And what will you be using it for? Well, studio easels are designed to be in an artist’s studio, and nowhere else. Generally not portable, they can be small or large, but are built with the idea of usability by the artist. Field easels are meant to be portable, so they are generally collapsible or telescopic, and are usually based on the tripod design. Display easels are intended for an artist’s finished work. They are simple, to draw the eye to the piece of art it upholds, and stability is not as crucial a factor, as they are not designed for works in progress.

Think about these things the next time you are in need of an easel. Making a smart choice based on your needs can make a big difference in the quality of your work and its display.

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what do they have in common? The world of music lost the most dynamic and dominant electric guitar player ever. Jimi Hendrix never did anything with a guitar in a conventional way. When he literally exploded on the scene, the world was taken by surprise and did not know what hit it for a while. This man who made sounds and did unthinkable things to his guitars died of what is most likely a drug and alcohol overdose. It was September 18th, 1970.

This man, with so much raw emotion and pure unadulterated instinct for the playing the guitar caused an immediate change in my life. Here is a true story. I had been taking classical guitar lessons for 4 years the first time I heard  heard Jimi Hendrix on the radio. WHFS Radio, Rockville Maryland. WHFS, at least in our area played the first live English BBC Radio recording of Jimi Hendrix and The Band of Gypsies performing “Hey Joe” and “Purple Haze”.

That was the last time I played a classical guitar. I still have my 1954 Gibson classical guitar too, and I looked at it a few years ago, yup, it was still in the case! You can call me narrow minded, I don’t mind at all. Why? I’ll never get over Hendrix, his music comprises 90% of what I listen to, thirty eight years after his passing. His music is also 90% of what I choose to play on my electric guitar. I even have a right handed Fender Stratocaster with a reverse headstock. It is setup just like Jimi’s electric guitars were. At least from what we know about them.

To be brief, it ruined my world at the time. I still miss him everyday, at least in terms of what the future would bring us and Jimi. Either way, we were gifted to have had Jimi Hendrix with us for the time he was here. Rest In Peace Jimi. “I’ll meat you in the next world, and won’t be late.” From “Voodoochild (slight Return)” by Jimi Hendrix.

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