Mesa Verde easel

Here is my finished easel for Mesa Verde. I think it will work, but the proof will be on the mesa top. (click on photo to enlarge)

You can see how it's attached in the back. I just took my tripod the the hardware store and matched up a "t-nut", drilled a hole in a piece of lattice, inserted the nut and glued and nailed the lattice to a piece of luan, which is lighweight and strong. I had a metal banding strap that had a lot of holes already in it, so I screwed that over my t-nut, as it seemed like is would have worked itself out with a lot of use. It's not going anywhere now. I like the fact that I can tilt the canvas to almost any angle using the tripod head.

I then varnished the whole board, to make it waterproof and less likely to warp. I'm going to use big clips to attach my canvas. I think it will work best with canvas paper or board, but any configuration of canvas holder could be used by attaching the t-nut to it.

I added a shelf holder inspired by one for sale for $54. Mine is a lot rougher, but cheaper!