Scattered along the image of The Fox Chase are the tools of the artists who stayed with Miss Florence. Easels, canvases, painting umbrellas, folding stools, paint boxes, palettes, and brushes are the trappings of the artist intent on working en plein air, or in the open air. Many of these tools have been around for centuries and have been used by artists in their studios whereas others, like the squeezable paint tube and collapsible easel, were relatively new, either invented or redesigned for this new outdoor purpose. 

“In the main, however, the pictures are those recently painted in Old Lyme itself and in its vicinity, and the similarity of the subjects gives an opportunity to note the interesting divergence of methods and temperaments.”

~ Unidentified Writer in The New York Times, 1906

Although art is an individual expression, the tools and techniques of the artists tend to be somewhat consistent. The history of art is both a history of ideas and images as well as of the materials available to the artist (from cave walls to the latest digital media). The selection of artists’ tools below is based on the most common of materials used by the Lyme Art Colony artists as well as those that are depicted in The Fox Chase.

“I started out to Christen my new [sun] umbrella. No sun today so I came home. Cleared up & I went down on the bridge & took a sketch.”

~ Artist Willard Metcalf in his diary, 1876

To learn more about a specific tool click below: