Art Travel Kit
My essentials for collaging on the road
Happy Collage Friday!
Today I had to pack my collage supplies rather than play with them. An unexpected trip means my studio needs to go on the road - so… here are my favorite traveling art supplies (for collage and drawing).
You can also scroll to the end for an update on my latest larger collage featured in last week’s post, “Lessons Learned, Learning”.
Art Travel “Kit”
I usually take portions of this set with me when I travel, but with deadlines for different projects looming, I decided to prepare for some serious art-making on the road, focusing on mini collages and little 5x5 drawings. As long as I can fit my supplies into a medium tote bag and I have room in my carry-on, I’m happy.
Sewing/Collage Kit
First up is my favorite little oblong tin (lower right) filled with miscellaneous sewing supplies. (I usually keep my awl in this container, but I didn’t want to take it through security.)
container of buttons (and safety pins, for some reason)
various embroidery threads
sewing threads
folding scissors
tiny tin of needles and pins
gluestick
colorful random fibers
Scrap papers/Collage materials
In the large baggie (lower left), I have various papers for collage, stamps, lace, fabric, and even a little vintage book with handwritten notes. I have a piece of cardboard the size of the bag on the bottom to keep everything fairly flat.
Painting Supplies
I’ve been incorporating more watercolor in my work, and have a small baggie (bottom middle) with…
three of my favorite paint brushes
a little cloth
and a small metal painting palette (which is really just the lid to a lunch container) wrapped in a paper towel
I’m trying to get used to pan watercolors, but I keep finding myself consistently drawn toward the tubed variety (probably due to my years working in oils and acrylics). As such, showing the top left…
my favorite glass jar (with lid), which is a great travel size for brush water (I collect the Medaglia D’oro Instant Espresso Jars - the perfect size for a collector of small random things).
inside the jar are various tubes of Daniel Smith Watercolors - having started my art journey in Seattle at the University of Washington, I have a strong preference for paints made there locally (as well as here in Oregon).
Drawing Supplies
I admit, I’m kind of putting everything but the kitchen sink into my selection of drawing supplies. I could easily get by with 1/5 of what I’m showing here, but when I’m in a rush, I don’t feel like sorting through them all and just grab the tins and bag as-is.
Top left - Faber Castell Pencil Set
Top middle - Carand’ache Neocolor I Pastel Set (if I had the Aquarelle version II set, I would probably bring those too!)
Top right - a pencil bag full of random colored pencils, ink pens, ball point pens, mechanical pencils, shading tools, and bone tool.
Middle left - a pencil sharpener (I would usually take my smaller heavy-duty brass sharpener, but I can’t seem to find it.)
Substrates
Also buried in the mix are…
various vintage postcards
watercolor papers cut to 4x4, 5x5, and 4x6 sizes
Journal
And lastly, my studio journal (middle right) - which is basically an old planner that I’ve repurposed as an idea playground in my studio.
Now to pack up my current knitting project in process (my favorite air travel activity).
But before I do - here’s a few more Collage O posts to check out…
Update on Vintage Materials Collage X Botanical Drawings
I’m excited that I finished the collaged botanical piece I mentioned in my previous post...
If you want to see how it turned out, be sure to watch for my next An Artist's Notes post this Sunday!
About the Art
Origins of the collage “La Facade in Green” (pictured at top)
Collage Friday History
For 2026, I’m continuing to highlight some past favorite Collage O posts for those of you who may be new to the circle. This week, I’m sharing the beginning of my botanical 100-day drawing project, which started out using collage as a base for my designs. I eventually abandoned that step, but I still like how these little pieces turned out and appreciate how they influenced my latest larger work in “Lessons Learned, Learning”.
These little botanicals also taught me which art supplies I like to use when I travel - hence this post featuring my upcoming travel supplies. And happily, they all fit in this nice little tote - if only I were traveling to Amsterdam! (The cute bag was a gift from a friend - thank you!)
Did I miss any necessary items? Do you have travel supply favorites? Please let me know in the comments!
Happy Friday and happy collaging wherever you may find yourself,
~ Jennifer