Jack Richeson French Mistress Wooden Arts & Crafts Storage Box, Modern Style, Brown, 21" L x 17.375" W x 3" H

I use palette knives exclusively. I installed a piece of glass to fit the French Mistress and run my oils around the outside of this palette box, then I have plenty of room for mixing colors. Nicely made, if a bit heavy.

I like the simplicity in this french mistress, greatly expands my palette. I use a french easel at home or for plein air and this can be put safely on the tray. It releases my hands from carrying a large palette, and I can put a glass in it, which is much easier to clean than wood palette. When I go out to classes, I can simply put my brushes and paint tubes in it and carry around, so it's super handy.It bothers me the smaller one comes with a plastic palette while the bigger one I bought does not though, that palette would work really well for watercolor.Why I'm giving a 4 star instead of 5? The quality is a bit shabby for the price. I'm not exactly an expert in woodworks, but I believe such a box is not too complicated to make; yet the one I got looks quite rough and careless-made. The wood around the joints was not well polished, I had to pull out a couple splinters; one of the top halves warps a bit, so they don't close tight.

For the price, I was expecting much higher quality. I paid less for my French Easel than I did for this palette box. From the photos, I thought it included a palette as well, but it is just a hinged box. While it will perform the function I purchased it for, it is very overpriced. I expected something furniture grade, but this has barely been sanded and is very rough.

I love the size of this palette. I like having plenty of room to mix oil paints in the center palette section with enough room so that I don't have my current mixed pile of color pollute other previously-mixed piles. Good price!Also, the hinged top sections fold open on the left and right give me room for -- in my chosen layout -- (1) paper towels, palette knives and scraper on the left, (2) and a host of brushes on the left. Every thing I need is right there!I am afixing a pane of glass (which will be spray painted spray white on the back of the glass) and glued down to the entirety of the center section -- so that I can scrape down my palette with a razor blade held in a rounded handle.

The three stars are not all for the French Mistress but for the vendor, FineArts. The box was bigger than I expected (Yes, I measured) and I asked to return it. I did not mind paying return postage but FineArts charged a hefty restocking fee. I was a little angry and disappointed. I contacted FineArts but the response was dismissive and petty. They are not good business people. I won’t buy from this company again.The French Mistress was well made and frankly impressive. A fine easel that you can close up and take with you. It has that craft quality and good design that people in the arts will appreciate. Buy the French Mistress if you think it is a good fit for you, but, be warned, the vendor FineArts is unfriendly.

I brought it I opened it and inside there's a gap broke and this thing is like 100 dollor such a low quality .

I looked at the measurements in the discriptions and it looked to be a little bit bigger than my current mixing pad. I was hoping for it to be a little bigger to give me more space for mixing colors. On a positive note I was able to order a glass pad for it that, according to its measurement it should fit in the box perfectly. I haven't gotten it yet but if it fits then that will be great.

Very well made of fine hardwood. It's made in Brazil from renewable lumber, they say. We got a piece of plexiglass cut to 16 X 20 X 1/4 inch and it slides right in. It's heavier than plastic pallet cases, but much nicer!