I love this easel. It stands up and lays flat. The only drawback is that the assembly instructions could be clearer.

Given the amount of time and money that I have invested in art supplies during the past two months, one might think that I knew what I was doing and had made my selection of the Jack Richeson Academy Wood Lobo Easel because of prior experience and knowledge. In fact, quite the contrary, there was an easel of uncertain age, (probably 100 yrs. or more ), which belonged to my mother in my home which I used for a couple of weeks before diciding that if I was going to justify a comment I made to my dughter who is becoming known locally for her work and is selling pieces on a fairly regular basis,I had better learn how to do more than just support her talent by consructive and affectionate criticism. The Jack Richeson easel has made my attempts at getting my foot back out of my mouth seem possible. It's versitality and ease of use leave little to be desired by a beginner. The assembly directions could, I think be improved somewhat, but after I got past my dughter's snickering, I got it together easily. I don't know if the easel was responsible for it but, I have been asked to allow the first painting that I completed on it to be displayed at our local library along with those of several artists from the area.

I'm very pleased with this easel. Solid and stable, attractive (better than the photo, more of a reddish stain and not as shiny,) and very functional. It took me about 1-2 hours to assemble alone which was actually a little less than I expected. It is easy to adjust, and converts to the horizontal mode much easier than I thought and while, good for watercolor work yes, will work as well for gessoing canvas and varnishing/clear coating finished oil or acrylic paintings. What the description doesn't tell you is that it also folds flat for storage (under a bed or in a closet) and/or easier moving. The storage shelf is a definite bonus and a nice feature to have. I did have to pick up two 1 1/4 inch screws (less than $2 for four brass wood screws) to replace two 1 inch screws that weren't long enough for behind the mast assembly (the bottom 2. If you do this, be sure not to use 1 1/2 inch screws as they might be too long per the directions.) I also had to omit using a rubber washer on the adjustable tray as with it, the tray would not stay in place when raised or lowered. It works fine without it. Overall, it is a great easel for the money if you aren't planning works on a scale larger than the maximum 44" canvas height, would like a little multi-functionality, and/or have even minor space issues in your work area.

I am very pleased with my easel. The directions were easy to follow which made it easy to construct. The easel is very functional and sturdy, plus I like the wood finish.

I just want to say that I am very happy with this easel. It has a beautiful woodgrain to it, maybe birch, and is well made. It took about 2 hours to put together and once you have, you'll find that you are a proud owner of a very very nice easel. Go for it! You won't regret it. Save yourself some money and get quality at the same time.

This is a lovely easel, and a great deal. We put it together in maybe an hour and a half, and it's beautiful. I love the rubber grips on the canvas shelf, which elevate the canvas just enough to make it a lot easier to paint the bottom edge. My only complaint is that the shelf is not terribly convienent for storing things handily, since you have to bend down quite a bit and around the side. But since I use it for storing things I don't need every few minutes, it's just peachy! Adjusts very well.