Trailside Studios began with a simple request.

Tom originally set out to build a custom sketchboard for Tara, a lifelong artist and plein air painter who wanted a better way to sketch and paint outdoors. The first version was good, but Tom immediately saw opportunities to make it better.

What followed was months of collaboration, testing, refinement, and redesign. Together, Tom and Tara discussed how the board would actually be used in the field. How it should feel in the hand. How the sketchbook should be supported. How the palette should attach. How the entire experience could become more intuitive and enjoyable.

The version you see today wasn't the first prototype. In fact, there were multiple versions that never made it into the public eye. Each one was field tested during real sketching and painting sessions, allowing small improvements to be made before the next version was built. By the time these boards reached other artists, they had already been through countless hours of use, feedback, and refinement.

At Trailside Studios, we believe that when you're out in the elements, you shouldn't be fighting your equipment. We were tired of bulky field gear, awkward thumb-hole boards, and unstable setups that let palettes shift at the wrong moment. We wanted something that felt invisible while sketching, yet rock-solid when painting.

That's why we created The Anvil, The Nexus, and The Rivet.

Every sketchboard is individually handcrafted by Tom from premium, warp-resistant Baltic birch. We chose Baltic birch because it offers exceptional strength while remaining lightweight enough to slip into a backpack, sketch bag, or even a pocket.

Every detail was thoughtfully considered. Magnets are carefully embedded and concealed within the board, creating a clean, refined appearance without exposed hardware. Components are designed to self-center and snap into place naturally.

Accessories align effortlessly. Palettes stay right where they belong. Every feature serves a purpose. Even the removal process was refined through field testing, resulting in the simple philosophy that guides every Trailside Studios product today: Snap On. Slide Off. 

The result is a sketching system that feels less like a collection of parts and more like a single, thoughtfully crafted tool.

Whether paired with an Art Toolkit palette, a custom-modified Portable Painter, or one of our magnetic accessories, each Trailside Studios system is designed to work seamlessly with your sketchbook, transforming it into a stable, organized workspace that sets up in seconds.

Designed by a maker. Tested by artists. Handcrafted one at a time.

Because your sketchbook should become the studio.