When thanking the Veterans you know, embrace this observation from Army Veteran Charles Province:
It is the Soldier, not the minister, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Walking isn’t as easy as it used to be. I walk shorter distances more slowly than I used to, wearing Crocs instead of these shoes, which I now have listed on eBay.
Until the time change, my friend and I walked in the dark. Sometimes it felt adventuresome, as if we were getting away with something. On the days when her schedule isn’t tight, we still go 4-5 miles, although that’s nothing compared to when we trained together for a 1/2-marathon. Still, we are happy that we can walk and can do so in places without traffic, traffic lights, or sidewalks.
In the predawn lightDuring daylight hoursIn the predawn lightDuring daylight hours
One day recently, Trail Guy and I poked along our street where he pointed out a peculiar sight on our neighbor’s lot.
Not real, mighty peculiar, and completely without an explanation.
I found a small sparkly on the ground, which I ended up securing to the fence of the former day care at the Presbyterian Church.
While admiring the view from the Catholic church, I wondered what the bright red was in the distance. It most likely is a truly spectacularly bright tree. We weren’t so fortunate when we chose our own Chinese Pistache trees, nor when they created volunteers on our lot.
I’ve always admired this barn across the highway, and being November, I also admired some red trees in the distance.
Walking more slowly and going shorter distances does increase one’s awareness of the surroundings. That is a good trait for an artist to cultivate.
P.S. Yeppers, two churches in our neighborhood, neither one “ours”.
SIMPLY HOME
Walnut Orchard, 10×10″, $200
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. It is full.
Last week I did some sketching and designing for a very difficult pencil commission. It is breaking a hard and fast rule that I have set for myself, but I can’t figure out how to say no and still help the customer. It’s too scary to show you right now. . . more will be revealed. . .
Then I painted hard. How hard?
I painted so hard that my brush snapped. That’s a first for me in 18 years of painting.
These two paintings got moved into the house near the wood stove to dry. There’s more to be done on both, but I am spending my week working on my presentation for How To Draw.
IMPORTANT
Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited and there is one more spot.
SIMPLY HOME
Olive Orchard, 10×10″, $200
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
Last week was a rough one for tech. My blog croaked, which led me to realize that my entire website was AWOL. This led to many phone calls, and a large expenditure. Then, when I had things working again, thanks to Rowland, Mario, Eva, and Ken Joe Sam (Really? No, really??), we had a day without internet, cell service, telephone, or teevee. (I didn’t miss that last thing.)
So, I painted, after spending a bit of time in the studio making plans and taking care of administrative tasks. Those necessary parts of an art business are too boring to tell you about.)
Mr. Antisocial Jackson was suddenly interested in everything I was working on.
This painting is either 11×14 or 12×16, but I don’t remember. I am painting it so that if someone needs to take a painting from Simply Home, I will be able to put something in the hole.
Tucker took a break with me.
This lighthouse painting, done mostly plein air, still needed to be finished in the painting workshop. (I draw in my studio and paint in the workshop, because painting can get messy.)
It will look better when it is scanned. This was photographed with my inferior phone camera. And as always, it will look better in person.
Pippin was happy to sit behind me while I painted.
REMINDER: Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited.
SIMPLY HOME
Homer Barn, 12×16″, SOLD
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
These three turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself, which I just did.
Tom-ato’s Last Mater, 6×6″, private collection
Lemons on the Tree, 6×6″, $65, oil on wrapped canvas
Pomegranate on the Tree, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $65
Don’t be scared; these will also turn out well.
Simply Home
Ed’s Herd, 11×14, oil on wrapped canvas, $300 (This is the only painting that comes from outside Tulare County, but since I met Ed in Tulare County, this qualifies.)
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
How To Draw, Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, at CACHE, 125 S. B Street, Exeter. Admission is FREE, but seating is limited, so email me cabinart@cabinartdotnet (do it the real way, not this bizarre spelling designed to thwart spammers).
Most artists paint in their studios. I reserve my studio for drawing and business-ish activities and do my painting in the building next door, a workshop. This is because painting is messier than drawing.
I started with the commissioned piece which is now called Tom-ato’s Last Mater. A man named Tom was known for growing heirloom tomatoes, and this 1-1/2 lb. specimen was the last one he produced before succumbing to a terrible disease. His wife asked me to paint it for her, and I gladly complied.
Next I decided to make a couple of small 6×6″ fruit-on-the-tree paintings for the Mural Gallery, which has reopened in Exeter after a summer of revamping, refurbishing, and redesigning. Things have changed since it opened 20+ years ago. Back then, it was called the “Mural Gallery” because only Exeter’s muralists could show and sell there. Now we are old (and some have died), so it has opened up to other artists in the area. In addition, the artists who show and sell there have been asked to work one shift a month. (I had mine on October 24 last month.)
The shapes and backgrounds went quickly on these, and I saved the details for another day.
After hanging these on the pegboard hooks to dry a bit, I looked out the window at the studio garden and saw these marauders destroying the foliage. Welcome to Three Rivers, where gardening is war.
At least I have something completed and not destroyed to show for an afternoon’s work in the painting workshop. Yes, I signed it and painted the edges red, so it just needs to dry before getting scanned and then shipped to Florida.
SIMPLY HOME
Cabin Dishes, 8×10″, $200 (Yes, oil on wrapped canvas, and yes, there is sales tax.)
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
SOMETHING IMPORTANT: Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited.
How To Draw is the title of my upcoming talk/demonstration at CACHE, Center for Art, Culture, History—Exeter!
So many people have an interest in drawing, but it is often assumed that it is a talent which either you have or you don’t.
Is typing a talent? Is driving a talent?
Nope. All these things can be taught, and they can be learned. Sure, some people will type 25 wpm and others will type 90, because people have different interests and aptitudes. Some people will become bus drivers and others shouldn’t be given licenses, but all are driving.
These tools are helpful, but they won’t teach you the basics of drawing.
Some people have had awful experiences with artists posing as teachers. (I had one of those who told me, using these exact words, “Just because you can draw doesn’t make you an artist.” Well, just because you can use words doesn’t meant you can communicate well either, so there.) I want to help those folks.
Jackson wouldn’t put up with that sort of rudeness from anyone.
Some people are learning to paint but aren’t happy with the results. If you don’t know how to get your shapes correct, don’t know anything about perspective, can’t see proportions, and don’t understand values, of course you won’t be happy with the results. I want to help those people.
On top of all those basics, painting requires learning about color.
Some people just love to learn new skills. I want to help those people too.
This antique store is across Rocky Hill Drive from CACHE, and the late afternoon light is often just perfect on this picturesque store.
Do any of these descriptions fit you? Want to come to How To Draw?
Nope, you won’t be able to draw like this for quite a few years.
THE THING: Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30 How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited.
While at the plein air retreat, one morning I sat at Eric Rhoads’ table. He told us of a science experiment where 2 identical plants were watered with different water: one with tap water and the other with microwaved water (cooled down first). Within a week or two, the microwave-watered plant died. DIED!! For the umpteenth time, I am so glad I don’t own a microwave.
OBVIOUSLY, I learned a ton about plein air painting. But since most of my readers are non-artists, I won’t bore you with those things. . .
. . .except for one thing about painting: I learned that I do much better when painting plein air alone. No one was critical, no one was rushing me, but when it was just me, alone with my own transportation and own schedule, I enjoyed the process more.
I learned that French easels are the cheap-o version of a mobile easel for brand new painters who don’t know diddly-squat about what they need. Occasionally an experienced painter will use one; fortunately I discovered one of those guys to give my easel to instead of seeking a trash can big enough to accommodate the thing.
Apple sells a thing called an AirTag that you attach to stuff that you tend to lose, and then when you have lost the thing, it beeps or something. Maybe it gives you an address where it was last seen. Pretty clever, but I would look funny with it hanging off my reading glasses.
My favorite blog, The Frugal Girl, recently featured me in a Meet a Reader post. The Frugal Girl is the only place besides my own blog where I am active online. Took me a few years to consent to participate in the meet-a-reader, so I had a lot of time to decide what to include and what to omit. It was fun to interact with everyone who commented.
A friend and former neighbor sent me a link to an article about Three Rivers: msn (whatever that is). It seems to have been written by someone who hasn’t been to our town in about 30 years.
Simply Home
Behind Wutchumna, oil on wrapped canvas, 18×36″, $1500
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
ONE MORE THING: Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited.
Because I ran off to Fall Color Week on September 29 – October 6, there was no Learned in September list. After spending an intensive week learning about plein air painting, I couldn’t remember a thing about September. Fortunately, I had already started a list.
September
If you schedule a meeting with someone, perhaps someone at a company to help one choose the best Medicare plan, it is assumed you will be using a cell phone. If you give a landline number because perhaps your cell service is spotty, they will be perplexed as how to help you. It certainly would be helpful if such businesses would say that a cell phone is necessary before one goes to all the trouble to schedule an appointment. (The meeting got cancelled before I learned how the landline would be handled.)
There is a method of healthy* eating called Zoe, a way to learn how to eat for your optimal “gut health, blood sugar, and blood fat”. The website has all sorts of information except it doesn’t tell the price. Nope, you have to “start the quiz” first in order to “choose your plan”. Does that make anyone else nervous? *Who even knows what “healthy” means anymore??
There is too much in the world right now: too many websites, too many opinions, too many podcasts, too many books to read, too much art to see, too many friends to stay current with, too many patterns to knit, too many yarns to try. I cannot keep up, and don’t want to. FOMO is real, but I will NOT cave in to it. (This is not new information, but I feel it strongly right now.)
I read this quote on a site called The Boring Newsletter—Frequently Taxed Questions: “Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to a job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it.” -Ellen Goodman. I don’t know who Ellen Goodman is, but she is right and I am very thankful to be abnormal.
Boring Warning — if you ever need to remove hidden tags on a Word document, there is no way to do them all at once if you have a Mac. Why would anyone need to remove hidden tags? Because Word’s indexing is in combat with Adobe InDesign’s book formatting. They hate each other. They might both hate Mac too. It’s a rough world out there in Puterville.
Mineral King Country, a book by Henry Brown published in 1988, finally landed in my life. I was aware of it but didn’t have a copy. I recently acquired one (thank you, DJ) and read the foreword, preface, and introduction. This book covers Mineral King history between the mining era and the Disney days.
Cerakote cleans foggy car headlights in 3 steps. It is wonderful stuff! Costs about $17 if you are interested. My friend found it at WalMart and I found more on the big A, of course.
A few repeat photos of Mineral King in September
Simply Home
The Best View, oil on wrapped canvas, 10×20″, $450
CACHE Gallery hours are Fridays 1:30-4:00, Saturdays 10:00-4:00, Sundays noon-4:00.
ONE MORE THING: Tuesday, November 12, 6:30-7:30, I will give a demo/talk called How To Draw at CACHE. Contact me if you are interested, because seating is limited.
