Growing Some Grapes

A dear friend bought some little fruit paintings for her dining room a couple of years ago.

She decided that another painting would look good on the other side of the window. I agreed.

We discussed the options, and she thought grapes would be good there. I told her that grapes are crazy hard, so we discussed another option, maybe a collage, but the design process made grapes sound pretty good. She and I have been friends since about 5th grade, and I am willing to do crazy hard for her. Crazy hard in painting beats crazy hard in design right now. . . don’t know why, but that’s the way it is.

The pink line is just a weird thing that my computer does some times – it is not part of the painting.

 

Remember to contact me if you bought a 2019 calendar in person – if you bought it through the website, I have your info already.

Building a Store

As we last saw it.

Until I began this painting, I never noticed that the sign above the door is not centered.

Now there are chairs on the porch and geraniums in the window boxes.

And now, it is finished! Next, I’ll sign it, paint the edges, wait for it to dry, scan or photograph it, varnish it, wait for it to dry again, and then mail it.

Two Gas Pumps

“Two Pencil and Colored Pencil Drawings of One Old Gas Pump” is too long of a title for a blog post, but it is more accurate than “Two Gas Pumps”.

Let’s review:

Two sketches
Drawing #1 of the Silver City gas pump under way.
Drawing #2 under way.

Now, new pictures for you.

Pump drawing #1 before color added.
Pump #1 with color added.
Gas Pump #2 before color added.
Gas Pump #2 with color added.

I can do a tiny bit better. #1 needs more separation between the closer and the more distant trees. Pump #2 needs to be a bit smoother. Both could be a bit brighter in the color department.

A bit more distinction to push the farther trees back.
A smoother surface on the pump.

Phew. I’m outta gas. . .

On the Table and the Easels

In progress on my drawing table and on the easels:

This is a little tedious to draw because all the background foliage is just organized scribbling with lots of layers. I’ve been listening to things on the internet to keep myself from falling asleep.
There’s a story here. . . I’ll tell you later when I figure out the ending.
Oil paintings of 4×6″ pomegranate and 6×18″ Sequoia Gigantea/Redwood/Big Tree are now begun. What a mess, but each layer will bring improvement and renewed confidence in my skill. (I don’t paint well when it is hot out, and it was when I began these.)
Ever draw a gas pump? (Ever use one??) After the customer approves the pencil (graphite) part, I’ll spray fix it and then use some red colored pencils. The proportions were wrong – was I sleep-drawing? No worries – I corrected things and the finished product will be fine.
And on the chair behind me were these little hooligans, resting from their shenanigans.

Turned on the Swamp Cooler

What sort of stupid-sounding blog post title is that?

An honest one. I paint better when I am not overheated, and in spite of the calendar having turned to autumn, the swamp cooler in the painting workshop is still in use. I painted better this session than the last one because I was more comfortable.

Yuck, it is hot in here.
Much better, thanks, and yourself?

Several of these still need a signature. That is easier when the paint is dry.

 

In Progress, Pencil and Oil

It was still hot last week. I painted awhile in the workshop but didn’t turn on the swamp cooler. Probably should have. Painted slowly, quit early.

Layering the background.
More layers on the store and foreground.
The camellia is coming along nicely, and when this layer is dry, I’ll add the tiny details.

The lemons might be finished.

I retreated to the studio and turned on the air conditioner. While listening to interviews with the very smart and entertaining Mike Rowe, I began this pencil commission.

I love to draw.

Drawing #1 of the Silver City gas pump is now under way.

Pencil Drawing Commissions

My commissioning customer/old family friend told me in our correspondence that she was interested in a pencil drawing of the gas pump at the Silver City Store. If you have seen it, you might understand. If you haven’t, you might consider this peculiar.

What I consider peculiar is that earlier this summer, while delivering some more oil paintings to this popular place near Mineral King, I was struck by a particular view and angle of the gas pump; I took some photos without having any idea that Ms. Customer would make such a request.

We discussed these photos. I referred to the peak in the distance as Hengst Peak; she told me she grew up calling it Mosquito Peak because it is above Mosquito Lakes. I thought it was over Mineral Lakes, but there is already a Mineral Peak in Mineral King (well, duh). It is the one that looks like Sawtooth’s shadow, but I digress. And I defer to her greater history in Silver City, so for purposes of this discussion, it will be Mosquito Peak. Not that we are talking about the peak–we are talking about the gas pump.

Sorry.

But then she requested a photo showing the road too, so on my next trip up the hill, I took these photos.

More discussion ensued. More clarification. This is normal. . . these things take time to figure out on my end and to decide on the customer’s end.

Finally, it was time to do some little sketches to be sure that I am understanding her wishes.

Good thing she knows that I know how to draw. We’ll see if I caught her vision for the gas pump in pencil. Stay tuned, for as you know, more will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Just heard from Ms. Customer: “Yay! Keep going!”

Another Oil Commission Begun

A friend of Trail Guy’s family has been in touch with me via email, and we have been enjoying our correspondence. She recently decided to commission me for an oil painting and 2 pencil drawings, all related to the Silver City Store*. After a great deal of communicating, sending photos, clarifying, and just discussing things, it was time to begin.

First, the oil painting. The oldest photo we could find was from 1985. It is later than her time there, but certainly closer in appearance than how it looks today.

Good thing that she knows I can paint, because the beginning always looks very rough. This will take many layers because of the vast amount of detail.

*The Silver City Store is 4 miles below the Mineral King valley. People stay in nice chalets, smaller store cabins, or in private cabins, and they stop there for burgers, pie and (we hope) for oil paintings.

New Beginning

Isn’t that title redundant? Probably. Every time I begin, it is on a new project.

A thoughtful mom bought a painting of an iris for her daughter named Iris.

She has another daughter named Camille and requested a camellia for her. Luckily, I have a good photo of a camellia in bloom, remembered the month it blooms, and only had to look through the February photos of 10 years to find it. Maybe it is even more lucky that Customer Mom liked the color and lighting and angle!

This will dry and then I’ll be able to detail it, my favorite part.

Birthday Drawing

Someone very dear and important to me recently had a birthday. Awhile ago, she sent me a photo of her cat and said she wanted to commission me to draw it. Or maybe she said to paint it. I forget – it has been awhile.

With her birthday coming (do they ever stop coming, faster and faster and even faster??), it seemed like a good idea to draw it for her. I could have painted it, but as you know, I love to draw. Besides, I know she loves drawings, so that was my choice for her cat.

She rescued this guy, perhaps from the middle of a road in the middle of the night. I forget. There have been many. Mr. Mittens is a huge cat with some sort of eating disorder, not uncommon in strays. He also is a polydactyl, which means he has giant multi-toed paws. He also looks like a very large version of my skinny old Perkins. Sigh.

We do love our cats.