Closing in on it!
Mineral King Bridge Painting, 3rd Layer
Branches and leaves on the cottonwoods, a pine in the right foreground, and some branches added to the red firs back by the cabins.
Sounds like a lesson in native trees of Mineral King. Might be, if I knew what sort of pine that is. Bet it isn’t a pine but is another red fir.
There is more to be done. There is always more to be done.
Sounds like a life lesson.
(Hey Mr. Google, this post is about a Mineral King oil painting, a commissioned oil painting, and I am a California Artist. Just sayin’.)
Mineral King Bridge Painting, 2nd Layer
Getting better all the time (wasn’t that a song by Chicago?)! Certainly isn’t a Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Long Way There is certainly correct for the road, and Long and Winding Road is even better. Wait – it was called Getting Stronger Every Day by Chicago!!
Clearly I digress. This is about visual art, not auditory art. Here, have a look at the painting after round 2:
It will take at least one more layer to get the colors, textures and shapes right, and then I can start the leaves on the cottonwoods. (Those are the trees on the left).
Mineral King Bridge In Paint
We all know that procrastination is not a virtue. However, I’d like to present a few benefits to procrastination:
1. Sometimes the problem fixes itself.
2. Sometimes new knowledge or skill is acquired so the difficulty diminishes.
3. Sometimes the problem becomes a moot point.
4. Sometimes someone else takes care of it.
I’ve been contemplating an oil painting of the Mineral King bridge for several weeks. In the meantime, I’ve made progress on my Huge (yet unrevealed) Project, finished a pencil commission, assembled a new spinning card rack, finished some other pencil drawings, prepared for the upcoming student art show, decided on and ordered covers for my display screens, completed the application for the next Studio Tour, and many other things that might bore you right off this page.
Finally, I’ve run out of excuses. The real reason for procrastination in this case is a little embarrassing: when I’ve gone several weeks without painting, I get a little fearful that I won’t be able to remember how to paint.
Then, when I begin a new painting, my fears appear to be confirmed. Sigh.
p.s. Don’t worry, CL, it WILL get better. They always do!
First Home
If you have been a home owner, you probably will never forget the first place on which you paid a mortgage.
Our first home was built in 1913 and we were only the 3rd owners. I loved that little house too much – it just wasn’t natural to have that much affection for an inanimate object. Even now, almost 13 years since selling it and moving on, I can still recall the sound of each door as it closed.
Most folks’ first homes are small and simple. They usually need work, they usually need paint somewhere, they almost always have lawns, and they seldom have garages. Can you relate?
This is someone’s first home. I don’t know him, but I know his Dad. His dad is a very thoughtful man who knows that his children’s homes are special. He has commissioned me to draw several of these modest and well-loved structures.
These are simple drawings EXCEPT the photos rarely contain enough information, have cars and people blocking views, and require some guesswork on my part. The challenge is to make them as technically perfect as possible so that what they lack in detail is made up for with precision.
Oh, and Mr. Google? This is a California home drawn by a California artist – me.
A Cabin Commission
Cabinart – making art of cabins, using pencil. That is my roots. Now that I oil paint, when a commission drawing for a cabin comes along, I am thrilled. Thrilled, I say!
The defining characteristic of this cabin is the group of massive trees in the front yard. The truth is that I sort of wanted to draw it in a vertical format, focusing on the trees with just a hint of the cabin peeking through. That’s not why people want their cabins drawn, so I provided several sketches and this was the winner. I’m happy when my customers are happy!
Why I Make Art, #5
This is a painting of poppies on an antique window. (Thank you for asking, Carol!) You can read about it here:
Reason #5: I make art because it beautifies spaces.
Real life is messy. Artists get to clean it up in 2 ways. We can draw and paint in a manner that eliminates the cruddy stuff in the view. We also get to cover bare or ugly walls with beautiful things. That is a satisfying motivation!
Think about how the town of Exeter would look without its murals. Buildings would be empty, bare walls would contain graffiti, there wouldn’t be nearly as many good places to eat or shop, and it would be easy to find a parking place. (not that there would be a reason to park. . .)
Think about your home without anything hanging on the walls. It would echo, and it wouldn’t have much personality.
Almost makes you want to paint, doesn’t it?
Why I Make Art, #3
Reason #3: I make art because it is my job. (Duh, hunh?)
Some people make art because they feel like it or because they can; I make art because if I don’t, there is nothing to sell.
Being an artist is a great way to earn a living, even if it is not always easy, fun or highly profitable. My friends have heard me say more than once, “I’d rather draw an ugly house than wait tables.”
In his nonfiction book “On Writing”, Stephen King wrote, “Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around.”
If you are thinking “what a sell-out” or “how commercial”, comfort yourself with the fact that this isn’t my main reason. Even when I had a real job, I made art. That was because of Reason #2 – I feel compelled to make art.
Let Us Spray
This is what drawing student Gerald said to me when he finished his drawing. “Spray?”, you are asking, even as you read this. (Yes, I can hear you.)
Spray fixative is one method of preventing the finished drawing from smearing. Framing is another; workable fixative is a third. I’ve been told it adds “tooth” (that means texture in Artspeak) to the paper. It didn’t, but that’s another story for another time.
Early in my art career, drawing people’s cabins and houses was my main activity. One time, I finished a commissioned drawing of a lovely old home, grabbed my trusty can of spray fixative left over from some college art class and proceeded to ruin the drawing. It left little waxy spots all over the paper. They scratched off with my fingernail, and I learned a Big Fat Lesson: do a test spray on something else first.
Because of that unfortunate incident, I went off spray. Completely, cold turkey, no tapering down, no patch, just Q U I T. Go ahead and call me a quitter – I can take it. (I’m a loser too, in the true sense of the word. But I digress.)
A few years later I met a pencil artist who charged huge amounts of money for her drawings, used a wide range of pencils, and sprayed with Blair No Odor Fixative. I began using a wider range of pencils (see The Rules for further explanation) and the fixative. My prices stayed the same.
“No odor” was a lie – it stunk. I think the manufacturer meant “this smells like you can get high but don’t waste your time”, but “no odor” took up less space on the label. After several years of learning to depend on this marvelous stuff that prevented my drawings from smearing despite pulling them in and out of various envelopes, folders and picture frames, the magic spray was discontinued.
I hoarded 6 cans, and today I used the last spray from my last can.
There are other brands, other types, maybe even a Blair substitute. Ick, shopping. Add it to The List. Meanwhile, I’ll just be careful with my drawings as I complete them. There will be many. I’m not ready to tell you why just yet.
Let us spray.
