9 Steps on a Custom Painting, Chapter 5

That’s a title change from the story of a large and important commissioned oil painting, but the saga continues as I build up the layers of paint and try to figure out how to make this worthy of “large and important” as a description..

Here are some thoughts and explanations as I bumble along. (The numbers don’t correspond to the photos.)

  1. The first photo has bright morning sunlight at the bottom; I wish I knew how to duplicate this sort of contrast with paint.
  2. As always, I started with the farthest items first – sky, then distant peaks, foothills next, citrus grove, etc.
  3. The mountains are from a photo I took north of Ivanhoe, which isn’t too much different from the view seen from this place between Lemon Cove and Woodlake.
  4. I moved the barn higher, which might have been a poor decision. The light and shadow on the roofs of the barn look pretty good.
  5. I have some confusion as to how to arrange the trees, because I am working from photos of differing viewpoints plus envisioning whatever makes sense from my previous experiences painting citrus groves.
  6. When I took the photos, there was a wildfire putting a dull haze of smoke over the colors. I am exaggerating the brightness because it makes for a more pleasing painting.

Now it needs to dry awhile. Next, I will correct things that are not believable, correct colors, tighten up details, and then wait for more drying so I can add more details, wait for more drying, add even more details. . .

Large Important Oil Painting, Chapter 4

Are you wondering why I asked the library to pay a 1/2 deposit on the commissioned oil painting? I have learned that if a place or person doesn’t pay a deposit, sometimes they disappear. Not often, but it has happened enough that I believe in the importance of a financial commitment on the part of the customer. With a place like the library, someone could change jobs and then the newcomers have no idea what took place. (I didn’t get to year #27 as your Central California artist by making the same mistakes more than once, no twice, wait, . . . never mind.)

I asked the librarian if she wanted to see photos of the painting in progress; she politely declined. I asked if I could show them on my blog; permission was granted.

Upside down forces me to see the proportions and shapes. The first layer is very thin, loose, nay, downright sloppy.

It’s okay. I know what I am doing. (It’s about time, eh?) It has been awhile since I reminded you that:

I use pencils, oil paint, and murals to make art people can understand of places and things they love for prices that won’t scare them.

Large Important Oil Painting, Chpt. 3

This commissioned oil painting is important, because it is for the library, because it is dedicated to the memory of someone loved by her family, and because all my custom art is important.

It will be 18×24″, which is large for me. Not the largest oil I’ve painted, but certainly larger than my usual small works that sell steadily to visitors passing through, larger than most of my commissions (remember, we are poor in Tulare County), and large enough to put in the many details that the customers are requesting.

In order to be sure that I understood what the librarians wanted (and I am guessing they showed the family who donated the money for the painting), I had to do a sketch. I also had to do the sketch in order to see if I could fake all these details into something believable. Believability is what I aim for, because real life is messy and there are rarely photos that tell what we remember, or what we wish was there.

THEY LIKED IT!

I had quoted them prices for their requested 24×36″, but they chose 18×24″. I told them the price for this size, they requested an invoice so they could send me a check for half, and instead of waiting for the check, I ordered the canvas and started painting.

Next week Chapter 4: the beginnings on the canvas.

Large Important Oil Painting, Chpt. 2

You were left with a cliff hanger yesterday, probably wondering how you would be able to sleep last night.

When I asked the librarian what was meant by “incorporating books”, she showed me this commissioned oil painting from my blog last year, scenery with backpacks, and said to put books in, the same way I put backpacks in this painting. Here is that painting in progress, and you can read the final posting on the job here. Completed Commission

It felt like a daunting request, so I drove to the property, went up the driveway as if I had been invited, and took some photos, one overheated morning, when the light was all wrong.

The stone wall held promise. I could stack some books there.

(Remember Reading Rabbit? I used to post about books I had read. Why did I stop? Too many other topics, and besides, if people didn’t like the books I liked, they might quit reading my blog, saying I had gotten too political or too religious or some other sort of terrible offense. Can’t have that now, can we?)

This is going to take some thought. Next, I will show you the sketch that I did to show the librarians. Sketches are vitally important when doing custom art, because most people aren’t able to visualize.

Next chapter – the sketch.

Large Important Oil Commission

This will be a long story, told in multiple chapters. 

Because I have been an artist for a long time in the same county, often people think of me when they need an artist. This is a good thing, because even if I am not the right person for the job, I often know who might be.

Someone from the county library emailed me, looking for a portrait artist. Nope, not me. The library received a donation in memory of a patron and wanted to hire someone to paint or draw a portrait of the woman. Nope, not me. I could tell that the poor librarian did not even know the right questions to ask, so I called her and gave her a rather detailed set of instructions about how commissions work, what questions to ask, what to expect, and a couple of names of artists who might be available. Nope, not me.

I followed up the phone call with a summary, and included samples of my work, both pencil and oil, and of course I sign all business emails with my website address. I made it abundantly clear that I don’t accept commissions for portraits, but should they change their minds, I would be very happy to work with them on this project.

A few weeks later, they decided, yeppers, me, because scenery instead of a portrait would be just fine with everyone concerned. The instructions were vague, so I pushed for more information. They provided a few photos of the ranch owned by the family, and requested that the painting include books. Say what?

WAIT A MINUTE!  I recognize that barn!

Remember this pencil drawing? Probably not. I did it in March of 2013. 

I took this photo back when I was looking for the right way to show off this area:

it is an odd-looking barn, which makes it memorable.

Okay, where were we? To be continued. . .

 

Dead Saloon and Western Bang Bang

Excuse me??

I am working on a logo design for a customer-friend (if it is business, “customer” is the right term, but they are friends too). He requested “western type”, so I went searching on the Duck. DaFont, actually.

The names of those typestyles are hilarious! Look at these: Eastwood, I Shot The Serif, Bleeding Cowboys, Insane Rodeo, Boots and Spurs, Dust West, Confetti Western, Lost Saloon, Fort Death, Tequila Sunrise, Cowboy Cadaver, Poker Kings, Texas Tango, Macho, Western Swagger, Old Bob Junior, Dusty Ranch. . . they go on and on and on. Lots of them look alike, so I will just keep sketching, figuring out which type fits with which sketched logo design. 

The logo will include something that looks a bit like this:

And that’s all I will reveal at this time. More will be revealed in the fullness of time, or as my dad used to say more succinctly, “Time will tell”.

P.S. Logo design is not my strong suit, but pencil drawing is. I have done quite a bit of work for these folks, they are easy to please, and I have a lot of ideas for them. Remember this logo design? I like it a lot, and it inspired my confidence to offer to do this job for these folks.

 

Two New Big Trees

A few months ago, I went out on a limb and used my mural paints to put a Giant Sequoia on a panel that was about 1-1/2×5 feet. It was at Kaweah Arts for awhile, and then it sold. The next day, someone came into Kaweah Arts, cash in hand, excited to buy that Giant Sequoia. They snoozed and loozed. (Just say it aloud – you’ll get it).

Trail Guy and I went through our lumber scraps, and he was able to put together another one of these panels, this time 2×4′. He set up some sawhorses, and I put the new panel on them, along with a smaller one from the previous project. 

This is how it came together.

These don’t show the entire tree because the proportions of the panels are wider than the first one. The entire tree on these panels wouldn’t fill the space well; it would be too skinny and leave too much empty space around the tree.

But I hope those cash-laden folks like one of these anyway.

P.S. I don’t know how to classify this. It feels like a mural because I used my acrylic mural paints, but it isn’t on a wall.

Another Oil Commission

In case you might have forgotten, I use pencils, oil paint, and murals, to make art that you can understand of places and things you love, for prices that won’t scare you.

Sales pitch over – let’s get on with it.

A friend sent me this photo of Sawtooth because her mother said she’d like a painting of the signature peak of Mineral King. The photo is a little plain, so we decided that some wispy clouds in the sky and brighter aspens will jazz it up.

Here is the rough beginning of the painting.

I added some green blobs, then moved it into the drying area with Yosemite Falls. I could have kept going, but it was time to head up the hill. And sometimes I just quit in the middle of the day because I am the boss of my business and can do anything I want. (Fall down laughing . . . sometimes the business is the boss of me.)

OH NO! Yosemite Falls is sideways! 

This is because the Yosemite friend first sent me a horizontal photo, so I wired the canvas that direction. After she changed her mind, I decided to wait until the painting is entirely dry to change the orientation of the wire. Being the boss of my business, I can do things in any order I want. Sometimes I just get rebellious and live on the edge like that.

P.S. I have good friends who like my art and prove it by hiring me, and I consider it a great honor, although sometimes I wish I could just give it all away. But then how would I pay for this overpriced laptop and all the hidden internet costs? And gas? Oh, food too. . . what about taxes? and YARN???

New Oil Commission

“Commission” is fancy talk for custom art.

A friend requested an 8×10″ oil painting from a photo she took in Yosemite.

I haven’t been to Yosemite very often and don’t really know it but somehow I knew to ask if this was Yosemite Falls, and doesn’t it have 2 parts? The oak tree in the foreground was obstructing the shapes of the cliffs, and I also needed to know if the barely visible cabin in the lower right mattered.

After a bit of back-and-forth, I went to the World Wide Web, found many photos that showed the dual nature of these famous falls, and proceeded to make up my own version. 

Since when have I become such a rogue painter??

Here are the steps (without showing you the photo from the WWW because I do not have permission.) I began the painting in the studio (the reasons are boring), where oil painting does not belong, but I was very very careful.  I worked from my friend’s photo on the laptop. You can see that I chose to keep and enhance the little structure, because I am into cabins (hence “Cabin Art”).

The next painting session was in the painting workshop, where it is not a tragedy to drop and spill things. The natural light is better there than in the artificial light of the studio, so it was a much better place to finish the painting.

The last photo was taken with the phone instead of the camera. Neither one is adequate, but will have to suffice until the painting is dry and can be scanned.

 

Four Places to Buy My Art

Apparently, in spite of not having pop-up ads, here is my own ad on my blog. Self-promotion and marketing are the most difficult parts of being a self-employed artist. However, if you are a reader of my blog, I am assuming you like my art. Therefore, telling you where to find it is simply providing you with a service, yes? (I refuse to end my sentences with “right?” as so many people do these days, a nervous vocal tick that sticks up my nose).

  1. Kaweah Arts in Three Rivers has been selling very steadily for me. This is an art consignment shop located along the main road through town, on the river side of the highway, AKA Sierra Drive. Great variety of local original art, open Thursday – Tuesday. No website, but on Instagram and probably Fakebook. They have my paintings (mostly Sequoia and Three Rivers subjects) and notecards.
  2. Farmer Bob’s World is a new adventure in agri-tourism in Ivanhoe, which is a citrus growing area north of Visalia. They offer tours and have a venue for events. It is new, and I am honored to be part of this, since citrus growing is my heritage. They have paintings (mostly citrus) and notecards. Their website is Farmer Bob’s World.
  3. The Mural Gallery, a store for Exeter, A Festival of Arts on E Street in Exeter just reopened. They have a good variety of mural related merchandise and the muralists are invited to show and sell their work. They carry my Exeter coloring books and paintings (citrus, Sequoia, foothill scenery). No website, but here is a youtube video discussing the murals. Exeter, A Festival of Arts. (The first 2 murals shown in the video are mine!)
  4. Silver City Resort, 4 miles below Mineral King (or 21 miles up the MK Road) has been selling my paintings for over 10 years. Now they also carry Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names. Their website is Silver City Mountain Resort. (P.S. This is an old photo – the store is fancier these days.)
  5. A bonus place to buy my art is from me directly, either off the website (yikes, hope the piece didn’t already sell somewhere else before I learned about it!) or from me in person.

And remember, I make custom art.

Using pencils, oil paint and murals, I make art you can understand about places and things you love for prices that won’t scare you.

We now resume our normal broadcast schedule.