I grew up with German Shepherds, not little dogs. Little dogs make me want to stand on a chair and scream, and then if I touch them, go wash my hands about 4 times.
A friend of about 35 years asked me to draw her little dog. My love for her is stronger than my aversion to little dogs, and I love to draw, so I said yes.
Meet Oliver.
Oliver, a commissioned pencil drawing.
(Stacy, thank you for trusting me with Oliver, even though you are well aware of my semi-suppressed cat disorder.)
Pippin, Jackson, Tucker
Oliver arrived today and he is SO darling! You did an amazing job of capturing his likeness!
Drawing lessons are suspended during the hot months of July and August, but they resume the day after Labor Day in the hot month of September. Therefore, today, let the lessons begin again!
I’ve been helping people learn to draw since 1994, and in the process I’ve learned to draw better myself. Even more important, I’ve gotten to know fabulous people, many of whom I consider friends and are still in touch with.
On paper, my classes are almost full. There is a spot or two from 3:30-4:30; all the regulars in that hour are high school students, so their schedules and their desires change pretty regularly.
If you would like drawing lessons, let me know via the contact thing on my site, or in the comments, or by email, or even a phone message to 559-561-7606.
Lessons are $55/month.
Clearly this girl has an interest in marine life! We are both a bit stumped on how to portray the water, but we’ll figure it out.
Everyone works from her own photo (guys are allowed too, but for some reason I don’t have any photos of them) at her own pace.
“Pick something you love, because you’ll be staring at it for a loooonnnngggg time.” – Jana Botkin
In 2012 I made my first calendar. It was an experiment, because a calendar has a short time to sell, and when it is over, a business is stuck with unsellable inventory. The calendar sold well enough, 100 turned out to be the right number, and I have continued making calendars ever since.
When reviewing the calendars, it looks as if they are random. In fact, each calendar represents the previous year’s focus (or obsession). There are photos, paintings, and drawings.
2013 – I didn’t save a picture of either the front or the back, so I don’t know what it was about or what I named it. I ordered about 10 or 20 at a time because I didn’t know how well it would sell. (Obviously I didn’t know much that year.)
2014 – Back when I only had about 15,000 photos, I was able to go through and select 12 for this calendar without too much trouble. But what did the front look like?
2015’s calendar was my best oil paintings that were horizontal and of Tulare County subjects. I called it “Beautiful Tulare County”. Again I ask, “What did the front look like?”
2016’s calendar was pencil drawings of Tulare County (of course) cabins–Wilsonia, Mineral King, Camp Nelson. Why didn’t I save a picture of the backside??
2017 front – the calendar was a blend of drawings and paintings.
2017 calendar back “The Bridges of Tulare County”
2018 was Flowing Water, because in 2017 we had a most welcome wet winter and the flowing water was to be celebrated.
2019 – was very fun because I got to draw 11 new pictures and figure out ways to incorporate color.
2019 still has many of the original drawings available. Want any? None are framed. All are 11×14″ or 9×12″. You can make an offer. If it is too low, I will not take offense but might counter-offer. (Normally those sizes sell for $200-275 before tax).
What will the calendar for 2020 be?
Mineral King Wildflowers!
Of course it is about Mineral King wildflowers, my current obsession. It is in progress, so you will have to restrain yourselves until it is for sale.
This year it will be $15 if ordered by October 1, and $20 if ordered afterward.
In 1992, I did this commissioned pencil drawing of a Mineral King cabin. The one who owns it sent me a photo of the card she had left from an earlier order.
Photo of little notecard
I tried to turn it into something that would print as a decent card. This was not acceptable.
Unacceptable!
The customer said she still had the original, and it wasn’t even in a frame, so I was able to scan it (after touching it up a little bit, because I draw better now (as one would hope, 27 years later).
Original drawing, retouched and scanned
Then, I messed with it on Photoshop Elements, and voila!
Ready to be printed.
Printing has changed so radically from the old days. I’m thankful that the ordering and reprinting process is accessible from my laptop these days.
Featuring the oil paintings and pencil drawings of Jana Botkin and the photography of Brett Harvey
Farewell Gap #4, pencil, framed to approximately 11×14, $400 including tax
P.S. When you comment on the blog, I have to approve the comment before it appears. This doesn’t mean that your comment didn’t “take”; it means I am not near a computer to release your comment. Thank you to those who go to the trouble to comment; I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
When my students finish a drawing, I take it home to scan and convert into a file that can be used for printing as cards or prints to share or sell; sometimes it is just so they can have a clean record of work completed. Sometimes it takes a few hours of computer work, but I love and appreciate my students so much that I just consider it part of taking lessons.
Here is a recently completed pencil drawing, before the computer work.
“Watering Girl” (my title for reference, not an official title) is a 5×7″ image on 8×10″ cream colored paper. The artist took the photo several years ago, and although we were both intimidated by the hair and the water, we figured it out together!
And here it is, ready to print.
Lessons are suspended for the months of July and August; we will resume on the day after Labor Day. It is possible that I will have a few spaces available if you or someone you know is interested. (Tuesday afternoons, Exeter’S Courthouse Gallery, $55/month.)
Art Inspired by Mineral King
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 10-2, SILVER CITY RESORT
Featuring the art of Jana Botkin and the photography of Brett Harvey
P.S. When you comment on the blog, I have to approve the comment before it appears. This doesn’t mean that your comment didn’t “take”; it means I am not near a computer to release your comment. Thank you to those who go to the trouble to comment; I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
After finishing the pencil drawing of the irresistible subject, I didn’t want to stop drawing. I used this desire for drawing to get another pencil drawing finished.
Big Oak, pencil on paper, 11×14″, $275 including confiscatory California sales tax
Why did I wait so long to work on this? I think it is a good drawing, and if one of my students did this, I would be very proud of them.
Speaking of such pride, I’ll show you one of my student’s work tomorrow.
Last year’s show and sale, Art Inspired by Mineral King
ART INSPIRED BY MINERAL KING
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 10-2, SILVER CITY RESORT
P.S. When you comment on the blog, I have to approve the comment before it appears. This doesn’t mean that your comment didn’t “take”; it means I am not near a computer to release your comment. Thank you to those who go to the trouble to comment; I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!
One of my drawing students brought in a very faded snapshot from about 40 years ago and asked if I thought she’d be able to draw from it. I asked her to scan it and email it to me so I could improve it for her (using the baby version of Photoshop).
I didn’t save the original version of the photo to show you, but here is the new and improved version.
As I worked on the photo, I had an overwhelming desire to draw it myself. I asked my student, who graciously replied, “Sure, but I want to draw it too. Is that okay?”
My response was something like, “Of course it is okay, but I don’t want to make you feel bad when I finish it in 2 days instead of 2 months!”
We both laughed, and then I realized that if I draw it first, it will be a helpful tool for her to use along with the photo. It is easiest to draw from other people’s drawings, second easiest to draw from black and white photos, third easiest to draw from color photos, and hardest to draw from real life.
Actually, it is probably hardest to draw from memory, but since that doesn’t happen in my life or my classes, that never crossed my mind until now.
“Viewing the General”, pencil on paper, 11×14″, unframed, $275 (price includes confiscatory California state sales tax)
Irresistible subject, yes?
ART INSPIRED BY MINERAL KING
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2019, 10-2, SILVER CITY RESORT
My paintings on the deck of the Silver City Store last year.
I am a sucker for a nice tin box of colored pencils, especially if it is a brand I haven’t tried before.
One day no one showed up for a drawing lesson class.
Empty gallery, where are my students for this hour??
No worries, I had a new box of colored pencils to try.
Goldfaber, by Faber Castell
My favorite colored pencils are Polychromos by Faber Castell, and I couldn’t figure out why they, Faber Castell, produced a new type of pencil. The colors of Goldfaber match the colors of Polychromos, but these pencils have a narrower barrel than a normal pencil, and Polychromos have a wider barrel than normal. Other than the size, the descriptions are identical.
I worked awhile on this piece later at home, and my conclusion was that my wrist hurt and I don’t love this piece enough to sacrifice my wrist.
My next thought was that it might be helpful to also work on the piece with my Polychromos set, but then I concluded that it wasn’t a true comparison because my real set has 10 times as many pencils.
My final thought was that I’d rather be drawing in pencil, so that’s what I did next.
“Out there” is a strange turn of phrase. Does it mean on the edge, in outer space, and weird? Or does it mean away from one’s comfort zone, out in the world? Either, but today it means having my work out in the world away from the comfort of Three Rivers, my known and beloved drawing students, and my own private studio.
I entered two pieces in “Seascapes” at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery. It is a juried show, but I have doubts that any entries will be turned away. The part that feels “out there” (vulnerable) to me is this: WILL ANYONE CARE ENOUGH TO SPEND $ ON MY WORK?? (or more accurately, $$$)
Excuse me for shouting. This sort of show makes me shudder, but at least it isn’t an auction. The shows are interesting to see, but it is nerve-wracking to interact with the public and wonder if they care or if they are just making conversation to be polite.
Wood, Wind, Waves, pencil, 14×19″, $400
A Walk to the Rock, 11×14″, $275, oil on wrapped canvas (looks square here, but that is simply misbehavior on the part of the blog)
But wait, there’s more. I also will enter these 2 pieces in a juried show at the Tulare County Government Plaza Building. And, I’m in the process of producing a third piece to enter.
Before M&Ms. . ., pencil and colored pencil
Little Cabin, Big Trees, pencil
What if they aren’t accepted? What if no one wants them? What if someone does, but can’t get them for an entire year?
Stop it. Just stop it.
Okay. I’m fine now. Thank you for listening.
“Seascapes”
June 1-28, Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, 125 South B Street, Exeter, California.
