This is Tulare County, pencil drawing, from Mineral King. It is Spring Creek. It could be anywhere. If I have this at a show and someone says, “Oh! Is that Yosemite?!”, then my answer will be, “If you would like it to be Yosemite, then it is Yosemite for you”.
Let the record reflect that YES, DRAWING WATER IS HARD!! (Tee hee hee, perhaps the title of this piece should be “Hard Water”.)
When deciding what to draw next, this particular subject seemed like a good compromise of my theme of Tulare County and what I want to draw because I want to draw it.
Strawberry fields have become a common sight in our area over the past 10 years or so in the springtime. That makes this drawing qualify as Tulare County art, yes?
Using colored pencil for extended time periods hurts my wrist. This little bit of color is possible without injury, and it is very pleasing to see one item in color. Not every picture has a place for color, but this was an easy decision.
Sometimes I want to draw because I love to draw. I want to draw what I want to draw, and don’t want to think about what might sell.
I ignored my common sense, ignored my theme of Tulare County, and this is what came out of my pencils. (as if it just showed up on its own, no effort or decision on my part, I was just a tool, a vessel, and a victim!)
This is an arch that is part of the Roman aqueduct system along the Mediterranean at Cesarea Philippi Maritima in Israel. As you may recall, I love architecture, stone work, bridges and archways. We had about 3 minutes to view this and then BAM, back on the bus! It just grabbed me. . . the beauty, the antiquity, the Med Sea . . . I was gobsmacked.
So, I took a few photos, and now here it is as a drawing.
My sister, niece and I were all just thrilled to be at the Mediterranean. We were the first and the only people in our group to run to the water and get it without any discussion or delay. It was one of the highlights of the entire Israel adventure for me.
The sharp eyes of one of my fellow Israel travelers caught my mistake in the location of this drawing. I knew better and have no excuse. Thanks, Cog!
What Should I Draw Next could be the call letters of a radio station east of the Mississippi – WSIDN. Okay, there are one too many letters, but tell me how KMJ gets away with only three?? I stole this from Anne Bogel, Modern Mrs. Darcy, with her podcast WSIRN – What Should I Read Next – a wonderful resource for readers.
I digress.
I will be participating in an art show of pencil in May and June. Right now I am in between jobs – murals, coloring books, and fall shows coming, but all are waiting for decisions. That makes this a good time to draw ahead for the upcoming show.
A crystal ball would be helpful. There are too many ways to make this decision:
Life is full of decisions, or as my Wise Friend often says, “Choices and Consequences – life is full of choices and consequences.” Oh yes, a crystal ball would help.
Now, what should I draw next?
Drawing lessons from me, not just drawing lessons in general, although learning to draw from me might be a problem if you live in Oklahoma or Minnesota.
That’s really only 11 reasons, because #6 is NOT a reason to take lessons.
You can learn more about drawing lessons here.
I might have a little space in a class or two, and can’t find my waiting list. Are you thinking about taking lessons? Here are 12 reasons to consider drawing lessons:
You can learn more about drawing lessons here.
I paint a lot of fruit. I don’t paint very many nuts.
I drew walnuts a few years ago (feels like 5 years, probably is 10).
Wow. That’s pretty good, if I do say so myself! And I do. I LOVE to draw. However, drawings need frames, and oil paintings sell better than pencil. Sometimes I ask my boss if I can draw, and she says I can after I finish all my work. Sigh.
A couple of years ago (feels like 2, must be 4), a friend commissioned me to do some 2×2″ paintings of all the best selling produce in California. Maybe it wasn’t the best selling – maybe it was the crops that California produces the most of.
Those are the only paintings I’ve ever done of nuts – a walnut on the upper left and almonds on the upper right.
Pretty cool idea, eh?
I have 3 nephews. 2 of them are “creatives”, one an accomplished graphic artist supporting a wife and 2 children, and the other about to start his junior year in college as a music major. Might be performing arts, might be music theory. . . can’t remember exactly and embarrassed by asking him too often.
Music Nephew and I have been having an email conversation about “the arts”, and he mentioned how a musician friend of his gets in the way of his own success. I responded with something that I think you might enjoy, Oh Blog Readers (all 4 of you or so. . . maybe 6 or 7, but I still don’t know how to access or read the blog stats).
Most of us trying to make it in the arts are usually in the way of our own success. I’m gradually learning to redefine success. I know I don’t want to spend hours and hours on social media trying to build up a following, so I’m not – that’s success. I’d rather have real people that I know just happily following my blog and thinking of me when they have an art need – they do, so that’s success. I also don’t want to do the crazy hard work of building up a body of work that might appeal to galleries, which I’m not, so that’s success.
My life’s work is to discover and display the good things of Tulare County, a place I love to hate and hate to love. Sigh. Thus, the mixed ideas about success – I am portraying this place, but sometimes I want to live somewhere with a less hostile climate, cleaner air, and richer more educated populace.
If you made it to the end of this bloviation, you deserve a reward. Here, have a look at a successful pencil drawing of a bridge.
I have many unframed pencil drawings. It costs a lot of money to frame a picture. I have a lot of frames, and a big box of mats. Matching drawings with mats and frames is a process.
“Process” is a nice businessy word that actually means ‘BIG FAT HASSLE”.
This is how I frame on short notice.
Told you it was a busy week! So busy that I forgot to post.
I received a “Call to Artists”. This is ArtSpeak for “Hey, wanna put your art in a show?”
The point of the show is to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service.
The duration of the show is August 1 – September 30.
The location is the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter.
The deadline for entry is JULY 14!! Tomorrow!
The entry process was a little vague and somewhat complex, and with the short notice, I was scrambling. I have plenty of art of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, probably enough to fill the entire Courthouse Gallery all by my lonesome, but it has to be framed, the size determined, a price set, titles assigned, and photos or scans taken. This is part of the business of art.
Suddenly instead of working on the Exeter coloring book, I was pulling drawings from drawers, taking frames from storage and off the walls, digging through a box of mats, retouching drawings and occasionally reshaping them so they will fit in available mats and frames.
Tomorrow I will describe my framing process. Prepare to either laugh or start snatching yourself bald in frustration.