Hidden Homes and Gardens

 

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For several years, The Three Rivers Union School Foundation has organized a tour of gardens in our town to benefit the school.

The school always needs money. It is a one-school district, and the principal also teaches all day. These situations always cause me to wonder where the magical lottery money that was supposed to save our schools went, but no one brings that up or has answers. But, I digress.

On the first Hidden Gardens tour, I set up in the garden of my amazing friend Barbara. There were so many scenes to photograph and to paint! We collaborated on stepping stones a few years later. (lavender paintings on saltillo tiles)

This year, the Foundation has run out of celebrity gardens to bring in the visitors (William Shatner and Anjelica Huston both have places here in town). What to do?? Add homes!

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I have the privilege of planting myself (ahem – pun intended) in a place up the South Fork with a beautiful view up the canyon, a fabulous new Craftsman style house, a classic barn, sheep, pigs, and plantings that were gorgeous in March. Not sure what I will find to paint in April, in spite of the cooler weather. March was hot and fried the hillsides to their more usual shade of brown.

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The Tour is Saturday, April 18. A good article about it is here. Tickets may be found here. (will open in new windows)

Wilsonia Book Signing Saturday!

Do you remember that I made a book on the cabins of Wilsonia? It is called The Cabins of Wilsonia, because I am Mrs. Captain Obvious.

Cabin Fireplace

Cabin Fireplace, pencil on paper, matted and framed to 11×14″, $200

Available here (will open in new window)

Notice the expression “made” a book . It is a picture book, with 272 (give or take a few) pencil drawings of, yep, you guessed it, the cabins of Wilsonia. There is writing, but it is minimal. It sounds funny to say I drew a book. Sounds too much like drawing the short straw. . .

On Saturday, April 4, from 3 – 6 p.m. I will be at the Three Rivers Historical Museum with my dear friend Louise Jackson, who has written many books. We will have our books with us, along with our pens for signing. I will also bring the original drawings from the book, some framed, some not.

Any questions?

You can read about the making of this book on my other site The Cabins of Wilsonia.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Captain Obvious

 

Painting and Painting

Language is so confusing. “Painting”, a noun (a stretched piece of canvas with a picture depicted in oil paint)? Or “painting”, a verb (the Central California artist at work)?

Both. It means both.

I’ve been painting and painting and painting. Oil painting. Studio Tour is coming, and people like to see new things. I’ve repainted some subjects, painted over the top of others, and begun and completed entirely new oil paintings, some of old subjects, and some of newer ones.

That should have covered it, but just in case confusion lingers, here are some pictures of oil paintings. (I keep saying “oil paintings” instead of just “paintings” in case it helps someone find my blog and website.)

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If this photo doesn’t confuse you, perhaps you are unconfusable.

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Some are finished, some are not. Guess you’ll have to attend the Studio Tour or the upcoming Redbud Festival (unless they all sell at Studio Tour) to see these.

 

Studio Tour Coming Soon!

In the past, there has been a tour of Three Rivers artists’ studios every other year. Now the event includes artists all over Tulare County. Central California artists, unite!

 

studio tour

 

Tickets are also available in Visalia (too much info about addresses, phone #s and hours to type out here) and through this website.

2 more things: my studio will NOT be open on Friday of the tour and I don’t take plastic, just cash and checks.

Studio Tour Preview Exhibit

The Arts Consortium in Visalia is sponsoring the South Valley Artists’ Studio Tour. For the first time, Three Rivers artists have been invited to participate. (Long story, probably not worthy of a blog post.)

There will be a preview exhibit of works from participating artists (ME! I’m one of them!!).

ARTS VISALIA GALLERY

214 East Oak Street, Visalia, California

RECEPTION: FRIDAY, MARCH 6

5:30 – 8:30 PM

SHOW RUNNING MARCH 4 – MARCH 27

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5:30

Each artist is allowed to exhibit one piece. Guess you’ll have to go there to see which one I chose!

P.S. Tickets, called “passports” will be for sale at the gallery during the reception and their regular hours. $15 gets you access to about 40 artists’ studios all over Tulare County over the course of 2-3 days, March 20-22. (My studio will NOT be open on Friday, March 20, but many others will be.)

for more info: South Valley Artists’ Studio Tour

Book Signing December 23

The Cabins of Wilsonia

Book Signing

Exeter Courthouse Gallery

125 South B Street, Exeter, California

12:30 – 5:30

Yes, I know 5 hours is a long time. That is the normal time for drawing lessons, and there are none in December so I decided to use the space and time for The Cabins of Wilsonia. Besides, the more spaced out it is, the more time I have to spend with each guest! Will you be one of them?

The Cabins of Wilsonia, $81 including tax (mailing adds $5)



The Cabins of Wilsonia Book Signing Today

Five pallets of 1529 books arrived at my favorite store in Three Rivers, the Mercantile. These people truly understand customer service.

Trail Guy backed the Bot-Mobile and trailer containing about 3 pallets of books up the driveway. (We used the other pick-up for the 2 other pallets – don’t worry, we didn’t leave them at the Mercantile!)

After moving all those boxes weighing 31 lbs. each, 2 lovely gracious friends came over and helped put cover decals on enough books for today’s book signing (I HOPE it is enough!!)

The Cabins of Wilsonia Book Signing

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 12:30-5:30

Courthouse Gallery of the Arts

125 South B Street, Exeter, California

 

Stocking Stuffer Recap

“Recap”? What does that really mean? Just another piece of slang that we all accept, like “wrap up”. Sometimes I think I am losing my ability to speak real words, hence “do-over” “yucky” and “funner” in a recent post.

But, I digress.

The Stocking Stuffer Boutique went well. Six of us shared a vacant business space in “downtown” Three Rivers. It was a beautiful day, and after the first 1/2 hour of fidgeting, the people began arriving and didn’t stop until the end of the day.

This means that all my photos happened at the beginning of the day. We did a decent job of drawing attention to what has been a FOR RENT space for a year or two.

The added bonus is that I have 2 poinsettia plants now decorating my walkway at home.

Here is a peek inside the building. (Notice I chose the correct “peek” – I’ve read too many “peaks” lately when there was only something to see and nothing to climb.)

My things are to the left, mostly out the picture because you’ve seen them but you haven’t seen the space we were filling and I think it is interesting! (just be polite, ‘kay?)

It was so hard to stay indoors. I purposely wore shoes that weren’t good for outdoor walking because I knew the siren call of the river would pull me away from the day’s duties. There are limited opportunities for interacting with people with the place and way I’ve chosen to do business, so there is no excuse for trotting off to catch a view in the middle of it all.

It was a great space, a nice day, and now there are only 32 calendars remaining!

Beautiful Tulare County

Oil paintings of our county’s beautiful places by Jana Botkin

$15, including tax and mailing

 




THE CABINS OF WILSONIA BOOK SIGNING

The books, The Cabins of Wilsonia, are supposed to arrive today. This may mean they arrive at some truck depot in Fresno where they sit over the weekend or it may mean a big rig comes to the hardware store in Three Rivers. (Bless Mike McCoy and the Three Rivers Mercantile for making their turn-around space and fork lift available to me!)

No matter when they arrive in Three Rivers, I will be bringing them (not all 1529, but a reasonable transportable amount) to Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery on Tuesday, December 16.

Here. Let’s make this easy:

The Cabins of Wilsonia

BOOK SIGNING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16

12:30 – 5:30

125 SOUTH B STREET, EXETER, CALIFORNIA

IF YOU PRE-ORDERED:

  1. If the books come on today, I will begin shipping to those who live far away on Monday. LET ME KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO PICK THE BOOK UP IN PERSON SO I DON’T MAIL IT FIRST!!
  2. If the books come on Monday, I’ll try to ship (Ahem. Most likely I will send Trail Guy to the Post Office!) on Tuesday a.m. before the book signing.
  3. If you paid for shipping and would rather not wait, come to the book signing and bring your receipt. I will refund your $5 mailing.
  4. If you didn’t pay for shipping, bring your receipt and retrieve your copy.
  5. If you live far away or can’t come on Tuesday, I will be there again the following Tuesday, same time.

 

DETAILS FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T PRE-ORDER:

  1. The price is $81, which includes tax BUT NOT SHIPPING.
  2. If you want a book shipped to someone, the price is $86. (Yes, I know it is a weird amount – I often specialize in weird.)
  3. If you want to order the book, you may do so using Paypal (the send money option) or through the mail (I accept checks) to P.O. Box 311, Three Rivers, CA 93271

 

I do NOT accept credit cards – bring cash or checks if you plan to buy a book. 

(This is because I don’t have a smart phone or a Square, because I don’t get cell phone service where I live – unbelievable, I know. Yes, I have AT&T. No, it doesn’t work at my address. Yes, I am sort of glad about that.)