Studio Tour Eleven Wrap-up

Here are a few facts about Three Rivers Studio Tour Eleven.

There were 37 visitors to my studio on Friday, 96 on Saturday, and 45 on Sunday. I may have miscounted. If you have followed this blog for awhile, you won’t be surprised by this.

The weather was perfect. Look at Friday morning:

This year my studio was number 3 instead of #13. Either number is fine as long as the visitors can find me.

And get this: on Friday one friend brought me some tahini. THANK YOU, MARY ELLEN! She gave me the best ever hummus recipe several years ago and I’ve made it weekly ever since.

Another friend brought me a dress – yes, a dress! THANK YOU, MICHELLE! It isn’t my normal style, fabric or color, but she is cute and in style and I am, well, never mind, I am none of those things. So I tried it on and looked okay. (I can trash it up with a homemade scarf or something so you will still be able to recognize me if I wear it.)

Another friend brought me a fabulous photograph of a view of my favorite bridge. THANK YOU, GARY! Two years ago I told him how to find the bridge, because he is a wonderful photographer and I knew he’d appreciate the beauty of this landmark. When he told me where he stood (hung) to get the photo, I knew that either I’d never see that view myself, or it’d would be the last thing I ever saw before waking up at the pearly gates.

I’ll tell you a few more things about Studio Tour Eleven on Wednesday. Tomorrow I want to show you something about drawing lessons.

P.S. If you want to see more blog posts with paintings and drawings and photos of my favorite bridge, type “favorite bridge” into the search box at the top of this blog.

Studio Tour Today, Tomorrow and Sunday

Today is the first day of Studio Tour Eleven. It is my 7th time to participate. Have you been? It is really fun to drive around Three Rivers and see people’s yards  studios.

It is greener than this photo shows. In fact, it is downright beautiful in Three Rivers right now!

This is what you will see as you pull into my driveway (but the redbud might be a bit faded by now).

If you are really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the introverted Perkins. He is not friendly like Zeke or Kaweah were. They shouldn’t have been so friendly with a coyote, or whatever ate them. Sigh. Being introverted is why Perkins is now 15 years old, when all his comrades have disappeared through the years.

You are ‘posed to have a ticket to come. The info is here: Three Rivers Studio Tour Tickets

2008 Wasn’t All Bad

You know how everyone refers to 2008 as the year that the economy went south? (How insulting to our Southern friends that “going south” is a euphemism for going bad – it means going downward, oh Gentle Southern Reader.)

In Three Rivers, California, 2008 was the Year The Poppies Were Incredibly Abundant and Shockingly Beautiful.

Great Poppy Year, 16×20″, oil on wrapped canvas, $375, available here

A new show, Sierra Wonders, opens today at Arts Visalia, 214 East Oak Street in Visalia, California. It features the art and writing in the book Sierra Wonders. That means this painting and one other of mine.

Join me at the reception, Friday, March 7, 6-8 p.m. 214 East Oak Street, Visalia, California. I might even bring Trail Guy with me, maybe my Mom too! Feels really important. It is important to me and to all the artists in Sierra Wonders.

Three Rivers Studio Tour

Do you know what “biennial” means? Nope? Maybe?

It means every two years, or every other year, or this year but not next and then the one after.

2014 is the year for the biennial Three Rivers Artists Studio Tour.

March 21, 22, 23, 2014

Click here to get the information about tickets. It is a little complicated, depending on how many days you want to attend or how soon you buy the tickets or how young you are.

I hope you can come!

I hope it rains and that there is green around my studio when you come.

This blog has been receiving upwards of 600 spam comments per day, so I am not accepting comments at this time. (You can comment, but I won’t be able to find it among the zillions of junky ads so it will be deleted along with the jillions of junky ads.)  If you want to tell me something, you may use the contact tab, or if you have my eddress, you may email me. 

Stocking Stuffer Boutique

12/18/13 – CALENDARS SOLD OUT!

12/11/13 – THREE left

Now there are 4 calendars – 12/10/13

ONLY 8 CALENDARS REMAINING ON 12/9/13!

Calendar Update – there are only 25 remaining and when they are gone, they are gone. First come, first served – no payee, no sendee. 

A little history:

There is an ever-changing association of artists and crafts people that is loosely based in Three Rivers. At the start-up, they called themselves the “Kaweah Artisans”. Great group, nice people. I begged and wheedled my way into the group back in the early ’00s. We put on several events a year, and eventually I felt as if I had saturated the market with what I had to contribute. So, I backed off my participation. Over time, only a few events remained in the line-up of the Kaweah Artisans. I’ve stayed semi-active, and this year they have been gracious enough to invite me to join them in. . .

The Stocking Stuffer Boutique

 

I’ll be selling knitted items, 2014 photo calendars, Mineral King tee shirts, notecards.

Others will be selling woven goods, the new book Sierra Wonders, gourds, metal kitchen goddesses, and turned wooden items.

Last One Standing

Back in the olden days (last century), there were lots and lots and even more of those craft and art shows. There were so many to pick from locally that I never considered going outside of the area. Besides, my work is so very regional that people down the hill in Visalia were confused about some of my Mineral King art, which is in the same county just 50 miles away.

Now, there are very few shows remaining from which to choose. I used to consider the Senior League Bazaar a show that could easily be skipped. Now it is the last one standing of all the regular shows I used to participate in.

It was a great show this year! The show organizers didn’t have music blaring so conversation was easier. Many people came that I invited, which made me feel warm and fuzzy. I sold items the entire time, for me, for Sophie (author and knitter, among many talents) and for Barbara (The Lavender Lady).

As I stood by my booth, friends would say, “Where is your booth?” They didn’t recognize it because it was chock-full of brightly colored knitted items, among other things.

“But where is your artwork?”

“On the cards right here.”

“But where are your paintings?”

“All my time is being spent drawing for an upcoming book, The Cabins of Wilsonia, so I don’t have time to paint.”

“Then how do you have time to knit?”

“I knit after work, in the house, in the car, when I’m waiting for stuff, in meetings, on airplanes and in airports. “

“Oh! I never thought of that!”

“Maybe you should stop watching so much teevee”.

Nope, I didn’t say that last thing. Just thought it a few times. Such restraint takes it out of me sometimes, but I bravely soldier on. Sometimes I feel like the last one standing myself. Actually, I often am, because I stand for the entire show and I REFUSE to pack up before the thing ends.

That’s me. Last artist standing at the last show standing.

A Bazaar With Knitting, Calendars, Tees, and a Mineral King Box

That is a bizarre title; please be impressed with the way I incorporated Mineral King into a Friday post. (Tahoe is postponed until next week.)

Would you like to see some of the things I will have at tomorrow’s bazaar?

Great, glad you asked.

The lavender purse is spoken for – please forgive me for taunting you with it. See the bright stripes at the very bottom of the photo? Those are socks,  which are too big for me, dang it. I think a women’s size 7-11 foot would work in them. See those red felted slippers? They are too small for me, dang it. I think a women’s size 5 would work in those.

But what is this box? Yes, I hear you wondering about it.

 

Trail Guy and I are not above scrounging in places where people have disposed of items. I INSISTED that we rescue this box. He said it was junky. I agreed but asked him to shore it up anyway, because storage boxes are functional and cool and it would be great to paint on. He complied with my request. and then added wheels too. The lid doesn’t quite shut, it isn’t completely smooth or totally square but it is clean, has wheels, and will hold lots of knitting or whatever floats your boat.

A functional all-purpose Mineral King painting on wheels! 

And this is the final selection of calendar photos. We did it!! Thanks to you, Tulare County photo calendars are now available!

See you at the Senior League Bazaar

Saturday, November 16, 9-4

Three Rivers Memorial Building

Drawing and Knitting??

The annual Senior League Bazaar will be on Saturday, November 16, 2013, at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, from 9 – 4.

What does this have to do with drawing and knitting, you ask. (Yes, I can hear your thoughts from time to time – keep them sweet!)

Because this year is dedicated to finishing all the drawings for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia, the only paintings I’m doing are commissions. This means I don’t have any new paintings to sell at the Senior League Bazaar.

However, I have knitting to sell! Yeppers, knitted wooly cuddly cute handmade colorful useful items.

Why do I have time to knit but not time to paint?

Great question – glad you asked. (Remember, all interviewees respond to questions with either or both of those phrases and I don’t want to be left out of the current culture completely so this is my token way of faking as if I am “normal”.)

I can knit in the car, at home in the evenings, when I am in a meeting, if I am waiting somewhere. Bringing an easel and oil paints is somewhat frowned upon in a doctor’s office or at an airport.

That green purse is spoken for – forgive me for taunting you with it this way.

There will also be calendars! And Mineral King tee shirts! And a very cool wooden box which I will show you tomorrow! And some cards, because I have lots of those.

DON’T MISS THIS!

Wow. That sounded bossy. Please excuse me – my intention is excitement, rather than shouting orders.

Wendy Miller is one of the best drawing students I’ve ever had the privilege of helping. I urge you strongly to see this show. And, many of her pieces are for sale. What an opportunity to own high quality pencil art at very reasonable prices. (Hint of urgency: I bought one already!)

Yes, I know it is Friday and Fridays are for Mineral King. However, I’m the boss of this blog, and this is Really Important News.

Move Over Mom, graphite on paper, 11×14, Wendy Miller

You are invited to

SUMMER CLASSICS

An exhibit of original pencil drawings by

Wendy Miller

July 2nd – September 22, 2013

Reception Sunday, July 7, 2-4 p.m.

Courthouse Gallery of the Arts

125 South B Street

Exeter, California

Save The Date

Lean on Me, graphite on paper, Wendy Miller

You are invited to

SUMMER CLASSICS

An exhibit of original pencil drawings by

Wendy Miller

July 2nd – September 22, 2013

Reception Sunday, July 7, 2-4 p.m.

Courthouse Gallery of the Arts

125 South B Street

Exeter, California