Another Reception at Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery and Museum is coming Sunday afternoon, December 11, 2-4 p.m. This show is Falling into Winter, where I have three pieces, including this one, “Unspiced”, 6×12″. (Don’t you think that name is terrific??)
Half the gallery is pieces relating to Autumn/Fall; the other half is pieces relating to winter. There is a wide variety of media (that is the plural of “medium”, which is Art Speak for “stuff used to make art”.) All is for sale, except the pieces that already sold. Duh. Thank you Captain Obvious.
Calendars
2023, Mineral King HIKES, available here: Calendars
You’ll need to click/tap on the link above to see the back of the calendar, not shown out of respect for my Most Faithful Blog Commenter who never allows herself to see what it is in it until the appropriate month arrives.
Many responsibilities and opportunities in November
Little Bucky
Online Painting Seminar: I gave this an entire day during my busiest month and learned things that you probably don’t care about. However, this palette, made up of only 3 primaries and white is impressive. (I use 6 primaries and white, and thought that was simple!) Besides, it is pretty.
Website Repairs: my designer helped me get it a bit more functional. She told me that there are things to do to improve the readership, and I told her that I don’t want to try to get strangers to find me. The people who are interested in my art and my life are people that I either already know, or people who I will eventually meet, because we care about the same things and places.
The art emergency pencil drawing, which I showed you yesterday.
New commissions: one pencil drawing, two large paintings all needed before Christmas
Holiday Bazaar: New paintings needed, finished paintings gathered from Kaweah Arts, new cards ordered, calendars ordered. Even though I was a no-show, everything had to be packaged, priced, boxed up, hauled to the Memorial Building, set up.
There were a few more items, but they’re private, because after all, in spite of being read only by people I know, this is the World Wide Web.
New Murals Coming! I bid on and designed three, was “awarded” two, and now await further instruction as to when I can begin. This is St. Charles of Borromeo, the largest Catholic Church in North America, located in Visalia, Tulare County, California. Yep, right here in little ol’ Too-larry County.
Calendars
2023, Mineral King HIKES, still available here: Calendars
I’d show you the back of the calendar, but out of respect for my Most Faithful Blog Commenter you will need to click on the link to see it. Sharon buys a calendar every year, and never allows herself to see what it is in it until the appropriate month arrives.
Trail Guy and I set up the booth at the Holiday Bazaar on Friday night, quickly and efficiently. There was enough merchandise, and it looked pretty good. I didn’t take pictures of my booth, figuring I’d get some on Saturday with the morning sun coming through the full-color Chinese Pistache trees visible through the window, which was the back wall of my 10×10′ space.
Then I went home and developed a fever. Well, phooey. Why during my busiest weekend of my busiest month?? Life is not fair. So, instead of doing a show, I did a No Show.
A lifelong friend offered to work my booth. What would we do without our friends?? I thought to myself, “Self,” I thought, “I will NEVER get out of her debt”.
Another friend said, “Real friends don’t keep score”.
Being a Questioner, I thought about that. My conclusion is that we have built-in scales of balance, and without actually keeping score, we can tell when we are being taken advantage of, when someone is a moocher or a user. I hope we also can recognize when we are taking advantage of someone else and put the brakes on thinking we are entitled.
It is so hard to be on the receiving end of giving, so much easier to be a giver. Probably has something to do with my innate need to be self-sufficient.
No one is completely self-sufficient. We all need a little help from our friends. Thank you, MKACD!
Last weekend began with setting up the for the Redbud Festival on Friday, taking photographs of how everything fit together, then packing all the merchandise into boxes and moving it inside the Memorial Building for the night.
On Saturday morning, I went to a memorial service for the father of a dear friend. It was a bit of a reunion, but instead of hanging around with old pals, I jetted off to Arts Visalia to teach a drawing workshop.
I was sort of hoping that no one would sign up so that I could just hang around with my old buddies, but a few days before, 4 people signed up. When I arrived at the gallery, I learned there were 6 participants. Then I learned that the drawing pencils were no longer in the closet in the workshop room. Well, oops.
So, the gallery director got a short list together, disappeared for about 45 minutes, and reappeared with some drawing pencils. We made do with the other supplies I had brought along, and the class of 6 was a compatible, enjoyable, personable group who did very well!
Redbud, indoor booth in 2017
Meanwhile, some friends were working our shared booth at the Redbud Festival. The show organizer called me at the end of the drawing workshop to ask if I was okay with leaving all my merchandise outside overnight underneath the patio overhang where we were situated. I thought that the overnight security sounded secure, so I agreed. That way my friends wouldn’t have to take it down, pack it up and schlep it all inside, nor would I need to reverse the process on Sunday morning.
This is how it looked before the beautiful slab furniture, felted purses, knitted hats, and tie-dyed baby clothes were added. The tables looked great sitting beneath the paintings, and the colorful fabric items were on a table to the left.
Redbud Festival hasn’t happened for 2 years, and this year it was organized at the last minute. We no longer have a newspaper in town, and there are so many methods of communication that it is a wonder anyone can learn anything at all. As a result, there weren’t many vendors, and not many visitors, but this allows for longer conversations with the visitors and opportunities to get to know the other vendors a bit more than usual.
I walked to the Memorial Building on Sunday morning and learned that sales were steady on Saturday. Sales were slower on Sunday, but also steady. The number of packages of cards that sold was astonishing, particularly since they are now $10 a package. I joked that next year I will just rent one square foot and bring my card spinner. Yes, paintings sold, but they require the screens, which makes the set-up and break-down quite time-consuming, and I get a little bit older every year. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.)
Breaking down the show was the easiest it has ever been. Because we were on the patio, I simply lifted everything up to the driveway, with the Botmobile very close at hand and Trail Guy there to use his master packing skills.
The screens almost blew over on Saturday. Someone had some rope and tied the whole apparatus to the vertical pole.
Now, I need to get some new paintings done to sell at Silver City Resort. Chopchop!
After obsessing over the wildflowers on the hillside behind my house, I headed to the painting workshop to paint some of my own wildflowers.
But wait! There are other flowers in bloom in the yard, and they also deserve attention. I picked some Lemon Geranium to put in a vase near my work station, because it keeps mosquitos away. (in theory)
Wait! I can’t work on that piece today. It doesn’t have the tight deadline that the Redbud Festival is pressurizing me with. IT IS TOMORROW, 10-5 at the Three Rivers Memorial Building and SUNDAY, 10-4.
Get to work, Central California artist! Chopchop.
I love this view of Franklin Creek, at the upper crossing, below the dam.
Mineral King Wildflowers, 6×18″, oil on wrapped canvas, $165 (plus that pesky California sales tax).
Then I finished this 6×6″ poppy.
I have more finished little paintings for the Redbud Festival but you might have to go to the show to see them.
Maybe I’ll show you those other flowers in the yard on Monday’s post. Or maybe I will tell you that I sold everything at the Redbud Festival. Or maybe nothing will have sold and I will invite you to a bonfire.
Because the Redbud Festival is coming this weekend, I have to git ‘er dun quickly. Day One of painting fast was quite productive. Day Two was also quite productive.
I need small paintings to sell at the Redbud Festival (Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8), and Mineral King is always popular. These are supposed to be for the Silver City Store, but if they sell at the Redbud Festival, I will simply paint them again. They need to be dry in time to scan, varnish and display by Friday evening when we set up the show.
Quick, start another one to finish tomorrow!
This one isn’t Mineral King, but if it doesn’t sell at the Redbud Festival, it can go to Kaweah Arts.
HEY! Maybe I should just take my work out of Kaweah Arts for the show. I could, but it makes more sense to beef up my inventory, and then I’ll have more to take to Kaweah Arts after the Redbud Festival (10-5 on Saturday, 10-4 on Sunday.)
There are so many decisions to be made when figuring out the business of art. It feels like guesswork, but there is intuition, based on experience. I definitely have not missed doing those shows. But the Redbud Festival is so close to home, so very easy to get to, at the Three Rivers Memorial Building. See you there?
Redbud Festival is a long-time event in Three Rivers that I remember from childhood. I have participated many times, but was just fine missing the past two years of festivals, bazaars, and arts/crafts fairs.
I recently learned that the Redbud Festival will be happening again this year, Mother’s Day Weekend (May 7-8) at the Three Rivers Memorial Building.
A friend who makes felted purses can only work on Saturday; I have plans for Saturday (the drawing workshop at Arts Visalia). So, we will share a booth, which she will run on Saturday and I will run on Sunday.
Oops. I hadn’t planned on this. Most of my work these days is commissions, or it is specifically for a gallery.
These events need large colorful pieces in order to attract attention, but they also need smaller inexpensive pieces for people to actually buy. It might not be like that in a city, but a small unincorporated town in a relatively (for California) low population rural county is a whole different animal.
QUICK–Stop on the commissions that don’t have a solid deadline and figure out what might sell at the Redbud Festival! After an inventory and survey session, I gathered some small canvases, selected a few photos that might have good appeal for the weekend crowd of browsers, pulled those seven Mineral King paintings off the drying walls, and hit the ground running.
First, finish the almost finished poppy painting that I had set aside in order to paint the carnation and rose bouquet.
Next, do something fun: 6×6″ iris, my favorite flower which happens to be in bloom right now. I was able to mix the colors accurately by looking at the real thing instead of relying on photos.
I love flowers (not just the wild kind). These little 3″ square canvases are a size I haven’t tried before, so I ordered some mini easels to sell with them, paid extra for quicker shipping, and painted 2 different sunflowers.
Still had a little time left in the day, so I “went” to Mineral King.
Did you miss the opening reception of my show in Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, “Images of Home”? Here is another chance to see the show while I am present and, most important, while snacks and beverages will also be present.
Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery is having another reception for me.
Okay, it’s not really for me. It is a celebration at the gallery to thank docents and gallery association members, and the gallery asked me to invite you, my friends, collectors, and other interested parties, because my art* is still there. So, if you wanted to attend the opening and weren’t able to come, this is a second chance for you.
Here is an abbreviated version of their official invitation:
Let’s celebrate! Come to the Museum and Gallery and enjoy some snacks and refreshments – and great art by Jana Botkin – on Sunday, December 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s a great way to thank our friends for their support!
It would be fun to see you there! Where is “there”? 125 South B Street, Exeter, California
*Yes, I still have a few 2022 calendars.
P.S. I will be painting at the gallery today, Friday, December 10, from 11-3.
Another Reception at Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery and Museum is coming Sunday afternoon, December 11, 2-4 p.m. This show is Falling into Winter, where I have three pieces, including this one, “Unspiced”, 6×12″. (Don’t you think that name is terrific??) 
I need small paintings to sell at the 
