That Bridge again
Same bridge, different view. The light wasn’t much to write home about, but isn’t this a neat angle? Bummer about the line running across the top horizontally – rather than Photoshop it out, I will paint it out, should I decide to paint from this view.
Getting there
Remember this? On overcast days, I draw in the studio rather than paint in the workshop. Have I mentioned how much I love to draw? 😎 Now that my seasonal shows are behind me, I can finish this so the customer will have it in hand before Christmas.
Spring in Kaweah Country
That’s the title!
Signed, but not titled
Last weekend I was at the Chevron station when a man in a white van pulled up behind me. He asked if I had done the mural; I hesitated until he said he liked it. (Chicken!) Then I admitted it was mine. We visited about it for a bit, and he asked if he could make a suggestion. I said, “of course!” Then, he felt a bit embarrassed, and I had to really work to get it out him.
He suggested having more flowers extend beyond the borders, which I had considered earlier but gave up on when I couldn’t get my paintbrushes to behave in the drying wind. Hearing it from a “fan” caused me to realize that a second try was worth the effort. The man kept apologizing, and finally I had to explain that I am painting for normal people’s enjoyment, and that anything a “normal person” suggested was probably worth considering. He admitted to being a “normal person”, so Mr. Normal Guy, I thank you!!
untitled, Tulare County Fire Station #14, South Fork and Sierra Drive, 7×14′
You Know You’re A Dork When. . .
. . . you’re in love with a bridge.
We drove our bikes to the 3 mile marker on the Mineral King Road on Sunday afternoon and rode the 3.5 miles to the Oak Grove Bridge. It was up most of the way, but not horribly upical.
The light wasn’t great on the bridge, but it was quite fun to have it be our destination and to just hang out on foot.
Mural, Day Three
The hardest part about this mural is the wind! It makes the photos flap around, my hair flies in my face, and the palette and brushes dry out Very Fast. Wow, this is a windy location! The other surprising thing is that no matter how many days I have worked on it, I always think “2 more days”. More will be revealed. . .
Alta is patched and repainted a bit.
It is actually further along than this, but I had to take the photo before the mulberry tree shadow reached the image.
Today I taped off the edges in order to decrease the hassles. Good policy, don’t you think? One should always decrease hassles if given the chance! (Once again, the color is not accurate in the photo – a field trip is recommended.)
Fire Station Mural, Day 2
Murals are very social projects. Compared to Exeter, it didn’t seem that social until I began adding up the visitors! TCM DOC brought me some wonderfully welcomed liquid refreshments this a.m. Kristi wondered if I can walk tomorrow and if I had lunch with me. Lieutenant O’Dell bought some gray goo to seal up the divot in the center of Alta Peak. A former drawing student stopped by to say hello and so I could see his dog, which I named “Barney” back when he was a pup! (Handsome Aussie!) A stranger stopped by to say “God Bless You!” (I thanked him and wish I had thought to say “He has and is!”) Shirley the mail lady stopped because I had the flag up on the mailbox (forgot to mail my stuff at home) —we didn’t recognize each other without our knitting in hand! Plus, I met Mike and Steve, 2 EMTs. Best of all, my Other Half stopped by when he finished work! Here is the divot patch waiting to dry:
And here is the day’s progress from a distance:
The lake needs a bit of work. The mulberry tree is casting a weird shadow over the left side, in case you were wondering. 
And here it is a bit closer. Next? The lake divot needs snow, the lake needs another coat, and the corners need wildflowers! The colors are sort of pukey in these photos – guess you’ll just have to drive by!
New Mural!
This is at Tulare County Fire Station #14, at the corner of Sierra Drive and South Fork in Three Rivers. When I arrived this morning, this is what was waiting:
Nice prime job, Mike! Thanks! Next, I drew on the design with a small stiff paintbrush in gray paint. It needed a little improving, so I switched to green for the corrections.
Then, I began with the sky and worked my way forward. Had a nice visit with Lieutenant O’Dell – I grew up with his dad and uncle out in the oranges north of Ivanhoe! (Can’t be anonymous in Tulare County!) He was hospitable and helpful, and he likes to draw, so I gave him lots of tips as I painted. At the end of the day, this is what the tank looked like:
In progress
When it is overcast, the light is too low for painting. So, I draw instead! Here is the chosen sketch for this comissioned collage piece:
Looks like a scribbly mess unless you know the photos. I showed the customers 4 options and they chose A with a few minor changes. Here is the beginning of the drawing:
