Category: General

Anyone need a last minute gift?

I’m here to help if you need a last minute gift. You can call me at the studio (out of fear of the unknown internet trolls I’ll put my phone # in words) five six one seven six zero six. (I figure if you need the area code, then you probably aren’t going to find this post very helpful because I’m too far from you to help at the last minute – however, it is 559)

Note card packages, oil paintings, pencil drawings, drawing lessons, Mineral King tee shirts, all available from me at my studio in Three Rivers. Calendars – sold out.

You know how I feel about shopping. This means I want it to be easy on you too. Let me know if I can help you.

If you live in the area, in Tulare County or here in Three Rivers, we can probably make arrangements to have it to you almost immediately. No guarantees, just hoping for the best. (I remember those childhood Christmas Eve trips to the Ivanhoe Drug Store with my Dad. . . I thought that was normal. Guess it was at our house!)

Here, take a deep breath and then rest your eyes upon this:

My favorite bridge, colored pencil drawing from 2006, sold

drawing Tulare County art

It Snowed in Three Rivers

Of course it snowed in Mineral King too. You can see 2 Mineral King valley views on webcams here.

We might get snow about once a year in Three Rivers. It doesn’t stick, but it is beautiful while it is here. This was on Saturday, December 7. I was too busy to show you then. (The Stocking Stuffer Boutique went well – thank you for asking.)

My studios in snow

Trail Guy and I had to go for a walk and see how everything looked.

Looking downstream at the Kaweah River toward Comb Rocks

Looking upstream at the Kaweah River, toward the mountains (We say “the mountains” around here when referring to the Sierra Nevada.)

I like this view of the Kaweah River so much I painted it once. Wanna see? Here. (Yikes! I can’t remember if it sold or not!)

This tree would be a perfect subject for photography if it wasn’t for that chain-link fence in the background. A former neighbor once said to me, “Chain-link fences are the vernacular of Farmersville.” (That is a smallish town here in Tulare County.)

Snow, see? It wasn’t on the other photo because it melted. (Captain Obvious here)

Hard to believe this scene is the May page of my calendar. I love seasonal variety.

Here comes the sun means there goes the snow. (Captain Obvious again)

Now instead of just looking toward the mountains, we are looking into the sunshine. (Okay, Captain, we get it!)

Manzanita might be the most beautiful wood in the world. It certainly is in the world of Three Rivers.

My studios, melting in the sunshine. No, they aren’t melting, the snow is. I know that!

Donation Bloviation Postscript

I received a few emails about my “Donation Bloviations” post. Some people like to interact privately with me instead of in the comments, and I am grateful for their feedback and input.

As a result of those private conversations, I’ve made a list of thoughts as a postscript to that blog entry.

1. Some of those “beg-athon” events are really fun for the community and anticipated with happiness.

2. I’m not the only artist who is worn out from being asked to give away my work.

3. Artists can request that bidding begin at a minimum price, which will help them maintain some dignity and their work retain value.

4. Should other donors be paid for their contributions, such as hair salons, motels, restaurants, retail stores?

5. Does donating help their businesses?

6. Are they able to write off anything on their taxes?

7. Are they tired of being asked too?

8. Is there another way to raise money for good causes instead of through donations and auctions?

9. Is it possible for the non-profit to say “We’ll pass on that donation because it doesn’t represent you well and it won’t bring in money for us”?

10. Some members of the public sincerely anticipate a piece of art from their favorite artists, and it causes them to want to participate in the auctions.

I welcome your thoughts about this subject, either privately (you can use the contact the artist tab above) or in the comments on this blog.

California Artist

Lisa’s Lake House 2

Lisa reviewed the progress from painting session #1 and sent me some more information. It is rather astonishing to realize the amount of words and communication necessary to create a painting from someone else’s photos. There isn’t a single photo that says it all, so many photos with lots of explanation is the only way to understand it well enough to paint it.

Here it is after the 2nd painting session.

More paint to cover the orange (WHY do some artists think that it is good to paint the canvas orange? Furthermore, WHY did I listen to them??), evergreens thinned (fewer of them and fewer branches than before), horizon line raised (it didn’t show in the photos where the lake sort of peeked through the trees so I guessed, and guessed wrong)

I think the painting looks fairly good now if you view it from the back of a fast horse.

commission oil painting oil paintings

Drooling Over Other Artists’ Work

On September 12 I posted about finally deciding how I want to paint.

There is still some inner conflict as the zillions of conflicting instructional voices fade away.

There is also a tremendous amount of inspiration. This is serious realism. Look at these paintings by artists whom I admire greatly (and please do click on the links to visit their websites):

Rainbow Row, watercolor, 17×35″, $3450, Carrie Waller

Oriana Kacicek, Pointe Shoe No. 19, 6×8, oil on linen panel, $450

Water Glass With Lemon, 18×24, oil on canvas, $1070, Nance Danforth

I contacted each one of these artists for permission to show their images and link to their websites on this posting. Each one of them is so genuinely nice, responsive, happy to help.

I’ve GOT to get my prices and sales up so I can own something by each one of them. . . or maybe I could sell my car. Never mind, I don’t think that would do the trick.

Realism

A Secret Mineral King Hike in Photos

I don’t want to tell the world where this hike is because I want it to stay trail-less. So, I’ll show you photos. If you know where it is and you choose to comment, don’t write the name, okay? Thanks!

I hiked the first 5 miles wearing my old Tevas. Isn’t that amazing? I recently discovered that I probably have Plantar Fasciosis instead of Fasciitis, and wearing Tevas sort of proved it to me. (You can learn about it here.)

That is an Explorer’s Gentian gone mad – usually they have 5 petals.

Time to switch to hiking boots, leave the trail and begin the upness.

Looking back.

Are you tired of your trails going up and up and up? Leave the trail and find out what up and up and up really feels like!

And up some more.

Very uppity place.

Can we stop now? I want to savor this place.

No really, can we just sit here for about an hour?

A BRAND NEW-TO-ME FLOWER!! Anyone know what this is??

No, really, can we stay here?

Nope. Miles to go before we sleep.

Hey! Stonehenge!

Okay, we are finally leaving the Uppalachians and heading home.

More of my favorite late summer wildflower, this time with the proper number of petals.

Wait for me! I have to change back into my Tevas! Thirteen miles total (thank you, Cowboy Bert, for the loan of that very nifty Garmin device which told us that our highest point was 10,800′) and 8 of them hiked in old Tevas that I bought used on eBay in 2007. Incomprehensible, but I think my foot is finally on its way to healing!

hiking Mineral Kng Mineral King

What Is The California Artist Doing?

Perhaps you’ve been wondering if I am still a California artist. Cruising to Alaska, having fun in Mineral King; is this chick even working any more??

I am working diligently on The Cabins of Wilsonia. You can follow the progress on my other blog, called The Cabins of Wilsonia. (Sometimes my own cleverness just slays me.) Actually, you can follow my thoughts about the process, because I’m not showing everything I’ve finished. Gotta have a little mystery, so people will want to buy the book!

My drawing quota for August has been met, and now it is time to work on some commissions.

I have 2 cabins in Wilsonia to draw that are outside the scope of the book. This is good, because income is good. This is not good, because doggonit, I will have 230+ cabin drawings and now I’m adding to the + side of things!

Nope. not complaining. It is tricky to choose the exact cabins and views that will please the cabin folks and also keep the book from looking all samey-samey on every page.

The entry-way door of this cabin is interesting to me.

It is also interesting to the people who own the cabin, but they are more interested in seeing the cabin in its entirety. So, I’ve done a couple of sketches so they can choose. The differences between the two choices are subtle – can you spot them?

cabin drawings California Artist commission pencil work drawing The Cabins of Wilsonia

How to Enjoy and Use This Blog

Big fat happy THANK YOU to those of you who return to my blog, over and over.

Based on some emails I’ve received, it is time to go over a few things to help you enjoy this blog.

1. Some of you have asked me how to comment.

This is tricky. Some of your computers don’t show the same page view that I see. There is a sentence at the end of each post that reads “Be the first to respond” or “no responses yet” or “# of responses so far”.

This is true unless you are my amazing friend Nikki. I don’t know why her computer shows her a different view. It isn’t personal. Computers are just weird like that.

If you click on those words (hover over them – see your cursor turn into a little hand? This means you can click on it), it will give you a window or a box or something that allows you to type in your comment or question.

Then, it will probably look as if it didn’t work. This causes some people to submit two identical comments, because they think the first one didn’t work. Don’t worry – it goes into a spam folder, and then I go find it and approve it. If you submitted two, I delete one. If you misspelled words, I fix them. I’m just weird like that (sort of an auto-correct function that comes with my brain.)

2. Some of you only care about a particular subject, such as Mineral King, or drawing lessons.

You can either type the subject into the search box (if your computer is kind enough to show it) or you can scroll down the main page until you see the word “Categories” on the left side; just click on the particular Category that interests you and you will get pages of post headlines, most current on top. You can click on the headlines that blow your skirt up.

3. Several of you have had a little trouble on the main website with the shopping cart. You click on a buy button, and nothing happens.

How annoying! This is because after you choose what you want to buy, you need to click on the word “Cart” at the top of the page. That will show you what is in the cart.

Okay, hope that helps. Feel free to try the cart (you can always close the page if you didn’t really mean to buy something), try the commenting system (you can always close the page if you didn’t mean it), try the Search box, or try clicking on a category that interests you.

Thanks for stopping by, thanks for making it to the end of this instructional post. Here is your reward:

More Tuesday Cruiseday

Chapter Five of My Alaskan Cruise, or Cruising is a Fantasy Life, or Fun Things I Will Never Do Again (Unless Someone Else Pays)

Our third and final day with feet on Alaskan soil was spent in Juneau, the capital of Alaska. It is disconnected from the rest of the state unless you fly or use the ferry system (or arrive on a cruise ship. . . maybe you could canoe or kayak too).

This day will be divided into 2 parts, because although there were 3 parts to the day, the 3rd part was not photographed. It was a walk through the town at about 9:30 at night. It was light enough to take pictures, but the light was flat.

busride

Just your average view on your average day on your average bus, going to see an average glacier, by the name of Mendenhall, a non-average sort of name.

lupine

HEY! We have these in Mineral King and in Three Rivers!

trail

Trail Guy was pleased that there were trails. We walked about one easy mile to Nugget Falls. It was a walk, not a hike, because there was no food in our packs, just cameras and binoculars (and maybe some knitting.)

family

Who are these people? Just a bunch of Tulare County hon-yocks. That’s Nugget Falls to your right, and the Mendenhall Glacier to the left behind us. (or “Glay-shee-uh” as the ship’s naturalist said.)

blue-glacier

Check out those blues! Blue is God’s favorite color. It is mine too. Doesn’t make me holy or anything. Just means I have one tiny thing in common with God.

more-trail

Hey Trail Guy, it’s easier to hike on flat stuff at sea level, ain’t it?

waiting

The bus was delayed due to a Fourth Of July parade. No worries. Waiting is seldom a problem for me. See that yarn? The color is called “Hawaii”. Nope, I think it should be called “Glay-shee-uh”.

Save

Alaskan Cruise