That’s definitely a California artist title! Here are the poppies, reclaimed from a painting of Sequoias (redwoods) in snow, painted in oil on a 5×7 board. Still needs signing and the edges need painting. So much to do, and all for $49. (SUCH a deal)
In my quest for truth and reality, I took a hard look at a painting of a green apple. I liked it, but it didn’t sell. The other 2 had, but not this guy.
Sold
Sold
Homeless green apple
Must be the grayish bluish background! No one decorates in those colors. “Everyone” is decorating in warm reds and golds and bronzes and rusts. Wise up, California Artist!
Golden Delicious, 6×6 oil on wrapped canvas, $40 (when it dries I’ll sign it)
I painted a yellow pear and used a reddish background. It didn’t sell when other pear paintings did. I did some honest re-evaluating.
Here is the Before and the After.
Before.
After.
If you prefer the Before, please don’t tell me. I am not mature enough to handle it. Thanks.
Sincerely,
The immature California Artist
I had a 5×7 oil painting of redwood trees in snow that I used to like. The longer it hung around and wasn’t sold, the less I liked it.
No problem. I have a paintbrush and I’m not afraid to use it!
Look at this weirdness:
Fear not. I have a plan.
But wait! There’s more!
Shocking, isn’t it? It will improve. I will show you. You will be pleased. (If you like poppies, that is.)
(with thanks to Jennifer at Jottings by Jennifer for the idea)
1. Your fruit paintings are done from just-picked, not grocery store fruit. 
Plum II, oil on wrapped canvas, $40
2. You’ve painted oranges at least 102 times.
Oranges 83, 14×11″, oil on board, framed in black wood, $250
3. You’ve painted poppies so many times that you’ve lost track.
California Poppy, oil on wrapped canvas, $40
4. You’ve painted Giant Sequoias so many times that you almost don’t need to look at photos of them anymore.
Sunny Sequoias VIII, 18 x 24, $450
5. It is too hot to knit, so you paint your yarn instead.
6. You get so excited about red leaves in the fall that you have to paint them.
Your turn! “You know you are a _____________ when. . .”
Pencil drawing for The Cabins of Wilsonia
Have you ever thought or said to an artist, “Gee, it must be great to have talent”? Or have you you ever said, “I wish I had talent like that”?
It’s all smoke and mirrors.
Actually, it’s not. It is practice, training, practice, rough criticism, more practice, a little success, practice, trial and error, practice, a little public embarrassment and yet even more practice.
Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book “Outliers” that it takes 10,000 hours of intentional practice with a focus toward continual improvement to become an expert at something. He’s not talking about mindless repetition.
Practice makes perfect. Erasers help too.
The harder I work, the more talented I become.
Practice, practice, practice. And, have a second more objective pair of eyes that is connected to a truthful mouth that is connected to a kind heart have a look at your work.
My Very Wise Dad told me of a concert pianist who had to practice 8 hours a day. When he dropped to 6 hours, he could tell the difference. When he dropped to 4 hours, his audience could tell the difference.
The only people who don’t learn to draw are the ones who quit drawing lessons too soon. Those who persist begin to think they have talent.
They might be right.
Sometimes people quit drawing lessons (or piano or ballet or drumming or guitar or knitting) because they don’t love it enough to practice as hard as talent requires.
Think I put enough cliches in this blog entry? 😎 Perhaps I need to practice my writing skills more.
Lake Kaweah is formed by Terminus Dam, about 10 miles below Three Rivers. When the lake is full, it reaches up into the lower end of town. When it is not full, there are lots of places to walk. The dam was built when I was a toddler, so I don’t remember anything prior to the lake. (My great uncle used to lament all the drowned flower seeds and I never understood what he was so worked up about.)
Instead of heading up higher into the hills today, we drove down to the lake. Everything was sort of dust colored, and yucky looking, so I messed with it a bit on the photos. This color junkie had to look hard for nice photos on this excursion.
Why am I showing you this stuff when I am a California artist? So that you can get to know me a bit, learn about where I live, and hopefully tell me what you think.
Not much to the Kaweah River right now. We sure do need rain.
This was once a swimming pool. Can you see a hint of blue tile around the edge?
Here is a closer view. I wonder where those people went when the Army Corps of Engineers forced them out of their home. That would be dreadful.
Michael saw this bridge from up on the highway and wanted to find it.
It crosses Horse Creek. I love older things that had style. Kind of weird to realize this sits completely underwater for months at a time, for almost 50 years!
Blushing Pear, 4×6 oil on board, with easel, $40
Maybe it is because I am an artist, or maybe because I am a California artist. Is it just me?? Help me out here, people!
Salt and Light, 11×14 oil on board, NFS
This California artist does more than just draw or paint. Sometimes she knits, sometimes she reads, sometimes she does both at the same time (if the book will lie flat).
Because December has had no precipitation, we were able to drive to Mineral King this week. I’ll share the photos today and tomorrow.
The same and yet not the same. Sigh. (See this)
My request for pruning the dead branches on the cottonwoods that stab into my photos was ignored.
A Cabela’s model and a representative for Terratrack were on the bridge.
We walked up to Crystal Creek.
If you’ve crossed it in the summer, you may or may not recognize this view. It was flowing under the snow, but that curly looking part is frozen.
This man bravely tested the snow bridge over the creek, following the tracks of animals.
More tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel!