The post Art and the Economy made me think about my art and if it serves the functions that were written about in Art Calendar magazine. Take the cheerful little cheap inexpensive painting of Three Peppers IV, which I am showing you again in order to lift your spirits with the state of the economy. 
1. Is this a “non liquid asset par excellence”? It is certainly non liquid, and I think it is excellent. (I might change my mind in a few months as my abilities increase.) 2. How does this “reflect societal values”? Food is good. We like to eat. Variety it good. Color sells. Peppers are affordable. Peppers are good for you. Okay, this painting qualifies in this category. 3. Have I “offered new insight”? Lots of people paint peppers in the 3 colors, sometimes even four (peppers come in orange too). But how many people paint them in a blue colander, hunh?? okay, got that one nailed! (this is exhausting my feeble mind, but for the sake of intellectual discussion I will soldier on bravely) 4. Does this painting “offer a new perspective of reality”? How many of you look at your groceries as art? Are you inspired to view your food from the perspective of beauty in addition to nutrition? Were you aware of the dual purposes of edibles? Aha! There’s a “new perspective of reality” for you!! Excuse me. I think I need to go lie down for awhile from all this heavy mental lifting. Better yet, perhaps I will knit a few rows on the hat I am making FOR THE FOURTH TIME (but I am not upset about it – I am economizing on yarn with the state of the economy in these economic hard times et cetera)
Art and the economy
Have you noticed how often the phrase “with the state of the economy” is getting used these days? Tiresome to hear the repetition of whatever phrase the media and culture latches onto. . . sigh. Anyway, here are a few thoughts about art in “these current economic times” (another worn out phrase – sorry!) In the current issue of Art Calendar magazine (note the correct usage of the word “issue” here), there are several articles about selling art in an economic slowdown. One speaks of art as the “non liquid asset par excellence”. It also discusses art as a “reflection of societal values”, and as a chance to “offer new insight and perspectives of reality”. Is that what I do??? If so, it just happens, because my thought pattern is rather predictable when it comes to making art. First thought: “How beautiful!” Second thought: “Can I capture that first on film and then on canvas or paper?” Third thought: “I wonder if that will sell. . . ” I have never considered my art to be a non liquid asset, only a way to bring joy and beauty and memories and peaceful happy thoughts to my customers’ lives! (what kind of a simpleton am I anyway???) My “guru”, Jack White writes about all the people whom are not affected by the economic slowdown. These are nurses, ambulance drivers, teachers, fire fighters, law enforcers, just to name a few. He says that these folks are our customers. In my opinion, these have always been my customers. Who else lives around here? I know one or two people who do esoteric stock market type jobs, and they aren’t any bigger customers than my blue-collar buyers. Perhaps the way to survive “the current state of the economy” (sheeesh! how else can this be phrased??) is to live in a continually semi-depressed rural economy so that “these current economic times” are hardly noticed as any different (other than the excess of those hackneyed phrases). For example, I know a guy who has been waiting months and months for 4 different contractors to bid on building a new house for him. Last night in Costco, it was crowded and shelves were empty (Hey! can I get some mozzarella cheese over here??) My husband and I have had our new roof lying in our yard for 2-3 years waiting for our favorite carpenter to install it and even with the state of the economy (sorry) he is still too busy. Here, let your spirits be lifted with this bright, cheerful, colorful and cheap inexpensive painting! Three Peppers IV, 6″x6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $36
Happy Birthday to Stacy
This is a piece commissioned for a dear friend of mine by her husband. Hope you are very happily surprised, Stacy!
Brrrr
Happy New Year! It has been awhile since I posted anything because all I can think about is the Giant Project that I can’t talk about yet. This GP takes all my time, but today I took a day off to test drive a weird little machine.
OF COURSE we went to Mineral King! (try not to be so surprised) This is a Cushman Trackster, and it is so very much superior to the snowmobile (AKA Devilmachine). The last time I went to MK in the winter on the snowmobile, I needed a cigarette, and I have never smoked anything in my entire life! It was an ordeal. This is smoother, quieter, doesn’t smell as bad, holds more gear, is slower and more reliable, and does a neato little spin-in-a-circle trick. It also doesn’t put my husband in a foul mood like the devilmachine. It was not a clear sunny warm day. This is how it looked as we got to the top of Endurance Hill.
This is how Farewell Gap, the famous scene, the most photographed view in Mineral King looked: 
Kind of makes one want to be at home by the fire, or perhaps in front of an easel with a nice furnace blazing. (Someday soon I will tell you what the GP is.)
Merry Christmas
The Ornament Story, chapter 4
This is the crowd shuffling back down the hall as the party was over. The conversations were so much fun. I heard people going on about the bathrooms (“Fine facilities!” in a very Southern accent), talking about how many paper napkins with the White House emblem that they stuffed in their purses, and the cameras never stopped snapping!
We were very reluctant to leave, as were most of the guests. It was all such a beautiful fantasy, and it was hard to believe it was over so quickly. While I changed from my useless high heels to a pair of walking shoes, Michael made friends with Jeff, a Secret Service guy:
He showed him the photos of meeting the President in Sequoia in 2001 and referred to him as “Dubya”. I said, horrified, “Michael! They probably don’t call him that here!!” Jeff said, “Actually, we call him Forty-three”. Isn’t that a hoot? There are many many layers of security around the White House, several different fences and gates to pass through before emerging onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Here is one last glance back:
I think I stood on a bench for this one. (It was safe – my high heels were in my oh-so-dorky-with-dress-up-clothes-backpack). There was a fence separating us from the White House and another fence separating us from outside the White House. Our next mission was to locate a Metro Station and figure out how to get back to Alexandria, where we had a 19 block walk back to Janey’s (see why I brought normal shoes with me?) Michael was a little uneasy with this, but since I had just been in China, I knew this would be a piece of cake. Why? Because everyone spoke English here AND we could read the signs! So, that is my story of the ornament. One last thing: have a look at the little item that gave me this adventure!
You can view all the ornaments here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2007/ It is interesting to note that no where are the artists mentioned, only the National Parks that we represented. And we were instructed to not use our designs commercially – no reproductions, no advertising saying “as designed for the White House”. I have been asked many times why I haven’t made more ornaments, and that is the main reason. If that agreement wasn’t part of the deal, perhaps I might have done so, but to paint the same little fussy object over and over probably would have lost its appeal.
The Ornament Story, chapter 3
A note about getting “gussied up”. . . I faxed the White House a second time to ask about the dress code. Here in Tulare County, “dressed up” means that I iron a polo shirt for Michael to wear with decent jeans. “Formal” means his best Wranglers, boots, and a “sport” jacket. (“Sport?” What, is he going to play basketball??) Really really formal means a tie with the formal ensemble. So the White House returned my fax with a phone call, and I was told in no uncertain terms that “No denim is allowed on the compound”. This meant a major shopping expedition for Michael. Me? I found a $3 blue velveteen jacket at the local thrift shop, and since I have enough clothing for a small third world nation of short women who wear their skirts too long, this was adequate to complete an outfit for me. So we arrived in style at the White House, and joined the queue to be officially identified as invited guests. Everyone was excited, dressed up, and friendly. We finally got inside the White House itself and began the shuffle down a long hall. Everything was interesting, everyone was nice, every moment was fun! (incidentally, there were 2 men at the reception wearing blue jeans. Michael asked one of them how he got away with that, and the guy said ,”I don’t dress up for nobody”. Apparently he doesn’t bother with proper English either!)
I could go on and on about the details, but will try to contain my enthusiasm so you don’t realize that I really don’t get out much!Here is a photo of the East Room where the reception was:
Outstanding food, truly outstanding! Incredible to be there, really!Here is the podium where Laura Bush spoke:
We were too short and too far back in the crowd to see her. (I was wearing my highest heels, to no avail other than killing my feet!)
This is the tree in The Blue Room. It was 18′ tall, and my ornament was placed in a perfect spot! You are seeing the back of the head of the woman guarding the tree on the side where my ornament hung. (it doesn’t show in this blurry photo – guess I was a little too wound up to take proper photos!) Here is the view from the Blue Room where we were all standing around in shock and awe:
We handed the camera to a stranger to pose in The Red Room, and suddenly, the carriages turned to pumpkins. Everywhere we looked, a uniformed guard was saying, “This way please”. That had to have been the quickest 2 hours of my life! to be continued. . .
The Ornament Story, chapter 2
Once we knew the date of the White House reception, I began making plans. We have very good friends in Pennsylvania who invited us to stay with them AND, get this, loaned us a car! So we flew into Harrisburg, which has rocking chairs in its airport!!
Here is what some of their area looks like: 
After recovering from a red-eye flight (Note to self: NEVER do that again!) the next day we drove to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia to the home of our good friend and cabin neighbor (and partner in my book) Janey. The drive was so interesting to us. Just seeing signs along the freeway that mentioned Civil War battlegrounds was fascinating to these West-coasters! And the colors – this photo was taken at a rest stop!
I knew I would love Janey’s town from years of hearing about it. Sure enough – just look where she lives! (Please excuse the car in the way – parking is at such a premium in her neighborhood that we had to have a permit for our borrowed car and she had to negotiate with a construction crew for a place to put the car.) These homes were built in the late 1700s, and I was shamelessly and instantly in love with the whole place.
We got all gussied up, and Janey drove us to the White House. To be continued. . .
The Power of Propane
This is the far corner of the workshop where I paint. You can see the little stove is working again, now that there is propane in the tank. The Vice President In Charge of Heat And Power And Water lit the pilot last night after returning from hours and hours of pushing snow around with a big yellow machine. What a guy! I am showing this corner so you can see I have been busy busy busy, but it all must dry before I can continue working. Are you curious?? I am curious how other oil painters deal with cold weather and getting their work to dry enough to continue working! This method of little heater and fans and easels works for me, thanks to the wonder of propane and a very good VP!
Brrrr
This is how Alta Peak looked from my window this a.m. Not only is it cold outside, it is very cold inside my studio and painting workshop because I ran out of propane!! I painted awhile and finished a little painting that you don’t get to see because it will be a gift for someone who probably reads this blog. And I worked a bit on the orchard scene, but the changes are too minimal to show in my photos. So, please enjoy this snowy photo while I go for a brisk walk to warm up!