Tough Decision, Part Two

There are many seasoned artists who freely share their experience with other artists. One of the nuggets I’ve gleaned through the years is “Get rid of your junk”. There is no reason to keep things around that do not sell or do not represent your best work.

The Cabins of Mineral King represented my best work in 1998. I draw better now, which is good; I would better have improved over the last 20 years or that would be a sorry situation. (That was an awkward sentence – anyone know a good editor?)

Still, the unsold drawings haunt me, take up space and just need to go away, either through a sale or through a shredder.

Before they go into the shredder, here is a chance for you to own an original pencil drawing for a peanut butter sandwich, as my dad used to say. I will consider offers, as long as they are not insulting.

One month from today, October 7, is the deadline on this batch of drawings.

4-1/2 x 5″, $20, SOLD
6-1/2 x 4″, $25, SOLD
7 x 10″, $90
4-1/2 x 5″, $25, SOLD
4-1/2 x 6-1/2″, $35, SOLD
5 x 7″, $40. SOLD

Sawtooth on a Saw Blade in a Situation

The Silver City Store/Resort has gotten quite elegant. I feel honored to be able to sell there and to now be part of their decor.

Let’s take a tour.

The outside of the store is a bit different than it used to be but still recognizable (Who put her less than classy looking vehicle in front of the store and interrupted this photo opportunity??)
This is the view directly ahead when you step inside the store, although the unknown man may not be there if you stop by.
Look toward the right. . .
And a little farther right to the tables along the front wall. The photos above the tables are all the wedding photos of people who either met or married in the area.
Look to the left of the front counter when you first step inside (that square cardboard contains the saw blade.) Why yes, that is one of my paintings on the mantel. . . thank you for noticing!
Look directly left and that is the new store area where my paintings are incorporated with the other merchandise. (Nope, not a real gallery, but there are real customers with real money, and we consistently make real sales.)

Now let’s return to the front counter.

HEY! THERE IT IS!! THANK YOU, HANNAH, HANNAH, AND MICHAEL FOR CHOOSING MY ART.

More Mineral King Fun in August

August isn’t the most beautiful month in Mineral King but it might be the busiest in  terms of visitation. Who can blame folks for wanting to escape the heat of the flatlands?

There are cone flowers in my neighborhood. This is one of the yellow flowers that doesn’t look exactly like all the others (but looks close if it hasn’t yet matured into a cone-head.)
This is an iron spring, not to be confused with Soda Springs (although the water tastes just as bad.) It is just a different name for the same phenomenon.
An artifact – part of an old bedframe. . . I can hear the voice now, “Henry, I’m NOT sleeping in the woods unless you bring my bed!”
Trail Guy found another artifactual bedframe. What’s the deal? A Mineral King Motel 6?
I FOUND A NEW FLOWER!! This one is called Grass of Parnassus. Excuse me? Who is Parnassus and why is this lovely little white bowl called a “grass”?
Always looks better in person but I thought you’d enjoy a little evening light.
My neighbor told me that he loves the view from the pay phone in the parking lot in the evening. Bruce, this photo is for you.
Hi Maxine.

And in case you were wondering how my favorite bridge looks in August, here is a recent photo.

The Oak Grove Bridge on the Mineral King road.

Four New Mineral King Oil Paintings

These Mineral King oil paintings began as four little messes. After the second pass over the canvas, they dried outside in the sun for 24 hours. That was all it took for them to be ready to scan and move up the hill to the Silver City Store for sale.

They NEVER look as good on the screen as in person. (Feel like taking a drive up a long and winding road?)

Mineral King XII
Juniper II
Mineral King Stream II
Honeymoon Cabin #35

Each one is 4×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, ready to hang without a frame or to set on a shelf, $54 includes California sales tax.

Various Things in Mineral King

Happy Birthday, Judy-o!!

This month I am spending a large chunk of time just goofing off instead of working. This means I don’t have much to post about in terms of my art business. But, does anyone care? And is it necessary to post five days a week, as is my habit?  It isn’t Friday, and yet I’m going on and on about Mineral King. Again, I ask “does anyone care”?

I do. I care. Been doing this blog for over ten years, five days a week, and not gonna stop now. Nope. Not.

So there.

This is similar to the view I drew in pencil earlier this summer, but 30 years later.
Horses seem to be all about dust, flies, and manure.
Because of this guy, I began teaching drawing lessons in 1994. Thank you, Steven!!
Cabins require maintenance.
Standard scene. Yawn. Just another day in Paradise.
A juniper tree along the trail.
Ever heard of Western Eupatorium? Glad to be of service in enhancing your wildflower knowledge.
Weird horse (but at least it isn’t sticking out its tongue).
Who are these guys?? Some people work at their cabins; others just hang around waiting for Happy Hour. We love and appreciate our cabin neighbors.
That weirdness on the Red Fir branch is a type of mistletoe that grows on conifers.
We admired our neighbor’s radio because it worked beautifully, unlike the THREE that are in our cabin and HE GAVE IT TO US!!! See? Great neighbors all around. I’ve never heard of this brand, but wow, I am impressed! Talk radio, Giants baseball, and music all come in clearly.

Sold Mineral King Oil Paintings

Mineral King oil paintings have been selling steadily this summer at the Silver City Store/Resort.

The popularity of subjects has changed a bit. The Honeymoon Cabin is this year’s favorite, the Crowley cabin/Farewell Gap (view from the bridge at the end of the road) is second, and only one Sawtooth painting has sold. All the other paintings are in the category of Everything Else, which includes back country, trails, streams, and general scenery of the area.

The most popular size remains 6×6″ (perhaps because I paint more of that size than any other) with the second most popular size 4×6″. The large paintings look good in the store, but most people just want a bargain.

There are a couple more on the list of solds, but I didn’t keep close enough track and can’t find the scans of those paintings. (There are drawbacks to living in 2 places, one of them without the internet, but I bravely soldier on.)

Maybe for next year I should just do 6×6″ Honeymoon Cabin oil paintings. Wait, that won’t work because the market for those may be saturated. But wait. . . are the customers one-time visitors, repeat guests, or cabin community members?

The business of art is full of by-guess-and-by-golly. There is so much more to being an artist than just painting. . . all the thinking and planning in the world is still just an intuitive guess.

Busy Times in Mineral King

There’s that annoying word, “busy”. Full calendar, perhaps, might be a better thing to say. No, that isn’t really true, because I scheduled three days of doing just about nothing. Mineral King has been busy because with the closure of Yosemite, visitors are coming hard and fast into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. It has taken them a bit longer to discover Mineral King, but the back country trails have been filling up.

The Mineral King Preservation Society has an annual event that used to be called “The Hoedown”. Someone finally pointed out that no one knows what that word actually means, and the MKPS had the good sense to change it to the classier “Music in the Mountains”.

Trail Guy was the organizer, and he did a great job! Excellent evening together in Mineral King for anyone who had the good fortune to be there.

Keith Hamm and Esther Zurcher call themselves “Mankin Creek” and are a folk-type music husband/wife duo from Three Rivers. It is always a treat to hear them.
Music in the Mountains took place on this old cement slab above the parking lot at the end of the road.
Free picnic-style dinner was provided to all 93 folks who attended (except one who wouldn’t even eat the veggie sandwiches because they have mayo – hunh?)
This is one of our favorite grandpas, enjoying seeing his granddaughter dance.
And this is the granddaughter with her mom.
Others danced too – this one was for Louise Jackson, the originator of the event who could not attend this year. Her favorite song is “Don’t Fence Me In”, so Keith and Esther played it for her. I had to go do something busy so I wouldn’t cry during this one.
These really aren’t grumpy old men (and no, Jake, I’m not calling you “old”). They are quite genial fellows who are listening intently and enjoying the music. Maybe they are trying not to cry here.
Trail Guy is ‘splaining how things work.
Jim Ingram provided the sound system and a few cowboy favorites.
Rich and Nikki came from Three Rivers for the evening and showed us all how to dance.
Nikki’s cousin Stefni was a surprise singing guest with a truly beautiful voice.

A good time was definitely had by all!

Lingering Wildflowers in Mineral King

I’ve spent more time in Mineral King than home working in August so the subject needs Friday as well as Monday next week.

Mineral King’s wildflowers peak in July, but there are still beautiful sights in August.

This dude is too busy to notice the stellar jay feather. He is a Lodgepole chipmunk.
Trail Guy on the Franklin/Farewell trail.
Yo, Bucky.
The flowers at the Franklin/Farewell trail junction are fading, but Bigelow Sneezeweed is still going strong.
We accompanied our good friend on the first four miles of her week-long backpack trip.

This girl can step out, even wearing a backpack that probably tops 45 lbs. I had to focus to stay on her 6, carrying my 4 lb. day pack. How embarrassing. When we got to the Trail Junction (affectionately known as the “Wildflower Cafe”), we had a snack, and then I announced that I had gone as far as I wanted to go.

I came to see some Explorer’s Gentian, and they did not disappoint.

They make the Sierra Gentian look boring by contrast. (Or perhaps my photos do that.)

Crystal Creek is slow and low.

Eight was enough miles for the day. We got back to the cabin before the sky opened up, and I got more knitting done. (Our friend probably was at her destination, hunkered down in her tent.)

It’s getting wet out there.

Cleaned up Messes

My four little messes from last week have become paintings. This 4×6″ size is tricky to paint. I hold them in my left hand, often ending up wearing paint in addition to applying it, and always wishing for smaller and smaller brushes. They retail for $50 (plus 8% tax, welcome to California) each, and the place that sells them takes a bite out of the $50, so I have to be careful to not pour too many hours into them.

In other words, I have to “settle”. Two passes over the canvas is all they get, and rather than focus on precision, I focus on pleasing colors and contrast. That’s not natural to this Central California artist whose specialty is detail in pencil.

But, I bravely soldier on. . .

For the 2nd pass, I mix the colors more carefully and try to get them all mixed before beginning.
I hope these dry quickly; they should outside in the heat and the wind.

It might be hotter on this rock.
More on the rock was a good idea except for those troublesome grasses.
Maybe the wood stack is better because the sun is over there for a longer time.
4 little Mineral King oil paintings, drying on the wood stack. Farewell Gap, Vandever with the stream, Honeymoon Cabin, Juniper.

But wait! There’s more!

That juniper needs to be painted on an 8×8″ square canvas. I’ll enjoy painting it more when there is space to capture more detail.

 

Four Little Messes

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

It has been a few weeks since I oil painted. Little paintings are selling steadily at the Silver City Resort/Store 4 miles below Mineral King, and in this final push of summer before the season shuts down after Labor Day, it seems wise to load up their shelves.

How in the world do people complete a painting in only one pass over the canvas? I’ve done it, but right now it seems like a foreign language that I have never heard before.

It was easy to choose the subjects to paint, and goodness knows, I have hundreds of photos of the same scenes in Mineral King, all in different lights.

Here are four little messes. By “little”, I mean 4×6″. By “messes”, I mean OH NO HAVE I FORGOTTEN HOW TO PAINT??