I know, I keep saying it is the end of summer in Mineral King. The weekend after Labor Day was very warm, and it was a fun time with some friends who rented a fancy-pants cabin (a “chalet”) in Silver City.
End of Summer in Mineral King
And Yet More Mineral King Oil Paintings
Tomorrow we will take a final look at the Farewell Gap paintings.
Still Oil Painting in Mineral King
Not really oil painting in Mineral King – oil paintings of Mineral King, painted in Three Rivers.
As a studio artist, I work from my photos. The variations are based on size and shape of painting (square, rectangular, really rectangular – and never horizontal for this scene, although that is an interesting idea). The variations also happen with time of day and time of year and type of snowfall and flow of water AND where I stood to take the photo. Plus, sometimes I juice up the colors a little more than natural. Sometimes I work at tight realism, and other times I try to loosen up. That isn’t natural to me, but is certainly faster.
These all look sort of dark, but I think it was the way I photographed them, not the paintings themselves. 2014 wasn’t a dark year. 2015 was a dark year, but we’ll have to see if that sadness was reflected in my paintings tomorrow.
More Farewell Gap, Mineral King Oil Paintings
Happy Birthday, Diana Banana!!
Since I have about 32 oil paintings of Farewell Gap with the Crowley family cabin in Mineral King, let’s keep going. You can evaluate my progress (or lack thereof).
I painted it often in 2012.
The Roman numeral numbering system isn’t consistent here. Sometimes I called a small version simply “Mineral King”, sometimes I included it in the consecutive numbering.
Come back on Monday to see how I painted the scene in 2013.
The Last Weekend of Summer in Mineral King
Why do we think that Labor Day is the last weekend in summer? Doesn’t summer go until around the 21st of September? Tell the weather that – it ALWAYS is cooler on Labor day weekend in Mineral King.
It was a difficult weekend (see Tuesday’s post). It was also full of friendship and a tiny bit of getting out and about.
Not much to say, so have a look. The first 4 photos are Trail Guy’s from the days leading up to Labor Day weekend.
The Same Mineral King Scene
I paint the same Mineral King scenes over and over. One in particular sells very well. It is the classic Mineral King scene, the view from the bridge at the end of the road. Farewell Gap, the East Fork of the Kaweah River and the Crowley family cabin.
Let’s look at these in order of painting. There are variations in time of year, color of light, amount of snow on the peaks, amount of water in the stream, size of the fir tree on the left, arrangement on the canvas, and skill level of the artist. (Don’t mention this to my boss – she’ll get worried that I might ask for a raise.)
There are 32 of these in my iPhoto, but I don’t think that corresponds with the way I’ve titled them. Sometimes I can’t count very well. (Oh great, there goes my raise.)
And no, I won’t put all 32 in this post. They also might not be in order of getting painted. (There goes my raise for sure.)
Now there is a gap in time. Either I numbered the paintings wrong, or I took a big break from painting Farewell Gap. I think I spent a few years painting nothing but oranges, trying to get more comfortable with oil painting.
This might have been a repaint to the 2nd one above. Oh man, don’t tell my boss. She would be shocked, dismayed and disappointed at my shoddy record keeping.
Stop by again tomorrow for more Farewell Gap Mineral King oil paintings.
Mineral King Friendships
It is an interesting phenomenon of a seasonal community like Mineral King that friendships can be formed on the basis of a few days a year over the course of many years.
A prime example is our relationship with the Sawtooth Six, our neighbors for 4 days a year over the last 30-something years.
It took me quite a few years to learn their names. We used to find out when they were visiting and plan to be gone that weekend. Now everyone has grown up, and we anticipate the Sawtooth Six’s visit with pleasure.
Trail Guy Gets Social
Trail Guy is an introvert. However, sometimes he mingles and socializes with animals.
Hey, Spot!
Sometimes he socializes with people.
This is Craig. He is at the East Fork of the Kaweah River, below Atwell Mill. Reminds me of an oil painting, appropriately titled “Below Atwell”.
This is Blair. He is very social, and while talking to someone on the trail, that someone told Blair, “You look a lot like Robert Redford!” (He does.) Trail Guy was waiting patiently on the trail above until he got tired of waiting. Then he yelled, “Come on, Robert! Let’s Go!” (I have it from a reliable source that Redford’s friends call him “Bob”. I’ve let Trail Guy know in case he needs that info in the future.)
What? No people? Trail Guy, where are your peeps?? (Not telling where this is, nope, gotta keep the people out of some of the really special places. Except now Blair knows.)
Blair is taller than Bob.
Isn’t this fabulous? Trail Guy is developing a great sense of what makes a good photo (combined with my cropping and editing skills, of course.)
Wait – is that Blair or is that Bob??
Here is Trail Guy with Keith. They are so cute in their matching Mineral King tee shirts and straw hats.
Poor Trail Guy is just worn out from all this socializing. The hiking doesn’t wear him out. Remember, he is Trail Guy!
Signs of Late Summer in Mineral KIng
Mineral King has a quick summer. Gotta go, gotta experience, gotta enjoy, don’t blink, because boom, it is over. (The temperature in the early morning of the day I took these photos was 38 degrees.)
Random Mineral King Observations
Warning: long long rambling post ahead
First random Mineral King observation is about a wildflower called “Cow Parsnip”. I think white flowers are a little bit boring but this one grows taller than me sometimes and has this ongoing mystery of the leaves.
Second random observation on Mineral King is also about wildflowers. Goldenrod is a yellow flower that I find a little bit boring except that it is a harbinger of fall. This photo was taken on July 30. Seems early. . . does this indicate a big winter coming?
Random observation #3: Hey Trail Guy! Your favorite flower is next in the queue.
Random Mineral King observation #4: This platform thing was supporting a display of Mineral King artifacts in the ranger station. The display was dismantled to be moved to the upcoming Mineral King Room in the Three Rivers Historical Museum soon. Trail Guy retrieved this platform that he built in 1986, and together we thought of making this table. Rustic, resourceful, and cabin-ish, yes?
Random Mineral King observation #5 is about garbage. Mineral King lost its garbage service, and all cabin folks have been driving their trash to Silver City. We cannot keep it in our cabins because it will attract bears. This adds to traffic on the road. It is very hasslesome, so Trail Guy is also acting as Garbage Guy this summer. He procured a dumpster through his many connections, and each week he unloads trash from the dumpster near the cabins into his Botmobile and then hauls it to Silver City, where he unloads it from the Botmobile into the massive dumpster at Silver City.
I hate that he has to do this, particularly when people are inconsiderate. (Actually, he doesn’t have to do it; he chooses to.)
WHO ATE A FRESH PINEAPPLE AND DRANK A TON OF BEER AND DUMPED IT UNBAGGED INTO THE DUMPSTER BETWEEN JULY 27 AND JULY 31?
You are an illiterate inconsiderate idiot, and you need to apologize to Trail Guy. He is doing everyone a BIG FAT FAVOR, and your piggish messy behavior is unacceptable.
A very very fine bottle of cabernet might help ease his pain. He goes to bed early, so you could sneak it to the cabin after dark, and be sure to tiptoe because he sleeps with his ears open. You don’t want him to know who did this dastardly trash deed and is atoning for it.
(THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE ME NOT BE MAD AT YOU, SO DON’T EVEN TRY. I AM NOT GOING TO EXCUSE MYSELF FOR SHOUTING EITHER – THIS IS MY BLOG AND I FEEL LIKE SHOUTING.)
Trail Guy is a fine man with a servant’s heart who just wants to be of help to his cabin neighbors. Why don’t they have a little gratitude??
Some do. It only takes one pineapple-eating, beer-guzzling idiot to wreck stuff.
Final random Mineral King observation: Foxglove grow very well in Mineral King (and in Wilsonia too), but the Park doesn’t want them there because they aren’t native to the area. A few remain in spite of eradication efforts. I think they are very pretty. I included them in a drawing in the Mineral King coloring book.
Now you will know what color to make them if you bought the coloring book.
