Today I took a day off from my normal Sunday routine and went to Mineral King. Big surprise, that destination, hunh? Anyway, it was very very beautiful. You can see for yourself in these pictures. Besides, I needed to see it in person once more before beginning to paint!
These funny little machines were a great method of transportation over a road that was intermittently snow and bare pavement (we need more snow!!!)
This is Sawtooth, which will appear from a different angle in the mural but remains recognizable. 
And Farewell Gap is the most photographed site in Mineral King. This is the view from the bridge. The little machines vapor-locked because it was so warm up there today, so I skied over to the cabin while we waited for them to cool down. I had to find an extra pair of sunglasses for our friend. His shades are somewhere down around Redwood Canyon – if you find them next summer, please let me know!
Giant Project Revealed
- What? the next mural in Exeter
- Where? the 100 north block of E street, on the west side, facing south . Yes, that is correct – it overlooks the parking lot of the Exeter Sun.
- When? We are hoping to project the image on the wall on the evenings of Thursday and Friday, February 5 and 6
- Biggest what: (no surprise here) – Mineral King, of course! 😎
- Size: The wall is 105′ x 15″; the mural will be 103′ x 12′
- Who? me! I get to paint it after planning for months and months and months. . .
Print this out, cut out the pictures, tape them together in this order, imagine the longest sepia part scooted to the left, and there is the next mural!!
A Year to Remember
2008 was a huge year professionally – I dove into the mural business and painted 3 of them; I painted 125 other paintings from 6″x6″ to 24″x36″ (if I counted correctly, which is always a little dicey with me); I completed 4 portraits (without developing a twitch under my left eye); many drawing students both new and old had a great time learning for the first time or trying something new (in classes and in private lessons); more commissions in pencil than I could keep track of came and went home with happy customers (and several others are nearing completion); AND, this is really big (remember, i don’t even have a microwave) – I became a blogger! On a personal note, in case anyone cares, I knitted 5 cardigans, 4 pullovers, 7 pairs of socks, 3 scarves and 2 hats, and most were not too weird for a change. I have huge plans for 2008, both professionally and personally, but until there is a signed contract I don’t want to spill any beans. So, thank you for reading my blog, thank you for commenting, and thank you for lurking out there without commenting! 
This is where Michael is today, but not me because I have to work. I’m not complaining, really! I love to work, I do, I do!
Day Trip
My book
10 years ago, The Cabins of Mineral King was published by Jane Coughran and me. Last week I found one on eBay presented very very well (thank you, Whoever you were!). I bid on it, and didn’t win. The winner of the book paid $77! That makes me smile. In a coming blog, I will tell you about the book.
More happy trails
See what I mean?
Trail In Fall – oil on wrapped canvas – 8 x 10 – $80 You can see this and more on Friday and Saturday, November 28-29 at the Three Rivers Arts Center from 10-4. Go East on 198, turn left to cross the Kaweah River on the North Fork Bridge, and the Arts Center is the first building on the left.
Happy Trails
One last weekend
This was our closing weekend in the Land of No Electricity. It is a time of mixed emotions – it is difficult to be divided between two places, and it is difficult to leave a place we love. When we close the cabin, we cease to worry over freezing pipes, and leaving the cats alone at home. When we close the cabin, we also miss Mineral King like crazy and can’t wait until next summer. Isn’t that just how life is? You get one thing and lose another – it is the old “can’t have your cake and eat it too” dilemma. So, the appropriate response is gratitude for each wonderful thing, no matter how fleeting.
The colors were dull – almost everything took a hit from the unseasonably low temperatures in the previous weekend. The leaves mostly turned brown and crunchy instead of becoming more colorful.
However, if one was willing to walk a few miles, there were rewards!
Telephony pole
Remember this painting? I started it back in July or August, and I promised that there would not be a telephone pole in it, despite its beginning appearance.
Out of the Valley – oil on wrapped canvas – 11×14″ – $154
Into the Valley
There are 2 valleys in my life: one is the Mineral King valley, and the other refers to the San Joaquin Valley. When we are in the mountains, we talk about “heading down the hill”, or “going to the valley”. This can mean driving to Three Rivers, Visalia, or points beyond. When we are in Three Rivers, we also say “heading down the hill” or “going to the valley”. This can mean Woodlake, Lemon Cove, Exeter, Visalia, or points beyond. This painting is titled “Into the Valley” and in this case, it refers to the trail leading from Farewell Gap down into the Mineral King Valley.
Into the Valley – oil – 18 x 24″ – $432