Decisions to Get Ready for a Show

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“Locals“, is hung now at Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, now called CACHE. I hadn’t planned to enter, because I have never lived in Exeter. But then I learned that having my studio in Exeter for 9 years was qualification enough.

Because I had a solo show at the end of 2021 and then participated in a group show in 2022, I chose pieces that the likely audience won’t have seen yet.

Two of the five pieces are pencil, only shown to you and to my drawing students. I dug around through existing unsold pencil pieces to find mats and frames that might work and found two, so I unframed the old drawings. One of the new drawings needed to have its boundaries extended to better fit in the mat. Then, I put the newer drawings in those mats and frames, a tedious task.

In thinking about three oil paintings to enter, I decided to use one of the new orange grove paintings, one of Sawtooth (the view that was so very popular in my 2021 solo show), and a new painting of a new subject (shown to you in an earlier post). 

This photo (2 taped together) was taken through my windshield on one of those fabulous clear days. It is shown here at an angle because otherwise it is too shiny to see here.

This got painted on a 6×18″ in spite of being proportioned differently from the photo, because I just cropped off the bulk of the sky. It was easy to paint, because the mountains are the same as on most of those orange grove scenes.

I considered the title “Heading East on 198”.

Then I reconsidered.

Locals is at 125 So. B Street in Exeter, Saturdays and Sundays, 11-4, until April 23, 2023. OPENING RECEPTION—MARCH 26, 2-4 PM (Yes, I know it opens prior to the reception.)

Where are the Orange Groves?

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Where are the orange groves? They are in other paintings, eight other ones, to be exact.

This is a grove of oak and sycamore trees, at the Kaweah Oaks Preserve, working from a photo taken through my windshield. Don’t be alarmed; there was no traffic either in front or behind. I didn’t take the time to compose the photo carefully, just went click click click and then patched things together later on Photoshop Junior to get something paintable.

I flipped things to get the mountains more accurate.

That’ll do. Now the trees.

I thought you might like to see my palette; all the colors used here are mixed from white, 2 yellows, 2 reds, and 2 blues. 

Here is the left hand side as the detail begins to appear in the distant trees.

Mostly working left to right.

I didn’t save my crummy photos on the computer so that I can show it to you. After I had the prints made (it is 2 8×10″ taped together), I deleted them. There are too many photos on my computer, so I have to be very vigilant about deletion.

Finished! Too wet to scan, so I laid it on the floor to photograph it without shadows or wet paint glare.

Now, back to the orange groves. . .

Possibly Walking More Than Working

I really meant to paint. I started detailing this piece.

But holy guacamole, look at this day!

My walking buddy and I spotted some white rocks beneath the bridge. They got heavier as we got closer to home but we made it. 

I added them to my little eccentric project to be arranged later. The iris are starting to appear above the soil now.
Then I went back to work and finished this 10×20″ oil painting of Tulare County’s finest scenery.

Next, I went back to this 10×20″ painting.

Doesn’t look like much, but it was a little progress. Remember, no deadlines, no upcoming shows, no commissions, just the beautiful month of February in Tulare County.

A Little Work, A Little Walk, A Little More Work

While I am waiting to begin the murals at the giant church in Visalia, I have time to paint. However, I don’t have any deadlines, no upcoming shows, no commissions (there are a couple, but they are still in the conversation stage), and it has been BEE-YOO-TEE-FULL outside.

So, I work a little, walk a little, and work a little more.

When I am thinking about walking, it is a little bit hard to focus on detail. So, the detail on this 6×18″ oil painting of Tulare County’s best will have to wait. 

Let’s make like a tree and leaf.

Nothing in particular to photograph, just the same beautiful scenes of February in my Three Rivers neighborhood.

The elephant on Alta Peak is very clear, with a shadow making an ear and a rocky place making an eye. His back leg is significantly larger than his front. And there is Moro Rock.

A neighbor’s narcissus are in bloom. Mine are too, but I don’t want you to get too bored with the repetition here.

Back to work, Central California Artist!

This is 10×20″. Sawtooth is the peak on the left, and Homer’s Nose is visible on the right. 

I photographed this at an angle so you could see a bit of the reference photo minus the glare.

Nothing is finished after today’s disjointed painting attempts, but there was progress made, and February was enjoyed. Such a short month. Sigh.

Procrastination, Not Anticipation

Remember that song by Carly Simon “Anticipation”? I was singing that in my head the other day, but instead of “Anticipation is making me wait”, the words were “Procrastination is making me late”.The day was both cold and beautiful. I worked in the house where it was warm, wondering if anything was important enough to be in the workshop or studio where it was cold. If I was going to be cold, it was more appealing to go for a walk.

So, I did.

Then, I painted.

This one needed the mid-range hills detailed and a crop of oranges added, along with a wind machine.

This one needs everything.

Oops. Now it is dark and cold, time to go back into the house for the evening.

Procrastination would only be making me late if there were deadlines. 

I Have a Feeling that. . .

Are all these posts looking alike to you? (That’s a rhetorical question, one that I don’t want to hear the answer to.)

I decided that this 6×12″ painting is finished. “Citrus and the Sierra #forty-eleven”, perhaps?

Time to put more layers on the 12×16″. Normally I paint back to front, meaning I start with the parts that are farthest away in real life. This day I started with the closest items instead.

After putting detail on the closer trees, I moved to the row of trees that is next, trying to make the perspective look believable.

That looks right to me now.

So Tucker and I sat back and studied the painting. It caused me to do more work on the mountains, not photographed yet because you prolly won’t know the difference. Yes, I wrote “prolly”. The green hills need a lot of attention too. Oops, one of those trees looks like a fuzzy green ball. 

I have a feeling that I will be working on this one for awhile.

Slowly Painting Tulare County’s Best Scenes

This 12×16″ unfinished painting has been spoken for, so it is taking precedence over the other unfinished paintings.

The printed photos arrived from Shutterfly. Sometimes it is easier to paint from the laptop; sometimes it is easier to paint from printed photos. I haven’t evaluated why this is so. I do know that it is really difficult to photograph the shiny print.

Here you can see that the mountains are taking shape. I might keep adding layers, tightening up the detail to match the photo even more. But, in painting, the things that are farthest away are supposed to have less detail than the things that are closer. On the other hand, the most detailed areas are where your eye goes first in a painting.

What is more important—the Sierra Nevada or the citrus groves?(Don’t answer that unless your initials are MBW)

Those green hills have a lot of details, but I am not planning on counting the distant oak trees or boulders.

This is enough for this layer today.

The correct colors were mixed up, ready to go on the palette, so it was efficient to use the paint for the next canvas. This one is 6×12″.

The day ended with a fistful of paintbrushes to wash. For a couple of weeks, instead of washing them each day, I just wrapped them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer. Eventually, I run out of the brushes I like and then the brushwashing vacation ends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GLB!!

Three Edges, Two Layers, One Finish

That title is a description of a whole day of painting.

Trail Guy started the furnace in the painting workshop, turned on the fan to move the warm air to the opposite end of the room where the easels are, and shut the doors to keep the warmth in and the cats out. They were invited to be in, but if you know anything about cats, you know how much they hate closed doors. (Trail Guy turned on the furnace for me because it makes a big POPPPHWHOOOFSSSHH! when starting and sometimes blows out the pilot light.)

Let’s move on before I add more letters to the noise the furnace makes.

It was a brilliantly sunny day, so much that I could not see the computer screen or take good photos of my progress. But, it is warm by the easels in the sun before the furnace does its job. So, I just worked with what I’ve got. . . what? You want me to build an actual studio?? Not a chance.

See the brilliant sunshine?

Pippin liked being inside before he figured out that the doors were closed.

Someone (Hi BW) asked for the 12×16″ painting, so I started there.

Hi Pippin.

Sky first.

Work downward and forward, saving the closest things for last. Not everyone paints this way, but since it is the way I first learned and it ain’t broke, I ain’t fixin’ it.

Next!

Layer, by layer. Same deal, top to bottom, back to front.

I felt like a cog in a wheel, a factory worker. So, I decided to do a 6×12″ from beginning to end. (That is the smallest size canvas in this series of Tulare County citrus with mountains scenery.)

Sky first, moving forward, ridge by ridge.

 

Detail is so engrossing that I forgot to photograph the steps.

This looks pretty good, but not good enough. Remember, I am a pencil artist, and I draw with my paintbrush. (So there, Art World snobs.)

This looked good enough to sign. So, I did. 

There was still time for another layer on this other 6×12″ canvas. 

With the leftover sky paint, I covered edges on three more canvases. Of course there wasn’t enough, so I had to squeeze out about four more times.

I could add that to the title. Four Squeezes, Three Edges, Two Layers, One Finished.

Nah. Trail Guy turned off the heater and I am ready to move into the house.

A Little More Paint

In my time of waiting to begin those murals, I have grown accustomed to lots of free time. This includes errands, taking walks, baking bread, helping friends (so many friends in a tough spot all at the same time), reading, knitting, yardening, and just working a little bit every day, but only a little bit.

One day I started on this 10×20″ painting that shows the mountains from Sawtooth on the left to Homer’s Nose on the right. I condensed the distance and faked some mountains, probably just left out others. (My excuses: the photo was blurry and there were clouds; besides, almost no one cares.)

Sky first (no photo of that because my camera battery needed a recharge), mountains second, foothills third.

Fourth, start on the distant groves.

Fifth, keep working down to the lower/closer groves.

Oops, gotta go! Errands: library book available, delivering the very last calendar to the friend who was in a convalescent hospital with a thieving front desk, taking bread to a couple of friends. (When life is hard for people, bake and deliver bread; it sort of helps.)

Good thing there are no pressing deadlines right now. Helped a friend find songs and burn a CD for her husband’s memorial service (lots of friends with troubles. . . sigh.)

In my next pass over this canvas, I will add detail to the mountains, foothills, distant trees, orange trees, etc. I hope my friends get breaks from these awful things soon. It is a good thing to have the time and resources to help where and when I can.

A Little Walk and A Little Paint

The end of January gave us some brilliant days. Instead of just planting myself in front of the easels, I went for a walk first. I haven’t been on this walk for many months and was thrilled by all the greenery and flowing (and standing) water. When we moved to Three Rivers 24 years ago, there wasn’t much traffic here, either bicycle or foot. Now it is rare to be alone out there, and usually we run into someone we know. There are many more trails, added steps on steep areas, new corrals, and a few maintained bridges.

When we got home, I was very pleased to see some bulbs sprouting out in the afternoon sunshine. The ones in shade haven’t yet emerged.

GET TO WORK!!

I painted until I was almost frozen. It was a fine fine day of enjoying the beauty of January in Three Rivers, the best place to live in Tulare County (unless you prefer conveniences).