Distracted and Dabbling

The sold paintings and drawings are delivered, and the rest are back in my studio and workshop. The paintings I hope to sell at the Silver City Store are all ready to go, but it isn’t quite time to deliver. The only commission I had is completed and delivered. There are a couple of phone calls I could make to shake up some work, but I am distracted by other things in life.

I had a reunion with a friend from 6th or 7th grade. We met at Hartland Camp, and reunited about 5 years ago, now getting together when we can figure out a way.

Then. Scary.
Now. Possibly scarier.

Do deer eat rhododendrons? They appeared on a Deer Resistant List, so I planted one. I hope our deer read that list.

Meanwhile, I fixed the arch on the painting of the Oak Grove Bridge that has hung in a County administration building for a couple of years, and then at Arts Visalia, where I noticed that the arch wasn’t all it could be. The problem was noticed by one of my drawing students and I at the same time. She wanted to know why I was so hard on her as she drew an arched bridge but then I was casual in my own approach. (My students and I are very honest with each other because this is the best way to learn; if you want compliments on your art, show your mom.)

And I fiddled around with my giant painting that combines scenes from both Orange Cove and Lemon Cove – to be titled “Citrus Cove”, perhaps. For some reason, this feels too hard, so I am just jumping all over the canvas. (No, not literally.)

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

Citrus Against the Sierra

Nope, not a sports event, but the subject that I like painting the most right now.

Citrus Sunset, 6×12″, oil on wrapped canvas, $125 plus that annoying California sales tax.

This one is 18×36″ and it is NFS. Do you know what that means? That is an old fashioned acronym, before “acronym” was a common word.

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

More Citrus Paintings

This 6×12″ oil painting. . .

. . .held my interest more strongly than the 6×18″ of a Sequoia tree. I am having a thing for these pictures of citrus against the hills. 

It is now drying, so I started another one, this time 18×36″.

Yeppers, upside down. This one feels huge, there is no deadline, and I really think it will look excellent in my dining room. Dining area — it is just an area, not a separate room.

What is it about these scenes that floats my boat? They are truly a source of inspiration to me right now. But, as a nod to a popular piece of advice, I’m not going to overthink* it. I’d rather paint.

*Have you noticed the popularity of this? The word “overthink” keeps appearing in book titles and songs, and now of course, in people’s speech patterns (along with “literally” when “figuratively” is meant, and “at the end of the day”). Who starts these fads??

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

4 Kaweahs and 1 Dream Cabin

South Fork of the Kaweah, Kaweah Post Office, Middle Fork of the Kaweah, The Kaweah River, and Forrest’s Dream Cabin, all finished. Maybe.

“Kaweah” – “kuh – WEE – uh” is the name of the river (all 5 forks) flowing through the town of Three Rivers. South Fork, Middle Fork, North Fork, East Fork, and Marble Fork – whoo-eeee, we are a 5 fork place! (But ties are never required.)

P.S. These paintings are 8×8″, 8×8″, 10×10″, 8×10″, and 20×30″. I left the Dream Cabin painting in Forrest’s office, and then didn’t hear a peep from him for 2 days. I finally emailed him with the subject line “Nervous”. He called, said, “How are you?” and I replied, “Nervous”! He was just very busy, only saw the painting late the next night, and said that it looks exactly as he was hoping and definitely better in person. Phew.

Two New Paintings Begun

With several paintings sold through Arts Visalia and Mineral King summer paintings finished, it is time to review my inventory. This is simply part of the business of art. Some artists paint what they love, others paint what sells, and the lucky ones get to do both. I move freely among all three categories.

Subjects that I always need to have on hand are: Kaweah Post Office, Kaweah River, Alta Peak/Moro Rock, Sequoia trees, oranges, poppies, citrus groves, and of course, the basics of Mineral King such as Farewell Gap with the Crowley Cabin, Sawtooth, the Oak Grove Bridge, and the Honeymoon Cabin.

This is not as boring and repetitious as one might think. It is a challenge to continue to paint the same subjects, finding different sizes, types of light, and angles, all while trying to paint better and better. After all, I want to be an artist, not just a painter.

Here are 2 new ones on the easels to beef up my inventory, or in ArtSpeak, “body of work”.

Upside down forces me to see the shapes more accurately.

Right side up helps me enjoy the process a bit more.

When I get to this stage, I am eager to start drawing with my paintbrush.

If that new retail establishment comes to fruition here in Three Rivers, I imagine I will be knocking out quite a few of these big trees in this format. 

P.S. My friend who has been waiting for new lungs GOT THEM ON SATURDAY!!

Paint On, O Painter

Am I a painter? Or am I an artist? I recently listened to a podcast by a very fine painter as he interviewed a gallery owner, and they both agreed that anyone can be a painter but not just anyone can be an artist. Today, let’s just settle for painter as I show you what is on the easels.

Here are stages on the current Kaweah River painting:

 

It is almost finished, with these tasks remaining. (1) The potato in the foreground needs to be turned into a rock (never mind how it looks in the photo or real life, because here it appears as if it could make some fine French fries). (2) Foreground grasses can be added when the painting is dry.

I love drawing with my paintbrush. I wonder if this prevents me from being a real artist, or if it actually propels me into that stratosphere. Rather than waste any more mental energy on the mystery of what makes a good artist, I will continue to make each painting the best I know how at the time — “best” being a term whose meaning is also hard to pin down. Good Grief Charlie Brown, could I just paint and stop thinking already??

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, until 5 p.m. TODAY. If you would like to see me with the show, I will be there from noon until 5 (Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise.)The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905.

 

 

 

Painting the River

There is something new coming to Three Rivers, but I don’t yet know any details. Might be a simple retail shop where one can pick up local art, maybe some tchotchkes. This is why I wanted to get those little Three Rivers paintings looking better. This is also why I started a new river painting.

This is painting session #1. I want to do this in many thin layers, striving for perfection. But why?

It might be an overreaction to how I felt about the blurry Kaweah Post Office painting. It might also be some residual from having drawn this exact scene in pencil with a touch of colored pencil a handful of years ago, a commissioned piece. I want to see how close I can get to perfection with paintbrushes. I’ve already decided to leave out the tree on the left side, but like everything I do, more will be revealed in the fullness of time.

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, that is. The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905. TWO DAYS LEFT, Thursday, noon-5:30 and Friday, noon-5:00. I will be there on Friday, April 30, and will take away the unsold pieces at 5 p.m.(MB, I will be sending you your painting next week!)

 

Custom Oil Paintings

You’ve heard me say (or read on my blog) for about a year now that:

I use pencils, oil paint and murals to make art you understand of places and things you love at prices that won’t scare you.

Today’s blog is just to show you a few of those custom oil paintings through the years. If you have been following my blog for a few years (or maybe many), these will be familiar to you.

Some go back as far as 11 years! I’ve been oil painting since March 8, 2006, so this should not come as a surprise. What still surprises me is that I feel like a beginner; maybe I need my head examined. 

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, that is. The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon-5:30 (5 on Friday). I will be there on Friday, April 30, the last day; the work will be removed at 5 p.m.

 

 

Three Rivers Oil Paintings Facelifts

Those Three Rivers oil paintings that were just not good enough have now had their facelifts. I think they are all three improved. Don’t worry–the surgery was bloodless.

The Kaweah Post Office only needed a bit of tree work.
The river needed tree work too.
Some subtle changes in the rocks and water also helped this one.
About that viburnum called a “snowball bush” out my front window, no one cares.
I dropped down the blue from Moro Rock.
And put in some river.
More river, along with more things growing on the hillside so it looks like a certain spot along a certain road.
It photographs more true outside in the shade.
Or maybe in the sun, but then you can see the wet paint glistening.
Wait! This needs redbud in bloom.
Now it is finished and drying.

When they are dry, I will scan them again, and maybe even write a blog post showing each one as a Before next to the After.

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, that is. The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon-5:30. The last day to see my work there is Friday, April 30.

 

 

Forrest’s Dream Cabin, Finished?

After a period of severe procrastination, which involved studying the photographs and the unfinished painting of Forrest’s Dream Cabin, along with a fair amount of weed pulling, I finally decided that I do know how to draw with my paintbrush.

My thought was that at the very least, I could detail that cabin to the nth degree, and then maybe I could see what to do with the rest of the painting.

Okay, let’s dive in
I’ve added the ramp so the cabin doesn’t require wading to get to, along with more details to the windows and the siding.
Here’s a bit more. Hard to tell the difference, but there must be some difference, because I took another photograph.
And, now the cabin is finished, with smoke coming out of the stovepipe.

But will Forrest think the painting is finished? I sent him this photo, taking inside the painting workshop at the end of the day. Wow, did that ever distort the colors!

Next, I carried it outside in hopes that the color would photograph more accurately. By that time, it was upside down on the easel because the bottom edge was wet.

This color isn’t exactly right either. When it is dry, I will paint the top edge, sign it, and take it to Forrest for his approval in person.

The fat lady hasn’t yet sung (but she might be practicing a few scales.)

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, that is. The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon-5:30. The last day to see my work there is Friday, April 30.