Three Pears and Two Orange Groves

Three Pears

As a full time artist, it is automatic to notice subjects that might make good paintings. Experience helps me recognize these subjects, and it also helps me to recognize potential.

A friend gave me three pears, and before I took a bite or put them in the fridge, I recognized their potential as a painting subject. So, I set them up in various ways on 2 different surfaces and took a few photos. The variation in color is more noticeable now than in person, and it was that variation that first caught my eye. (Why do we say “caught my eye”? I have 2 eyes and am fairly certain that you do too.)

Since I have stopped doing boutiques, fairs, and festivals, there hasn’t been much call for “kitchen art”. But, I still gather reference material because one just never knows what might be coming next.

Two Orchards

After photographing the three pears, I returned to the two orange groves. (Orchard, grove, same thing.)

(E, is the ground looking rough enough for you yet? Fear not – the painting will keep getting better!)

I am using quite a bit of artistic license here, making this painting into something I would want to hang in my dining room because I want to hang it in my dining room. But I am going to put it in the Courthouse Gallery show in November and December with a reasonable, non-scary price-tag of $1200 instead of $10,000.

It is a little hard to tell the difference between the second 2 photos of this painting. For the curious reader, I don’t remember how long I worked on this before taking photo #2; there is 1/2 hour between #2 and #3, and another 1-1/2 hour before #3.

Then my neck tied itself into a pretzel, so I put plastic film on the palette, moved it to the freezer of the little fridge that we bought from that horrible big box store (the freezer isn’t freezing anymore, but why would it? The fridge is 3 months old already. . .), and headed back to the house to wash my brushes.

P.S. I also went to the bank and Post Office today, lest you think all I do is photography and painting. It’s all part of the business of art.

Still Painting as if I Have a Show Coming

Yesterday I told you to come back if you wanted to see what else I am working on. Glad you could make it. I hope you aren’t too bored with my repetitious subject matter.

But first, LOOK! It rained early in the morning, and we took a short walk here in Three Rivers to see shades of blue and hills that we hadn’t seen in weeks.

Back to work: this is large for me, 18×36″. Because it is my current favorite subject to see, experience, and paint, I decided to do this for my own dining room. Then, I got asked to do a solo show at Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, and realized that the piece belongs in the show. 

This is at the stage where it feels too hard and as if I will NEVER finish.

However, I am an experienced oil painter and I know better than to listen to these feelings. Phooey to you, Pheelings.

There. Guess I told them.

Despite my sense of apprehension, this is coming along nicely, with more color and texture in the hills, a bit more detailing on the foreground tree, another layer on the distant groves, closer orchard and ground.

Because I plan to put this in the gallery, and because all pieces in the show must be for sale, I have two choices when it is finished: paint it again for myself when it sells, or price it at $10,000 so it won’t sell. Since I am a professional, not a hobbyist, I will simply price it in the normal fashion, based on size. I want to raise the price, because it will hurt a bit less to part with it if there are more pieces of green paper with dead presidents’ faces on them in exchange for the painting, but I will keep it at the standard price for this size BECAUSE:

I use pencil, OIL PAINT, and murals to make art people can understand, of places and things they love, for PRICES THAT WON’T SCARE THEM!

Excuse me for shouting. Sometimes I get a little overly enthusiastic about that tag line.

Painting as if I Have a Show Coming (Because I Do)

As the title states, I am painting as if I have a show coming, because I do. Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, November and December, specific dates undetermined as of yet.

This one looks finished when viewed from the back of a fast horse. However, there are no horses allowed in the Courthouse Gallery, fast or slow. 

Therefore, I spent another morning on the 12×24″ oil painting, cleverly titled “Yokohl”.

Next, I rephotographed the 12×24″ oil painting with the not very original title of “Looking East II”. (Honestly, finding great titles is a challenge when I paint the same subjects multiple times.) The smoke was not very evident, so I was able to get a photo without a weird orange tint.

Next, I did a tiny bit of adjustments on the 12×24″ oil painting cleverly titled “Alta Alpenglow”. It might actually be “Alta Alpenglow” II or III or even IV, but I chosen not to count this particular view. Maybe instead of numbers, they could be Title Good, Title Better, and Title Best. But then what would I call #4?

But wait! There’s more! 

You’ll have to come back tomorrow.

Selling During The Infernal Inferno

In spite of the store at the Silver City Resort and the consignment store Kaweah Arts both being closed due to the infernal inferno, I have had some good sales. Some of these were before the fire (I was waiting for the month to end); others are through the Mural Gallery in Exeter.






This giant sequoia is actually acrylic mural paint on scrap boards, about 2×4′, to be hung outdoors.

This is all pretty encouraging. It also means that I have to revise my list of what will be in the show at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery in November and December. I might have to see if I can produce a bit more than previously planned. This is not a problem; it is good news. Why? Because. . .

Using pencils, oil paint, and murals, I make art you can understand, of places and things you love, for prices that won’t scare you.

A Day Without Texture in the Air

On Thursday night, I woke up a zillion times wondering if it was raining yet. It wasn’t. Mid morning, it rained! Not much, but enough to clear the air. I don’t know the effect on the inferno, but the air stopped having texture.

I can paint another day with the doors flung open and I feel happy! Let’s get started on Yokohl.

Sky and clouds first.

Hills next, painting back to front.

And creek and ground last. Then I set it in the waning daylight to photograph it. After that, I painted the edges.

It isn’t signed yet because of that waning daylight. In brighter light I will probably find a dozen things to fix. This one doesn’t really call for much drawing with my paint brushes, but I will probably figure out a way to do that. Fence posts, wildflowers, grasses, an alligator in the creek . . . 

 

Why I Need to Paint So Much

How much is “so much”? Well, as much as the low light and bad air allows, in order to be ready for. . .

The Courthouse Gallery in Exeter has asked me to do a solo show for November and December!  I don’t know the exact dates yet, because they don’t exactly know the dates yet. 

When they first asked, I did inventory of available paintings and drawings, because they said they’d like to have both. The inventory was a little loosey-goosey, because I didn’t know if pieces would sell before that time. (This was pre-fire.) Kaweah Arts and the Silver City Store have been closed since shortly after Labor Day, so sales have stopped. Further, I have 9 paintings in the store, and no one is getting in there any time soon. No one is going up the road except fire fighters, and it is treacherous. 

This means I need to finish some new paintings in order to fill up the gallery.

Therefore, the painting I thought I would do for my dining room of my favorite subject will need to be finished and for sale. It’s okay; I can paint it again for Big Queen Me-Me.

This one needs to be finished.

I can do that.

See? Just one edge left to paint, let it dry, sign it, photograph it, and move on.

Next!

Okie Dokie, Much Less Smokie


The air was really good on Thursday, only unhealthy instead of hazardous. I was able to paint!

Let’s have another look outside:

I thought about skipping work and going for a walk.

Nope, I have customers who are patiently waiting for their work, and those custom Christmas ornaments are beginning to nag at me a bit (the ornaments, not the customer).

Oops. Somehow my 8×10″ photos of Hume Lake got all glued together. I tried to soak them apart, but whatever substance is uniting them into a solid clump will not respond to water. I will just paint using photos on the computer screen.

Here they are awaiting more work on the lake side of each ornament, but instead, I need to get the other side, the secret side, up to date.

I will show you one blurry photo of the other side. If you recognize this cabin, just pretend as if you don’t.

Happy Birthday, Reader Anne!

Way Less Smoky, Where Am I??

On Thursday, the day started out with hazardous air, so I planned to work in the studio rather than the painting workshop. When I went to the house for lunch, I noticed that I could see things and it didn’t smell smoky! Wait, where am I?? So Trail Guy and I took a short walk, first time in a month, and then I was able to paint. And not just paint, but paint with the doors flung open! (The AQI was 52, considered “moderate”.)

I painted the edges on this one.

I started another orange painting.

What is that about? Someone saw the 12×12 painting called “In The Orchard” and requested an 11×14″ version of the same scene, but this time with a little rougher looking soil and some orange blossoms.

It was so wonderful to have clear air that I carried it outside to photograph for you.

It looks more normal hanging on the wall. Well, as “normal” as possible for a scribbly base coat.

Do you think I can get it to this level, PLUS orange blossoms? Of course you do. Thank you for your confidence in my abilities.

This one needed to be finished so I moved it to the easel from off the shelf.

Clearly there is a theme here. I will tell you why eventually.

On A Clear Day

First, something has gone wonky with my blog so the blog post title either doesn’t show at all or it is a little bit messed up.

“On a clear day” what? It certainly isn’t “you can see forever”. Last Wednesday, this is how things looked.

No, really, look! You can see the hills across the canyon, and the helicopters resumed flying to the fires.

This doesn’t qualify as a clear day in the olden days before wildfires ruled our corner of the world, but it qualifies as light enough to paint, and not smoky either, so I could paint with the doors opened up.

Remember this painting? I can’t even remember what I titled it anymore, but I do remember it is my favorite type of scene to paint, and that it was lacking wind machines, oranges, and a signature. We last saw it here on September 13.

Now it is completed.

Even with the doors open and a clear(ish) day, it doesn’t photograph all that well. How about if I prop it up on the ladder so you can further appreciate the completion?

Okay, standard disclaimer: it looks much better in person.

Next!Remember this? Of course not. Why would you? You last saw it on August 19.

Here I have begun adding sky, a color blue that I had almost forgotten to associate with looking up.

It now needs another coat, and then the detailing, my favorite part of drawing with my paintbrushes.

I wonder how Alta Peak and Moro Rock–wait! Moro Rock doesn’t really show in this painting because it doesn’t really show in the photograph I’m using, so I might have to revisit this.

Where was I? 

Oh. I was wondering how this view will look after (when? if?) this horrible fire ever ceases. It will have to run out of fuel eventually. Will this affect how sunsets look in the winter? Will we have winter?

Never mind. Let’s all just sing a happy little version of “It’s a Small World After All”, because the colors on my painting bring that song to mind.

You’re welcome.

P.S. 35 years ago today my life changed forever, for which I am very thankful.

An Extraordinarily Good Day

An interviewer once asked me, “What does a good day look like in your life as an artist?” 

(This post is just a bit of reminiscing about life before the fire took over our lives and thoughts.)

Rachelle brought her new lungs and her husband to see us, first time in person since the end of April. I fed them cookies. (They love my cookies so much that I spent $10 mailing some to them in LA. Yes, me, Frugal Queen of the San Joaquin!) Rachelle and I were so happy to see each other that our eyes may have leaked a little bit. Our hubbies were pretty happy to see one another too. 

Then, I finished this painting. (You have seen it on the blog by now).

I was on a roll so I pulled out this canvas.

I thought it was finished, and then I remembered that it needs a wind machine. You have also seen this one after it got scanned.

But wait! There’s more! A former drawing student (from 20+ years ago) emailed with the usual “You probably don’t remember me but. . .” My response was something like, “OF COURSE I DO!!” She came to my studio with her parents, husband, and baby who is too cute for words (yes, this from me, All Babies Look Alike). Out of respect for their privacy, I will just show you this one photo of me with L at my studio. We were both beside ourselves with delight.

To top it off, I sent invoices to 2 customers for recently completed commissions. Sometimes it feels as if I work for fun or for free, then a customer will remind me to send a bill. 

That was an extraordinarily good day.

P.S. I started designing a calendar for 2022, appropriately titled “Places and Things We Love” because. . .

Using pencil, oil paints and murals, I make art you can understand, of PLACES AND THINGS WE LOVE (for prices that won’t scare you).