Nope, not a sports event, but the subject that I like painting the most right now.
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
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
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.
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!!
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.
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!)
You’ve heard me say (or read on my blog) for about a year now that:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The new Mineral King oil paintings are dry enough for the scanner. Have a look:
Same subjects, perhaps a bit more skill than last summer, definitely more skill than 2006 when I began painting. Why do I still feel like a beginner who has to apologize and make excuses? Anyone know a good counselor?
P.S. They ALWAYS look better in person.
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.