Whoa. That was a sprint. Three new orange oil paintings in a week’s time, begun and completed.
It is a privilege to be thought of when local businesses have Art Emergencies; it is a thrill to be able to handle those situations. I’m very happy to be able to help, and particularly happy to help out in ag and especially in citrus.
Lovies,
Your happy orange painter
It’s my blog, I’m 58 and I can make up words if I want to. Any questions?
Oh. What does “oranging” mean?
It means painting oranges, although I was just painting greens that day. Because this commission job was for 3 oil paintings in 2 weeks, I had to plan the most efficient method of delivering mostly dry paintings.
Day one: get the first layer down, all the canvas covered, the basic shapes and colors in place and the edges with one coat.
Day two: Perfect the background greens so that on. . .
Day three: sign on the green area after perfecting the orange area. Finally, put a second layer on the edges, which may or may not show. I don’t know what the framer has in mind and won’t get to see the final product.
This gives the paintings a week to dry. Would have been better to know about this job sooner, both for more time to work and also for summer’s heat, which makes for quicker drying. They might be a little tacky (in the tactile sense of the word, not the quality of the job.) But, a little pressure is sometimes a good catalyst for action.
Speaking of Samson, he is pretty tired. He’s been working the night shift lately.
These paintings sold through the Silver City Store* over the summer. Most were 6×6″; a few were 8×8″, 8×10″, and 10×10″. (It is probable that I was slightly careless in my record keeping, because all of these are square – where is that 8×10″??)
It is possible I could have sold more, if I had stayed home and painted instead of being out on the trails, chasing down wildflower names.
Choices and consequences.
*4 miles below the Mineral King valley
Two weeks to paint three oranges, but really, only one because of a planned 2 days off and because of drying time.
No problem. . . just get outta my way! They don’t have to be truly identical, because each one will end up in a different home.
That sounded weird. If they were all in the same home, they really wouldn’t have to be identical. Never mind.
They will all be presented at the same time, so they need to be close. That way, no one says, “But I like his better!”
This is how it looked over the course of Day One at the easels.
The last step of Day One was painting layer #1 on the edges. When I return to the project in two days, they will be dry enough to put on the next layer. The second day of painting will be when I perfect all the details.
Two days isn’t some formula; it is because I teach drawing lessons on the second day and have a prescheduled appointment on the third. On day four I can continue.
They most certainly need more work. . .
A yearly customer emailed me to ask for a painting she saw on my website, but she didn’t just want that painting. She wanted four of that painting.
Well, oops. My paintings don’t get reproduced by machines; my paintings get reproduced by a paintbrush in my hand.
But wait! There’s more! She wanted them in two weeks time.
Ahem. I paint in oils. They take awhile to dry (unless it is July or August). This could be a tricky assignment.
First, I found the original painting and got in touch with the gallery showing it to set it aside for me to retrieve. This meant that I had to paint “only” three. That helps.
Second, did I even have blank canvases the right size? Yeppers, I did.
I know, you are just dying to see what painting she wants.
Tomorrow, I’ll show you what happens next.
I was working on the Sawtooth oil painting. This is the first time I had painted in a few weeks, so I started over with fresh paint on my palette.
White, 2 yellows, 2 reds, 2 blues, and a mixture of the darkest blue with the darkest red. All that the Sawtooth oil painting required was a brown and about 3 greens. No need to waste all that paint once Sawtooth was finished. What to do?
I could have covered it and put it in the freezer. Eventually, I did that. But first, do you remember the hot peppers that I painted for a friend’s kitchen?
Now I get to paint a tomato for her. There is no deadline, but I started it now because the paint was just itching to be used.
The photo is to help me know how to place the darks and lights. Because it is a tomato and they aren’t supposed to be identical, I don’t care if the shape is exactly the same. Because I like brightly colored tomatoes, I am relying on my memory for the best colors. Because this is the first layer, it will get better as I go.
It’s good to get a thing started.
Oil painting isn’t my favorite thing; pencil drawing architectural subjects is my favorite thing. Given the choice between oil painting and waiting tables or cleaning motel rooms, OF COURSE I’d choose oil painting. However, some days it helps to have a bit of accountability to do the thing that isn’t my favorite.
My nephew didn’t want to go to class (he is in college) and I didn’t want to paint. So I said I would if he would. We both did. Yea, Nephew! Yea, me!
Here are the results of that accountability.This:
Became this:
And now looks like this:
All that remains is to let it dry so I can flip it onto its top to paint the bottom edge and then sign it!
And another Mineral King Sawtooth oil painting will be finished.
I learned to oil paint in layers, called “glazing” in ArtSpeak.
The oil painting of Sawtooth is acquiring layer #2. Something I didn’t learn is this: how many layers does a painting require? If it looks great after layer #2, do I really have to put on more layers?
The teacher in the 1/2 semester class I took at the local junior college had us repaint the entire painting every single time we went to class. I learned a few things from him, but not why he thought so many layers are necessary. He could have just been making us practice and learn by repetition.
I don’t want to be like the woman who automatically cut off the end of the roast because her mom did, because her mom did. Turns out Grandma cut off the end because her pan was too short.
Here’s Sawtooth as layer #2 works its way down the canvas.
Sawtooth is an easy to distinguish peak in Mineral King, visible from Visalia when the wildfire smoke or the pollution from the Bay Area are not obscuring the view. Lots of people like to climb it. I think it is good to look at, but I am scared of climbing it. I am only interested in photographing, drawing and painting it.
My most recent pencil drawing of Sawtooth Peak:
And now I have begun a 24×24″ oil painting. Try not to be scared – it will get better.
Because 6 Mineral King oil paintings sold at the Silver City Mountain Resort (AKA Silver City Store), I painted 4 new ones.
Seems like bad math or poor production to you? Labor Day is a mere 2 weeks away, and this means the season is almost finished. Part of the business of art is making tough decisions like this. That’s why I earn the Big Bucks have the freedom to spend lengths of time in Mineral King.
I could have painted more to have on hand, but I can paint more when it isn’t so hot in the painting workshop/studio.
The 2 matching paintings in different sizes were begun before summer started. They’ve been waiting their turn. I’d rather be walking on that trail than painting it.
These are the 2 most popular Mineral King subjects that I paint and sell through Silver City. The 3rd is Sawtooth, by quite a distance. The top is the Honeymoon Cabin, which serves as a little museum for the Mineral King Preservation Society The bottom one is a private family cabin with Farewell Gap in the distance, as seen from the bridge at the end of the road.
These need another layer and some wildflowers.
Alrighty then!! The top painting is 6×6″ ($60 + tax unless you live in another state) and the bottom is 8×8″ ($100 – ditto on the taxes). When they are dry enough, they’ll be for sale at Silver City.
