Sequoia trees and navel oranges are specialties of Central California, right here in Tulare County where I live and work as an artist (and now as an editor too).
So, I paint Sequoia trees and navel oranges. Often.
When these are dry, I’ll scan them and put them on my website for sale. Maybe I’ll put them on the blog too.
Sometimes poppies are in bloom in February, one of my favorite months. March is more common, but we are enjoying an extended season this year.
This is one of those years, at least in Three Rivers and the surrounding foothills. Instead of showing you the real thing, I’ll show you the poppies blooming in my painting studio.
Upside down is a good way to focus on size and shape.
This little 6×6 should go quickly, both in painting and selling. These little paintings remind me of postage stamps on a wall.
More poppies, some background.
Much better poppies. Better-let-them-dry poppies. Better-wait-to-do-the-stems-and-leaves poppies. Leave the poppies alone!
Stop typing. You sound like a dopey artist. Too many oil paint fumes?
That is another Oak Grove Bridge oil painting in progress, but there is a character limit on the title.
This is the 24×30″ painting, also without a deadline. It has the same goal as the 11×14″ painting: make it the best possible no matter how long it takes.
Instead of figuring out the exact size and shapes as I paint, I first drew this on the canvas, using a pencil, ruler, calculator and straight edge. Painting this is hard enough without bumbling along with the proportions.
Very little difference between this and the previous photo, but after studying it awhile, I saw a slight addition. Can you?
Have I done anything new besides move the photo?? It looks less squishy than the first version. I worked on the bridge. That’s me – civil engineer with a paint brush.
This is going to take a very long time. It is a little bit above my ability. The overly bright colors are fun, and may influence the final painting. They are a way to get layers and shapes on canvas while using up paint from my palette.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Gordon!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for an update on The Bridge’s future.
As I work on this 11×14″ oil painting of The Oak Grove Bridge, I am thankful that there is no deadline. The idea is to take as long as necessary to make the painting as good as possible. And the hope is that in another 2 years (or maybe less), I’ll be saying “That old thing? Oh my, I paint so much better now!”
The cliffs on the left, the rocks beneath, and the shrubs on the right, AND the bridge railing are all challenging.
Cliffs, rocks, and shrubs looking better. The railing will have to wait.
Is this improved? hard to see, hard to say.
The railing is better, the rocks are better, and the ones that aren’t so hot? Cover with branches and leaves!
This might be the most difficult corner. Too ambiguous.
Any improvement now? Keep layering, keep looking for ways to improve and finish. Nevuh, nevuh, nevuh give up.
At a meeting on February 8, we learned that there are 3 alternatives for making The Oak Grove Bridge safe. Tearing it down is not on the list. The three alternatives will be explained at another meeting on February 23, 6 p.m. at the Three Rivers Memorial Building. After public input, which DOES affect the outcome, a choice will be made.
I build bridges with oil paint. They aren’t safe to drive over, but mine are only meant to be walked across in your brain.
When I see a photo of the the photo next to the painting, the weak areas and wrong places appear. Yikes. Just try to be polite, ‘k?
I drew this in pencil so I could bypass the Weak Areas Stage of painting. Isn’t it fun to see all these weird bright colors? It is beginning to be correct in the farthest away places.
Keep layering, Central California Artist. You’ll get there, eventually.
Okay, everyone gather in close for a family snapshot! (Yes, I know you aren’t fully dressed yet, and that you don’t have your make-up on, and that you forgot your earrings. We are recording real life here, not having a formal studio portrait, so just calm down.)
Remember, there will be a meeting on Monday, February 8, 6 p.m. at the Three Rivers Memorial Building to discuss the future of this bridge. There is conflicting info about the time and place of the meeting – for the real info, call Jason Vivian at 624-7135.
In spite of obsessing about The Oak Grove Bridge, I am capable of painting other subjects.
After painting 6 little paintings (I CAN count, but thank you for your concern – here are 3 of the 6) of olives in December, I decided that olives are a pretty subject, worth another painting. This one is larger (8×8″), and I am taking the info from multiple photos.
Incidentally, although olives are grown here in Tulare County, they are not in the top 10 money producing crops. So what? I grew up in a house in an olive grove, and I like them.
I thought it would be easy-peasy to incorporate the best parts of the previous paintings into a new arrangement.
I thought wrong. As I often tell my drawing students:
It is all hard, so pick something you love, because you’ll be staring at it for a very long time.
This is what I wrote to Tulare County about The Oak Grove Bridge. Notice I am now capitalizing “The” with the name of the bridge. It is growing in importance in my little world.
The email to him may have landed in his spam file because I attached this picture:
Hi Jason,
Tulare County is a little weak on historic landmarks, but we do have the Oak Grove Bridge on the Mineral King Road. When driving that rough, narrow, winding, rural road, it is a wonderful and elegant surprise. It is one of the most beautiful structures in our entire county.
I am horrified to think that it could be replaced with something new. Please do everything you can to preserve this special bridge and remove the option of tearing it down from your list of possible solutions.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Jana Botkin
That sounds reasonable, not hysterical, right? Someone, anyone, please reassure me that everything will be okay!!
P.S. Here is the link if you want the info to send your own email: Bridge
Or perhaps it continues. . .
This commissioned oil painting of the Oak Grove Bridge is signed, sealed and delivered.
On Monday, February 8 at 6 p.m., there will be a public meeting at the Three Rivers Memorial Building concerning the future of this bridge. A hearing? Something about the planning commission? Not sure exactly of all the bureaucratic wording, but whatever it is, I will be there. (Lord willing, the Creek, etc.)
In addition, we are invited to send “comments” (does that mean opinions? suggestions? protests?) to a Jason Vivian by February 1. Here is a link to an explanation that includes Jason’s eddress. Click this.
Next week I”ll show you what I wrote.
Meanwhile, I have 2 more bridge paintings to finish.
Here are some works of art that were done for Christmas gifts. I heard back from 3 of the 5 about the happiness of the recipients. The fourth and fifth are most likely very happy – an email and a phone call would confirm it, but I don’t like fishing for praise. So, I will assume that the recipients are happy.
People say they love my pencil drawings, and I believe them. That’s what they choose for commissioned work.
As far as “off the shelf” work goes, the oil paintings far outsell the pencil.
Go figure. . .
My favorite bridge is currently my favorite subject for oil painting. (Brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Dept.)
The Oak Grove Bridge crosses the East Fork of the Kaweah River, 6.5 miles up the Mineral King Road, out of Three Rivers, in Tulare County, California.
Some governmental agency has declared it to be unsafe. There is talk of rebuilding it, leaving it in place as a foot bridge and building a new driving bridge upstream, and even tearing it down.
Better start saving $ for my bail, because I might have to chain myself to the bridge and then get arrested.
Nah. I’ll think about that tomorrow. I have some paintings to finish.
The detail on the railing is the most difficult part of painting this bridge, especially when it is 8×10″. Too too tiny.
Why is this upside down? Because every part except the top of the painting has wet paint on it. Okay, the back doesn’t have any paint, but you probably figured that out. This one is a commission, and the customer specifically requested detail around all four edges.