Kaweah Artisans is a loose association of artists and makers who have put together little shows, called “boutiques”, for around 20 years. Nikki Crain, weaver extraordinaire, and I are the only almost original members of the group.
We have shown at a winery, a coffee place, and at The Arts Center, all in Three Rivers; those places are no longer viable so for the past 3 years we have been squatters.
“Squatters”?!
We borrow space in empty storefronts along the highway in Three Rivers, due to the generosity of landlords who are friends.
Our most recent show, The Perfect Gift Boutique, was another success. Here is a peek at the work behind the scenes.
An artisan’s hubby discusses the particulars with the gracious and generous landlord.
My structure is in place; I chose to not bring any tables and to go flat up against the wall because this particular space is only 350 square feet for 4 exhibitors, about 50 square feet smaller than traditional show spaces for this number of artists.Ready to go.4 poinsettias, 3 banners, a sandwich board, wreath, and balloons to attract attention.It was a cold day with low snow and overcast skies. We began at 10 a.m. but people didn’t begin arriving until around noon on Friday.Elizabeth’s jewelryNikki’s weavingSam’s gourdsWe closed up at 4 p.m. and it was beautiful outside!
Did I learn anything in November? It is my busiest month. Lots happened and perhaps I learned a few things:
I joined BNI, Business Network International. The Visalia chapter isn’t official and won’t be until there are 20 members; I was #12 to join.
I taught a drawing workshop to 5 eager learners at a gallery in Visalia called Arts Visalia.
St. Anthony’s Retreat hosts a great event each year called “Festival of Trees”. I’ve been a judge of those fabulously decorated Christmas trees for all 5 years, and it is very difficult and very rewarding, especially with my fellow very thoughtful and careful judges. Who knew??
The annual Holiday Bazaar wasn’t well attended but the attendees were all committed shoppers; I see evidence of a growing economy, for which I am thankful.
The Kaweah Artisans have been together for about 20 years; we continue to be a very compatible group who put together simple and enjoyable boutiques in Three Rivers.
I can paint large; maybe 18×36″ isn’t large in the Art World but in my world it is practically a mural. It is much slower than a mural, because of the many layers and amount of detail and amount of time for each layer to dry.
I went off my fiction fast with a vengeance and slammed 9 books, all fiction. The top ones were: One of Us (audio, Tawni O’Dell), The Lightkeeper’s Daughters (Jean E. Pendziwol), Fair and Tender Ladies, (Lee Smith), Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus (Joyce Magnin), and Flatshare (Beth O’Leary). Hmmm, perhaps I was trying to escape the busyness.
In order to refresh a garden, the old stuff needs to be removed but it can be transplanted elsewhere instead of throwing it on the burn pile. I replanted the area around my studio, about 18 years after first planting anything free that would grow fast. Back then, I also spent money on real plants, and probably killed 3 times as many plants as have prospered.
One of my favorite podcasters is Don Miller; I subscribe to his daily Business Made Simple tip. One day in November he advised this: “Do not be confused about something that is not confusing. (sounds dumb, eh?) Ask yourself, “If I wasn’t confused what would be the obvious thing to do? Am I afraid of letting someone down? Do I really not want to do this thing?”
Somewhere online I read about a thing that allows an old car to play a cell phone’s podcasts (or whatever else your smartphone is playing, like the talking lady telling you how to get places) through the stereo speakers. It goes in the cigarette lighter— IT WORKS AND IS EASY TO USE!
What did you do and learn in November? Want to share in the comments?
The Three Rivers Veterans Memorial Building is a regular location for art and craft bazaars. I’ve been participating here for many years in many different places in the building.
This was in 2011, along the wall. I’ve learned to not overload my space and overwhelm the visitors with so many paintings.
Whatever year this was, my booth was in the center of the room.
This one was along the wall.
2014 was consumed by the book “The Cabins of Wilsonia”, which the printer failed to deliver as promised in time for this show; so, I just took all my extra knitted items to sell, along with my usual cards, Mineral King tee shirts, a friend’s knitting and another friend’s lavender. This is the same corner space that I had last weekend.
This window location is a common space given to me and we’ve learned to deal with the bulky drapery in the way by scrunching it together using a bungee cord. That big banner is now gone – just got worn out.
The windows provide wonderful natural light, especially in the springtime.
Spring of this year: the big round table has been useful through the years but does take up a lot of space in the roughly 10×10′ space.
This year I set up the space this way. No more large round table.
It was a good location, because when people entered the building, they immediately saw my colorful table with affordable items on the right side.
Every year I have slightly different merchandise, different paintings, different ideas for display, and it presents a new puzzle each time. It is all part of the business of art in Three Rivers.
Friday and Saturday I will be in another new space here in Three Rivers, NOT in the Memorial Building.
“Indecision” sounds a lot like “indigestion” which sounds a bit like “indigent” which means “poor enough to need help from others”.
These paintings might be poor enough to need help from others. I can’t decide if they are finished, if there is a way to improve them, or if they just need to be painted over with something else.
I like it, then I doubt my own opinion, then I decide to just sign it and be finished, but I can’t because something unknwon is holding me back. I can’t decide.
This was my first plein air painting in Mineral King this summer. I hid in the trees so no one would watch me flail around. Does it need more light on the edge of the larger red fir? Maybe wildflowers in the foreground would solve whatever it is that makes me not love this painting. Maybe it needs to be detailed, the way I normally paint. I can’t decide.
There was no good place to stand on the bridge so I was off to the side, and had to be careful each time I stepped back to not trip or step into traffic. I’ve painted this cabin scene so many times before, but never from this angle, and never with this lack of detail. Does it need more detail? I can’t decide.
This was painted in my front yard shortly after I returned from the plein air painting workshop in Georgia. I think it is boring, in spite of being the best time of year. Is it boring or is it just that “familiarity breeds contempt”? I can’t decide.
This is how the same scene looks now. This photo is definitely boring, but Three Rivers is still the best place to live in Tulare County. No indecision in that department!
As an artist with a lengthy reputation of reliability and skill in the same county for several decades, I get asked to do many odd things in the name of art. It is just part of the business of art.
Some friends have a painting of Mineral King by a long-deceased relative, someone who wasn’t very familiar with Mineral King. They didn’t like something about it, and asked me if I could change it. I enjoy challenges like this, so I said yes. The back of the painting is signed with the year 1964.
What’s wrong with this picture?
My friends’ beef with the painting is the scary face in the rock.
The lump on Farewell Gap really bothered me.
Little Red Riding Hood is seriously out of proportion; the upper body is too big for the lower body.
Scary face gone!
Lumpectomy performed on the right flank of West Florence (and Bearskin added to Vandever).
Now Little Red Riding Hood will be able to hike better.
Mucho Bettero. My friends reassured me that Great Aunt Whose-it won’t haunt me for messing with her painting. Someday in the future, someone may retouch my paintings, and to them I say, “Go for it!”
In 2012 I made my first calendar. It was an experiment, because a calendar has a short time to sell, and when it is over, a business is stuck with unsellable inventory. The calendar sold well enough, 100 turned out to be the right number, and I have continued making calendars ever since.
When reviewing the calendars, it looks as if they are random. In fact, each calendar represents the previous year’s focus (or obsession). There are photos, paintings, and drawings.
2013 – I didn’t save a picture of either the front or the back, so I don’t know what it was about or what I named it. I ordered about 10 or 20 at a time because I didn’t know how well it would sell. (Obviously I didn’t know much that year.)
2014 – Back when I only had about 15,000 photos, I was able to go through and select 12 for this calendar without too much trouble. But what did the front look like?
2015’s calendar was my best oil paintings that were horizontal and of Tulare County subjects. I called it “Beautiful Tulare County”. Again I ask, “What did the front look like?”
2016’s calendar was pencil drawings of Tulare County (of course) cabins–Wilsonia, Mineral King, Camp Nelson. Why didn’t I save a picture of the backside??
2017 front – the calendar was a blend of drawings and paintings.
2017 calendar back “The Bridges of Tulare County”
2018 was Flowing Water, because in 2017 we had a most welcome wet winter and the flowing water was to be celebrated.
2019 – was very fun because I got to draw 11 new pictures and figure out ways to incorporate color.
2019 still has many of the original drawings available. Want any? None are framed. All are 11×14″ or 9×12″. You can make an offer. If it is too low, I will not take offense but might counter-offer. (Normally those sizes sell for $200-275 before tax).
What will the calendar for 2020 be?
Mineral King Wildflowers!
Of course it is about Mineral King wildflowers, my current obsession. It is in progress, so you will have to restrain yourselves until it is for sale.
This year it will be $15 if ordered by October 1, and $20 if ordered afterward.
An acquaintance asked a friend to ask me if I would repair a torn painting for him. The customer doesn’t want his painter friend to know that the painting was damaged (and dirty too – where did he have this thing??) So, I will only show you the section that I worked on.
I’ve done this once or twice before, but it has been awhile, so I consulted with The Duck (DuckDuckGo is my search engine of choice because it doesn’t track me or feed me ads it chooses.)
Yikes.
The painting might be oil, but it also might be acrylic. The surface of the canvas is very smooth, and the repair is making that spot a bit lumpy.
That is one ragged tear. If this was Big Deal Art, it would get done under a magnifying glass, arranging every little thread. But I don’t know what they’d do about the missing threads. . . did this get eaten??
It’s pretty inconvenient to have it so close to the stretcher bar.
piece of canvas on the back, attached with Gesso
This is the front side where I used Gesso again to fill in the gaping hole in several layers.
I put waxed paper against the Gessoed canvas and weighted it down overnight with an odd assortment of items at hand.
I sanded it, applied more Gesso, let it dry again, and sanded it some more. Finally I accepted the fact that it wasn’t going to look as good as new. (But it looked better than here, because I didn’t photograph every step. Boring process to watch, but challenging to do.)
Not quite right. Is it the color or the new surface of Gesso beneath?
I think the different surface is collecting light differently on the repair than on the original canvas.
If I could show you the entire painting, you would see that it blends.
If I could show you the painting, you might say, “Why bother?”
My dad taught me de gustibus non es dibutandem which means it is useless to argue over matters of taste.
He also taught me, “You kiss their fanny and take their money”.
To quote an anonymous source (not my dad), “This ain’t no pianie yer building!” But, I did my best to make it sturdy, smooth, and matched.
In case you were wondering if I just paint and paint and paint, creating large stacks of paintings to be stored, today I am here to reassure you that my paintings do sell. (Thank you for your kind concerns.)
Have a look at recently sold paintings. Due to an onslaught of laziness brought on by summer heat, this will be pictures only, without sizes, titles, or prices.
On June 29, I participated in the 2nd annual Art Inspired by Mineral King. This is the title of a show and sale on the deck of the Silver City Store, 4 miles below the Mineral King Valley.
The Oak Grove Bridge still almost had this much water beneath at the end of June.
I headed up the road the day before the show, my first time up this season (resulting in yesterday’s post about the condition of the Mineral King Road). When I got to the Oak Grove Bridge, I remembered that I forgot my screen covers. The bridge is 6.5 miles up the Mineral King Road, and my house is 2 miles from the MK Road, but I turned around anyway.
Since only one campground was open and the road is terrible and many of the passes are almost impassable, attendance was spotty. But I’ve told you before how I feel about this: when attendance is low, time with each visitor is high.
My screens helped 2 other artists display their pieces, so those covers were important. But, you can see that I still forgot one of them!
Linda Hengst was one of the artists. Her work is visible on the right side of this photo.
Photographer Brett Harvey was also a participant.
Working diligently at the table is jeweler (and Silver City employee) Ryan, or perhaps Rianne.
Doesn’t this look intriguing? I’m sure if you were above the store, you’d want to walk down to see what was happening.
Sales were slow, but contacts and good interactions were steady.
Next year, together with the Silver City Store/Resort, we will decide if it is worth putting together a 3rd annual show and sale. I know it is important to be in the public eye, but oh my goodness, I certainly prefer being on vacation while up the hill. Besides, once I get my little old car to the valley, I am loathe to put it through any extra miles on that sorry excuse for a road.
