7 Things Learned in October

These month-end learned posts are for people with curious minds, but not necessarily short attention spans. Welcome to my world. 

  1. Do you live in “a bubble“? A friend (Joy Cromwell) had something about this on her website. I took the PBS quiz and scored 44. This means I am very insulated from mainstream American culture. Wish the score was even lower.
  2. Knapheide is a word and a brand completely foreign to me. I saw this on the back of a utility truck.When I looked it up, this is what I learned: “Knapheide is North America’s most popular manufacturer of work truck bodies and truck beds”. They started out building wagons in 1848! Their mailing address is a P.O. Box in Quincy, Illinois. This is a town along the Mississippi River where a lifelong friend of mine lives. How did I never hear about this company??
  3. Some friends told us they are having solar panels installed for their home electricity. This led to quite a discussion where we all confirmed that we are probably too old to recoup the costs of the panels and installation in SCE savings. However, they are tired of trying to conserve, getting hammered by large bills anyway, and being uncomfortable in the summers. Our conclusion is that solar is a luxury item that is being misrepresented in advertising, not only as a way to save money, but as a way to “save the environment”. Those panels take an enormous amount of resources to build, and that is not necessarily “environmentally friendly”. (Truth is very hard to come by, but I do my best for you here.)
  4. Feijoa is a green fruit that I found at a farmers market in Morro Bay.  After peeling and slicing one, I tasted it. It ended up in my compost bucket because it is just weird. I read about it here (#25) and contrary to the seller at the market, this article says it isn’t usually eaten raw. I can’t remember how to pronounce it, but it doesn’t matter since I won’t be buying it again. It is also called “pineapple guava”, which I think might be a plant in my yard. Wait, that might be “strawberry guava”. Doesn’t matter, because my shrubs don’t make fruits, and if they did, the deer would eat them.
  5. A “malthusian” is a person who believes there are too many people in the world. (Is there a word for people who think there are too many people in California? in cities? visiting Three Rivers on a weekend?)
  6. This is something I knew but hadn’t followed through: I don’t like social media. It is a grind to stay current, and very little (if any) business or true friendships result. A. LinkedIn is helpful if a stranger contacts you about business and you need a clue before returning a phone call. B. Facebook is a sewer and Twitter is for birdbrains. C. I have neither posted nor looked at Instagram for several (6?) months, so I deleted it from my phone. So there.
  7. When asked which brand of colored pencils is the best, I usually say that Polychromos are the best quality, Prismacolor have the best colors, and never waste your money on Crayola. I think they don’t have enough pigment; besides, art supplies easily found at a grocery store probably aren’t professional quality. Here is a helpful comparison of Crayola and Prismacolor.

And thus we conclude another month-end Learned List, in which your Central California takes you down various side roads of often irrelevant and vaguely amusing topics.

(This is Charles-Eugene, a cat I have not met yet.) Clearly, he didn’t find this list vaguely amusing.

 

 

And a Final List in a Week of Lists

List Lady, that’s me. They help me think and prioritize. (I like charts too… doesn’t everyone?)

This list is all the things that I can do instead of making lists when this very busy week is in my rearview mirror (figuratively speaking).

  1. Fix the oil painting of the North Fork of the Kaweah River with Blossom Peak(s) in the distance.
  2. Paint a new oil painting of pumpkins, titled “Unspiced #2” as a replacement for the painting “Unspiced” which I feel confident will sell. (Yeah, yeah, I know, I told you this already.)
  3. Paint out another river picture that has been hanging around too long. I believe this one is still here because very few of the visitors to Three Rivers and Kaweah Arts recognize this view of the river. (It’s not because the boulders sort of resemble potatoes, but thank you for your thoughtful input.) I plan to use the canvas for another Sequoia tree painting, because that is what the bulk of the passers-through our area want to see.
  4. Paint a few more Sequoia trees for Kaweah Arts.
  5. Design and bid 2 more murals, this time for a new building in Visalia called The Loft or The Artist Loft or Loft for Artists. (Notice how the word “loft” ceases to sound correct after a bit of repetition?) That bid proposal has a deadline of December 11, but I have a few very strong ideas and have to figure out if I need to paint the scenes to scale for my submissions or if I should use existing paintings that are somewhat proportionally correct.
  6. Relearn how to write blog posts without resorting to lazy listicles.

Making Another List

 

While figuratively twiddling my thumbs and waiting for responses, I took advantage of the empty schedule to do some necessary tasks. These sorts of things don’t normally come to mind when people think about an artist’s work.

  1. Finished bookkeeping to file my sales tax report. (no photo for that boring task)
  2. Took inventory of notecards to see which ones to order next time the printer has a sale. Should I reorder this one, which I love but doesn’t sell very well? 
  3. Checked on sales and inventory at Kaweah Arts and resupplied them with cards.
  4. Asked Trail Guy to repair my flat files and then reorganized the contents. (They don’t show in this photo and my walls are currently almost empty, unlike this deceptive photo of abundant paintings.)
  5. Finished the design and ordered the 2023 calendars. (Hold your camels because I’m not ready to show you yet!)
  6. Asked Trail Guy to oil the shingles on my studio that are looking tired from the sprinklers, and he did it – thank you, TG! (This photo was taken last year.)
  7. Updated my inventory lists for the places that sell my work on consignment.
  8. Worked on the 30,000 photos in my computer, getting the drawings from The Cabins of Wilsonia separated into their own folder. (280 drawings, all requiring lots of boring computer work to get into order). The book is now $40, such a deal.

And thus we conclude another lazy listicle of another day in the life of your Central California artist who would rather be…

…making art that people can understand, of places and things they love, for prices that won’t scare them.

Waiting. . . and Making Lists

Today is a peek into the life of a professional artist. A working artist. A self-employed artist. A rogue, solo, maverick artist. Something.

So many jobs on hold. Time for a listicle:

  1. Finished a commissioned drawing but the customer isn’t ready for it.
  2. Framed a drawing requested by a business to use in a display, but the proprietor hasn’t told me when she’ll be there to receive it.*
  3. Been chosen to supply art for a new office building but the Committee hasn’t made its decisions yet.
  4. Been asked to paint a mural but the Asker hasn’t returned my calls.
  5. Sketched a few ideas for that mural but since the Asker hasn’t told me the budget, I don’t know how big to make the mural.
  6. Designed and bid 3 murals for a large project and waiting to hear if my ideas and prices are acceptable.
  7. Ready to paint a replacement in anticipation of selling something from Falling into Winter at Exeter’s Art Gallery and Museum (formerly known as The Courthouse Gallery). I’m certain this one will sell. (6×12″, Unspiced, $125)

*UPDATE: THE DRAWING OF THE GATEWAY BRIDGE IS NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE THREE RIVERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM.

Eight Things I Learned in September

Started with six and then two new learnings arrived. It was a month of great thankfulness for no fires and for a little bit of rain without lightning.

  1. King Arthur Flour is supposed to be superior for baking. I have always just bought the cheapest unbleached white and whole wheat flours from the bulk bins at Winco, so this will be a giant leap forward. My tastebuds are not very discerning, so I may decide it isn’t worth the extra moola. However, I have been told it is worth the higher price. I looked it up and the shipping is high (of course!) and the website sent me around in circles, so I am not providing the link. Found the flour at SaveMart. Expensive, so it had better be good*.
  2. Simon Beck is a snow artist. Say what? He creates 2-8 acre “murals” in the snow, geometric designs, by walking in a pattern with snow shoes in new snowfalls. Here is an article about him with more photos than words.
  3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a wonderful book, one I read many years ago, again in 2003, and just finished. Why does it seem as if I have never read it before?
  4. Fiestaware is the last pottery factory in the United States. I had no idea. Dishes are overwhelming thrift shops because people rarely buy sets anymore and definitely don’t choose “fine china” along with “everyday dishes”. Guess I was way ahead of my time when I decided against “fine china” back in the early ’80s. But oh my, I do love those bright colorful dishes. (I learned this while listening to Mike Rowe interview Salena Zito – Episode 268).
  5. Also on Mike Rowe’s podcast (episode 260), I learned about a dairy called Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana that is entirely self-sustaining. They found a way to feed their cows so that the milk is lactose free, has 1/2 the sugar and 1/3 more protein than regular milk, and Coca Cola bought the brand, naming it Fairlife. I bought some—super expensive, and good, but not sure it is worth the extra money. But I felt so hyper-nourished and righteous about it).
  6. Painting on a south-facing wall is an activity best done in December, January, or February. I learned this years ago when I painted my first giant mural in Exeter. However, when the work appears, it doesn’t often come with ideal options. (Begun in January, completed in May.
  7. Asphalt driveways DON’T need to be resealed every year. In fact, about every four years is right, according to ASR, an excellent asphalt seal and repair company. We’ve been thinking we were neglecting the driveway by skipping a year or two, and in fact that was the right thing. If you keep resealing it, it traps moisture and starts flaking. Who knew?? Obviously not the guys driving around resealing driveways every single year!!
  8. There was indeed a carousel at Mooney Grove Park. It has been restored and now is in front of Hanford’s Fox Theater, according to old friend/blog reader David Stevens, who also provided this photo (THANK YOU, Dave!)

*Good, but not awesome.

An Artist’s Aimless and Arbitrary Random Roundup

How is that for a fancy name of a lazy listicle? Sometimes there are various and sundry things taking place in my life  and sometimes, I think you all might be interested. Let’s have a look:

  1. Remember the commissioned flowing water drawing that I was redrawing because the the original had sold? IT DIDN’T SELL! IT WAS HANGING ON THE WALL IN MY STUDIO THE ENTIRE TIME!! Good grief Charlie Brown. This is the new version.And the old:I found it impossible to duplicate the old one exactly, but it doesn’t matter, because water motion doesn’t duplicate itself exactly either.
  2. We have a bad bear in the neighborhood. This was our first attempt to thwart him after his first attempt to tear into the door.
  3. This is the second way “we” (Trail Guy, but I watched a little bit) secured the door against Mr. Bad Bear.
  4. I mailed the sweater to my friend that I began for her back in August, and this is how she reimbursed me for postage. (Now should I reimburse her for $4 it cost to send this plus a very appreciated turquoise necklace?)
  5. The lawn was still a meadow until recently, I allowed Trail Guy to mow it. This year I am clipping and saving the seeds to see if I can fill in the bare spots, which don’t show under the long blades of grass (or under Tucker, who doesn’t show among the long blades either). Once mowed, I realized the lush lawn was actually the botanical version of a comb-over.
  6. Oh, Fernando, you have been so faithful. I’m so sorry about your ignition switch. If you live in Tulare County and drive Honda, Toyota, Lexus, or Acura, you NEED Foreign Auto Works, 210 N. Cain, Visalia. Mark’s number is 559-734-8285. You are welcome. (I wouldn’t dream of driving something he doesn’t work on!)
  7. The ignition switch is now repaired; now the windshield wipers don’t work. When does the owner of a much beloved old car say “enough”? Sigh. (If I didn’t have AAA and Foreign Auto Works, I’d probably be more inclined to update my ride.)

Tomorrow’s post will be our monthly Learned List. 

Many New Things Learned in August

If you can’t see the photos, go here: cabinart.net/blog. It was a month of lots of new information.

 

  1. Victor Davis Hanson interviewed Dr. Steven Quay who explained the 5 different types of gain of function research, three of which are considered acceptable and two which are considered bio weapons. I had to listen over and over, taking notes, slowing down the podcast to half-speed in order to understand. Interview with VDH on August 5.
  2. Dresser couplings (may you never need to know this): a brilliant simple device for repairing broken water pipes, available in plastic or metal.  A dresser coupling also has “teeth” in the center, and this is why: it gives a pipe wrench something to grab onto while you use a second pipe wrench to tighten up the twirly ends.
  3. Blueberry facts: A. farmers plant grass between the rows; B. they can be harvested mechanically; C. the plants benefit from sawdust.
  4. Oregon facts (many of which I already knew, but maybe you didn’t): A. No sales tax; B. Everything I bought was less expensive than in California; C. Trucks (big rigs) can haul three trailers; D. The roads are lined with Wild Carrot, AKA Queen Anne’s Lace, in August; E. Many of their town names are copycats—Portland, Salem, Glendale, Albany, Dallas, Harrisburg, Jacksonville, for example; F. Although most of the state is small towns and rural areas, the 2 largest cities decide the politics.
  5. Something very peculiar is happening with a book, Dawn at Mineral King Valley, by Dan Selmi. Trail Guy and I met Dan and his wife a number of years ago (5? 8?) when he was researching for a book about the lawsuit that prevented Disney from building a ski resort in Mineral King. I recently discovered that the book was published in June of this year, and I ordered a copy on eBay. I received an old paperback titled A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. What? I returned it, and ordered a copy on Amazon. This time I received a message that the book was out of stock. I ordered a third time from another seller and received the same message. I ordered from a third Amazon seller and received the message again. I ordered a fifth time (4th attempt on Amazon), and this time I received another copy of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. This is truly baffling! When I worked out how to return the book, underneath the description of the book was this:In case you can’t read it, it says “There is a newer edition of this book” and it lists A Manual for Writers of Research Papers. . .” HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. Next, I need to compare the ISBNs on the 2 books. The Manual for Writers has ISBN 0-226-81619-2 Selmi’s book has ISBN 978-0226816197 (the 13 number version) AND 0226816192 (the 10 number version) Aha! Does the assigner of ISBNs have a problem? Looks as if Daniel Selmi has a problem. I certainly do, if I want to get the right book!**
  6. Perler Beads are tiny plastic macaroni that comes in multiple colors with little molds. You arrange the colors on a mold, melt them into place with an iron, and get these items. I made the blue one which is sort of a coaster.
  7. Do you know how much a gallon of propane weighs? 5.25 lbs., compared to 8 lbs. for a gallon of water. You’re welcome.
  8. This is more opinion than fact, but I believe it is better to drive through the Central Valley on Interstate 5 than on 99. Other people believe 99 to be superior; they are allowed to be wrong, because it will keep more traffic off 5.
  9. There are ice packs made from a gel that when thawed, can be put on your plants as fertilizer! They are called Enviro-Ice. My plants haven’t shot up as a result, but time will tell.
  10. If you want to package things securely in a ziplock bag, close the seal until the last inch, squish out all the air you can, insert a drinking straw, and inhale like crazy to suck out the air. Then, while still inhaling, pull the straw and speedy-quick-like-lightning, seal the bag. (I KNOW you are dying to try this!)
  11. The President and the Freedom Fighter by Brian Kilmeade was a wealth of new information about Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. I learned so much about both of these remarkable men and the War Between the States. (“Civil War” sounds to me as if there was a plot to overthrow the USA, when in reality, it was an effort to secede from the United States, not take it over.) My conclusion is that if everyone at the time simply acknowledged that slavery is sin, plain and simple, it would have ended and there would have been no war. (Can I get an “AMEN”?)

See you in September, maybe in about one week…

**I made a sixth attempt to order the book, this time from eBay. Instead of receiving the book, eBay sent an email saying the book was damaged in transit so it got returned to the seller, who, OF COURSE has no more copies!! 

What I Did On My Summer Vacation, Chapter One

If you can’t see the photos, go here: cabinart.net/blog. Do you remember those terrible assignments on the first day of class in the fall (always the day after Labor Day—none of this ridiculous school attendance in August!)? I couldn’t think of a thing. Until age 11, we went to the beach for 2 weeks, but I never ever considered those other weeks to be a “vacation”. It was hang around the house time, and there was nothing to say about that uneventful sort of life. (I must have been so dull to not have told about days in the pool, trips to the library, or bikerides, and somewhat thick-headed as to have considered such unencumbered free time to be unremarkable.) 

On my recent trip to Oregon, I took photos, and I have plenty to say about it, so this will be a series. I don’t know if it was a vacation or not; I certainly had a good time, but is it a vacation if one spends 4 days driving? Is it a vacation if one spends three days working on a garage sale and one day doing farm labor?

The sale was enormous – the garage, driveway, front lawn, front walkway, all covered with merchandise from about 5 different households. We were very organized, dividing things into appropriate categories, helping customers as if it were a department store, making friends, seeing old friends. Everything was priced and labeled by owner’s initials. Day One of the sale. We continually rearranged the merchandise for better attention attraction. (Note I said “merchandise” rather than “stuff” or “junk”. Stuff is the junk you keep; junk is the stuff you throw away.)

Day Two of the sale was significantly smaller, but just as tightly arranged. If you hadn’t been aware of Day One, you might think this was the only day.We had an enormous amount of jewelry, which was enormously popular.

The most commonly heard comments were: 1. You two must be sisters! and 2. Everything is in such good condition!

This precious child fell in love with this doll, and her dad made her offer a lower price than the marked price. I told her yes but on the condition that she name the doll “Martha”.

This bumper sticker cracked me up, and the customer gave permission to photograph it.

That was two days of work, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Day Two of First Road Trip Since the Plague

If you can’t see the photos, go here: cabinart.net/blog. Does anyone else find it hard to sleep in a motel? I was dying to open the window, but it opened onto a walkway where other occupants passed by, and who knows it someone would crawl in?? So, that, along with the road buzz, made sleeping a bit of a challenge after my 500 mile driving day. “Road buzz” is my description of that inner vibration from being so alert for all those hours. Even my long walk around Weed didn’t completely obliterate the inner hum.

So, I was back on the road by 5:15 AM.

Holy guacamole, Oregon is so very beautiful. Even though the hills are becoming golden, the dried out look is offset by all the greenery surrounding it. Maybe it seemed extra beautiful because it wasn’t hot.

Upon arrival, my people had an appointment in downtown Salem, the capitol of Oregon. So, I went along but took a walk, in search of the capitol building. There were so many pretty parks, and beautiful old homes. No photos of the homes, because I was on a quest.

The talking lady on my phone sent me around in circles, telling me for about 3/4 of a mile, “go one quarter mile and turn right”. That right turn never arrived, so finally I shut her off and just followed my instincts. 

Instincts? This was based on a vague hand wave indicating “it’s that way”, and eventually, seeing the tip of a gold idol way above the other buildings.

Idol? A statue in gold reminds me of things mentioned in the Old Testament. It also reminded me of all those Moroni angel statues on top of Mormon temples in Utah. I’m not sure who Oregon has commemorated on their capitol.

Turns out that I walked 3-1/2 miles in the middle of an August afternoon. What a thrill to be somewhere that doesn’t cause one to just cower inside the air-conditioning! (I’m sure they do plenty of cowering indoors during the winter, because everything is a trade-off of some sort.)

Look at the scenery on the drive back. I was a passenger, so the photos aren’t quite as wonky as the ones from when  I was driving.

What a beautiful state!

The next few days will be spent in family activities, probably not photoworthy, so tomorrow (Friday) we will return to a Mineral King post. 

Next week? More will be revealed in the fullness of time.

 

First Road Trip After the Plague

If you can’t see the photos, go here: cabinart.net/blog. We interrupt our regular broadcasting schedule to bring you a special report. After only leaving Tulare County 5 times in 2 years*, I drove 500 miles one day this week.

I headed straight out Highway 198 to Interstate Five, also known as “The Five” (not to be confused with a group of talking heads). For about the first 100 miles, I drove in silence. Then I tried talk radio, bouncing to music and back to talk. At about 250 miles, I put in a book on CD, Condoleeza Rice’s autobiography, read beautifully by her. Thinking I’d need more breaks, I was surprised to only stop twice for gas and once for coffee.

One of my favorite sights on that long highway is Truck Village. (My photos are better when I am a passenger than when driving.)

Suddenly, I was in Weed, my first night’s destination. This is a seedy town, dominated by Mt. Shasta, capturing traffic off The Five in addition to capitalizing on its unfortunate name (named after Mr. Abner Weed, who most likely is turning over in his grave).

The Hi-Lo Cafe has good food but a bit of trouble with spelling.

Resisting the urge to correct the sign, I took a walk around town. The elevation is about 3400′ and it was a very clear and comfortable evening to hop aboard the Zapato Express** after sitting all day long.

I went under the welcome arch (the cafe’s menu said it was built in the ’20s and then rebuilt in the ’60s), heading to downtown. There is definitely an artsy vibe, discovered several places but only photographed here on these decorated steps. Looks just like something I would do.  (Ahem. Something I may have done. Trail Guy is very tolerant of my little eccentric experiments.)

Weed has one rather worn-out looking mural. Sorry to break it to you, Weed, but a mural cannot save a village.

The town is dominated by Shasta.

Such a sad downtown. Many dispensaries, a thrift shop, a tattoo parlor, a couple of bars, a big antique mall, some souvenir places taking advantage of that unfortunate town name, a closed movie theater, a closed bowling alley, many other abandoned buildings, and some attempts to spruce things up by having nice sidewalks, a nice city hall, a couple of tiny parks. The homes I passed were full of potential for cuteness, but what would bring someone to this place besides the geography? 

Bye-bye, Weed. Maybe I’ll see you on the way back home.

*Once to Kern County, 4 times to Fresno County

**Take a walk