Is white a color or an absence of color?

In December and January, I was struck by the number of white things in my yard. Is white a color or the absence of color? If I am drawing, white is paper color, and I draw around the white things. In painting, I use more white than any other tube of paint.

Notice I said “tube” rather than “color”. This is because my question remains, “Is white a color or an absence of color?”

Forget it. Let’s look at pictures of white things. 

IMG_1083 IMG_1084 IMG_1086 IMG_1089 IMG_1090 IMG_1092

White must be a color. If it wasn’t, these things would be clear, transparent, see-through.

There. Glad that got settled!

P.S. Yes, this is how December and January look in Three Rivers. Payback time is in July, August and September when other parts of the country are green and we are crunchy brown, gray, a bit of yellow, and just plain dusty.

Does Art Have A Purpose?

This is a reprint of an article that I wrote for LinkedIn.

1441 MK Trail

Mineral King Trail, 11 x 14″, oil on wrapped canvas, $175

In the art world, one can always find a discussion about the purpose of art. Is it to decorate? To enhance? To inspire? Or, is its purpose to disrupt, to cause one to examine one’s life, or simply to disturb?

The latest news flash disrupts. The top of the hour news causes one to examine one’s life. The all-news-all-the-time reiteration of gross events in the world is disturbing.

Be honest now: is this what you want on the walls in your life? In my humble opinion, disruption, self-examination and disturbances are more the purview of news than art.

I live in a poor rural county in the center of California. Art is a strange way to earn a living here, and it is a hard haul at times. No matter how difficult it is, I am motivated, nay, DRIVEN to find and show the beauty of this place I’ve always called home. Sure, I could make art about stolen vehicles, meth, teen pregnancy, poverty, diabetes, obesity or bad air, but who wants to look at that??

Artists are told by professors, publications, websites, seminars, workshops and other artists that we must convey a message, tell a story, incite people to think.

As an artist, my response to this “must” is two-fold: first, an automatic internal reaction that I may not have anything worth saying other than “Ooh, how beautiful”, and second, perhaps that message of beauty is irrelevant.

Recently, I became aware of a transcript of a talk given by philosopher and writer Roger Scruton, called “Why Beauty Matters”. (http://www.facetofaceintercultural.com.au/a-fading-beauty/) He points out that beauty is a value, one that is as important as truth or goodness.

Scruton quotes Oscar Wilde, who said, “All art is absolutely useless”, and he opines that Wilde intended this as praise. How can uselessness be viewed as a compliment? He actually viewed beauty as having a higher value than usefulness.

What a contrary concept in this age of edgy brashness, outrageous trendiness, and ever-increasing audaciousness, all for shock value.

Once again, I admonish you to be honest: do you want to be shocked as you pass down your hallway? Disturbed while waiting for your coffee? Upset as you settle in for the evening?

Beautiful art can bring grace to your home and peace to your life. We all know that life can be hard. Have you ever considered that beauty soothes the troubled soul and takes the edge off the difficult times? It can momentarily transport us away from our daily harsh realities, and it is an immeasurably great quality that we cannot overdose on.

I’ll take soothing over shocking every day. Art serves in that capacity for me, both in its creation and in its display. Like goodness and truth, I need beauty in my life. Art helps to fulfill that need.

THE CABINS OF WILSONIA BOOK SIGNING

The books, The Cabins of Wilsonia, are supposed to arrive today. This may mean they arrive at some truck depot in Fresno where they sit over the weekend or it may mean a big rig comes to the hardware store in Three Rivers. (Bless Mike McCoy and the Three Rivers Mercantile for making their turn-around space and fork lift available to me!)

No matter when they arrive in Three Rivers, I will be bringing them (not all 1529, but a reasonable transportable amount) to Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery on Tuesday, December 16.

Here. Let’s make this easy:

The Cabins of Wilsonia

BOOK SIGNING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16

12:30 – 5:30

125 SOUTH B STREET, EXETER, CALIFORNIA

IF YOU PRE-ORDERED:

  1. If the books come on today, I will begin shipping to those who live far away on Monday. LET ME KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO PICK THE BOOK UP IN PERSON SO I DON’T MAIL IT FIRST!!
  2. If the books come on Monday, I’ll try to ship (Ahem. Most likely I will send Trail Guy to the Post Office!) on Tuesday a.m. before the book signing.
  3. If you paid for shipping and would rather not wait, come to the book signing and bring your receipt. I will refund your $5 mailing.
  4. If you didn’t pay for shipping, bring your receipt and retrieve your copy.
  5. If you live far away or can’t come on Tuesday, I will be there again the following Tuesday, same time.

 

DETAILS FOR THOSE WHO DIDN’T PRE-ORDER:

  1. The price is $81, which includes tax BUT NOT SHIPPING.
  2. If you want a book shipped to someone, the price is $86. (Yes, I know it is a weird amount – I often specialize in weird.)
  3. If you want to order the book, you may do so using Paypal (the send money option) or through the mail (I accept checks) to P.O. Box 311, Three Rivers, CA 93271

 

I do NOT accept credit cards – bring cash or checks if you plan to buy a book. 

(This is because I don’t have a smart phone or a Square, because I don’t get cell phone service where I live – unbelievable, I know. Yes, I have AT&T. No, it doesn’t work at my address. Yes, I am sort of glad about that.)

While I Wait

This post was written on December 8.

As the arrival of the book The Cabins of Wilsonia gets closer, my anxiety mounts. This is due to several factors: the printer hasn’t been very forthcoming with information, and the closer to Christmas it gets, the more difficult I know it will be to get it signed, sealed and delivered.

It isn’t as if I have nothing to do. Look at this list:

  1. Figure out how to do some computer baloney (You don’t want to know – expensive, difficult and time-consuming while the company tries to sell me new computery stuff, and nothing makes sense and I have to call the company and be on hold forever to get any assistance while the chirpy voice tells me to just check the (non-working) website!)
  2. Send yet another email to the printer to ask if they know when the book shipped (last info was Dec. 5)
  3. More computer baloney with another irritating company
  4. Check email to see if the printer has answered.
  5. Begin cleaning up studio from slamming in and out for various weekend shows
  6. Check email to see that printer said book shipped Dec. 8, and think cynical thoughts about any info from printer.
  7. Sit in the sunshine with my sweet kitty and knitting to think uncharitable thoughts toward the printer and contemplate how to productively use the rest of the day.
  8. Vacuum the studio, hang paintings.
  9. Take inventory on pencil reproduction prints and find things to throw away, a very satisfying activity.
  10. Scan reproduction prints for the upcoming rebuilt website.
  11. Work on the blog
  12. Gather for another secret oil painting workshop
  13. Remember I have a commission drawing job and finally sit at the drawing table to do work as an ARTIST, for heaven’s sake!

I thought about telling you how really irritating the whole internet/domain/hosting baloney was, but I don’t want you to feel as irritated and stressed as I do.

So, let’s just have a look at the sweet Mr. Perkins and feel better.

Sit, Knit and Split in Mineral King

When I didn’t have a cabin in Mineral King, I said I’d kill for one. My new boyfriend said, “There is an easier way.”

That was about 30 years ago.

I learned that there are multiple parts to cabin life. There’s the social aspect, the having 2 homes challenge, the trails, and just hanging around.

Hanging around suits me just fine these days. Seems that life down the hill, life in the studio, life on the computer, life in a drought while on the local water board, life in the book publishing world and life in general is wearing me out. Retail Therapy isn’t going to cut it. Instead, I go to Mineral King to just sit, knit or split.

Sit

 

Knit
Split
More sit
More knit
More split
Sit and knit, and now I’ve split

A Color Junkie Goes on About Primary Colors

I am a color junkie. It jumps out at me everywhere, and I think about it without meaning too. Primary colors are the basis for all colors, and when I began oil painting, I became even more aware of colors, particularly the primaries.

Red, yellow, and blue make up all the colors in the world. I have to add white for painting.  I’ve heard it described as the absence of color, the sum of all colors, the coldest color and some people refuse to call it a color. Doesn’t matter – it is impossible to mix colors without it.

The primaries keep appearing in my life. Early in my painting career, I was given the assignment to copy one of the old masters. I chose Vermeer, and later realized the primaries figured in large in the painting.

Vermeer

I liked the painting so much that I did another one. Red, yellow and blue are all over the place in this one too. (Of course they are all over – I did the entire painting using nothing but the primaries and white.)

See my palette? White, yellow, a mixed orange, 2 reds, 2 blues, a mixed purple and then the other colors that I mixed for whatever I was supposed to be painting when I was procrastinating by photographing the palette.

Every spring I look for blue flowers to put in my blue pots, completed by reds and yellows. No pinks, no purples, an occasional white, but mostly the primaries.

Last summer we were walking through a village on an island in Alaska and I saw these cans.

Only a color junkie would get excited about a scene like this.

Label Mural Afterthoughts

Ever heard it said that a camel is a horse designed by a committee?

Rocky Hill Antiques mural

The Rocky Hill Antiques mural is in danger of becoming a camel. Three owners, a former owner, vendors within the organization – many many people have opinions.

I will paint until the one who writes the checks is happy.

More will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Meanwhile, only TWO people have told me what is hidden in the mural. There have been many imaginative guesses; I think people are very very creative!

Hanging Around the Cabin in Mineral King

I was lucky, smart or blessed enough to marry into a cabin in Mineral King, the most beautiful and peaceful place in Sequoia National Park.

One would think this would mean spending every possible hour out on a trail.

One would be wrong.

Sometimes cabin time means catching up on things that just fall through the cracks at home. Sometimes these things are just not all that urgent at home, or maybe it is just too hot to do them at home.

Cracking walnuts is much more enjoyable in Mineral King.

Splitting wood is certainly more necessary in Mineral King!

Refinishing chairs? Definitely more enjoyable in Mineral King!

Knitting is enjoyable anywhere.

Knitting is especially enjoyable when it is this yarn – the colors and texture are magical.

Sometimes we hang out and help neighbors. Mostly it is Trail Guy, because they need the kind of help that only he knows how to provide. However, I can trot back to the cabin for a tool or make a phone call.

Sometimes we don’t see some neighbors because they are hanging out at their cabins, working on their own projects. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with cracking walnuts, I might have come over and taken a “before” shot of these steps. They did a beautiful job of cleaning them out and resetting the rocks.

If this was your view, maybe you’d be content just hanging out too.

Next Friday, I’ll share photos from a walk in Mineral King.

Random Facts About Squirreliness

Sometimes a list helps. I’ve been making lists for years, sometimes as an aid to memory and efficiency, and sometimes for the sense of satisfaction gained from checking off things.

Today’s list is in the first category. I hope this is helpful for you.

  1. The comments on my blog may be working again. Anyone want to try?
  2. I’ve updated my page called “Where To Buy“. Want to look? It is under the Artist tab on my website. There are addresses, phone numbers and website links for most, and hours when I know them.
  3. The contact button works intermittently. This has to do with my ability (inability?) to update pages on my website. When it is disabled, supposedly I am able to add new pictures to the pages. Sometimes I forget to reactivate it. (Maybe a list would help me. . . ?)
  4. I haven’t been able to successfully update the oil paintings and pencil drawings on my site. It seems as if I have added them, but the pictures just appear as little question marks.
  5. My former web designer is working to simplify the design of my website so I am able to update things without getting in line to hear back from her replacement. He must be very very popular. I could give you a list of the steps to update, but you’d be bored silly.
  6. When the design has been simplified, things might be squirrely-looking for awhile.