Neighborhood Beautification Project, Part 3

Because Day 1 of the neighborhood beautification project was packed so full of mural goodness, I split it into 2 posts. So Part 3 is actually only Day 2.

I started the day’s work with both adding and subtracting detail on the upper hills. I’m not fully satisfied yet but it can wait until the mid and lower parts are further along.
Because I am not working on scaffolding or ladders, it is easy to keep backing up and looking at it the way the public will be viewing it most of the time.
White water, a first layer that will need more detailing, and an oak tree on the left which will need more branches and leaves.
The pencil drawing is serving as my guide for most of the placements, textures, and darks and lights (“values” in ArtSpeak). It was a made-up scene in 2001, using many different photos, none of which I can find now.
This is the way it looked at the end of the day.
If you drive past or run fast by it, it looks finished. It’s not.

Here is a list of thoughts about painting this mural:

  • I am quite happy about this mural. It’s been on my list to do for several years while I waited for an idea, an opportunity, and the right attitude.
  • One more day ought to do the trick.
  • I hid something in this mural.
  • Two voices were warring in my head over all the other noises: one said, “What do you think you are doing, you faker?” and the other said, “Keep painting, chickie-babe, you’ll figure it out”.
  • Why are kids so noisy? They are continually crying and yelling. (There is a day care nearby.)
  • The equipment inside this building runs all day long, sounding like a dishwasher or washing machine.
  • The noisiest vehicles in the neighborhood are the ones that drive back and forth, all day.
  • Whole lotta barking dogs around here.
  • People are very encouraging and complimentary.
  • I didn’t post on Instagram or put the mural on the blog while I was working on it, because it is a gift for my neighborhood, not a publicity feat. (I don’t ever do the Facebook*.) It has been fun to just quietly do the thing and let people discover it on their own.

*”The Facebook” is said the same way I say “liberry”, “prolly”, “Mr. Google”, and “Remorial Building”. I’m not as dumb as I sound, in case you were worried. Thank you for your concern.

Neighborhood Beautification Project, Part 2

The last post of this blog showed the beginnings of a mural on the neighborhood water treatment plant doors. I put some blue in the sky and knew there was only one direction – forward.

The sky was a good warm-up; it provided a chance to see how the doors accepted paint.

Time to stand back and decide if things are progressing well.

Such a clear day! It helped to look at Alta Peak in person instead of just on a photograph.

Alta Peak is pretty important to the Alta Acres subdivision. I decided it needed more detail.
Here is more detail.
Looks good from a distance. (That pesky gray spot has reappeared in the camera lens.)
Finished with the step-stool, it is a pleasure to work while standing on the ground.

It is time to figure out where all the other pieces and parts belong.

This is the mural at the end of Day One. On Tuesday, I’ll show you the next steps of the process to create a Christmas present for my neighborhood.

Neighborhood Beautification Project

For about 12 years, I was on our neighborhood water board. Volunteers are how things work when you live in a rural unincorporated town. I got on the board as the recording secretary because I can type fast and spell, but ended up helping to make decisions about things that I knew almost nothing about, standing in the middle of the street watching water leak away and having no idea what to do about it, taking phone calls from people who were mad about their water bills or wondered why there was no water AGAIN, reading water meters, attending way too many meetings, driving around the neighborhood knocking on doors to hand out Boil Water Notices, calculating distances between wells and the road, measuring tanks and figuring out the volume of water, helping to tear down the old treatment plant, writing articles for the newsletter that no one read, putting locks on the meters of people who wouldn’t pay their water bill, removing the locks when they decided to pay.

It was hard. I learned a lot and made friends with the other board members, 2 benefits from the experience.

Two years ago I resigned. Meanwhile, I would walk past the treatment plant and think about how nice it would be to have a mural on the doors.

This building NEEDS a mural. 

Now that I have recovered from being water boarded, I want to give the gift of a mural to the current water board members and the entire neighborhood.

It took two years to decide what to paint. I used a card I drew back in 2001 of a made-up river scene, complete with Alta Peak and Moro Rock. This meant guessing the colors, and stretching things a bit.

Oops. It is actually 9 feet high, and the step stool is not high enough.
My blue ladder has a fold -down tray. It matches the masking tape, which marks the center of the doors and masks the lock and doorknob.
More blue. No backing out now.

 

To Be continued. . .

Before the Rain

Last week before the rain, the air was very clear. I had to work on Saturday, so in spite of having stuff to do in order to prepare for First Saturday, Trail Guy and I drove down to Lake Kaweah to enjoy the morning. This isn’t something I have done many paintings of; I’m not convinced anyone else will appreciate it, especially from the unfamiliar viewpoints of walking along the river in the lake bottom. 

You can decide for yourselves if any of these views would appeal to people.

If I were a hobbyist, I could just paint what I want. I am a professional artist, so figuring out what my customer base is interested in is just part of the business of art. 

First Saturday Three Rivers

A bunch of years ago some people in Three Rivers decided to try something new – First Saturday. Anyone who wanted to participate could do something special on that day, and the combined efforts of the participants would bring visitors to town.

Artists opened their studios. Artists came from other places and found businesses to show their work. Artists gathered at the Arts Center to show their work.

I did this a few times but not often. Lots of other things were happening on those first Saturdays kept me out of it, and there were other reasons, most of them boring.

Nikki, weaver extraordinaire, has participated almost continually and urged me to join. So, I will tomorrow, at her urging, along with a few others. Being available to the buying public is an important element of the business of art. (Duh.)

It might rain. It rained the last time I participated, and even as the “featured artist” with the appropriate theme of Wildflowers, attendance was very very low. (Friends stepped in for me so I could attend my uncle’s memorial service that very day, but the visitors didn’t know that would be the case.) I’ll be there this year, rain or no rain – no uncles left.

The way it works is that you go to the Three Rivers History Museum and get a map. Then you visit the places that sound interesting to you.

Maybe I’ll see you on Saturday. The hours are 11-5. 

(Only this little studio will be open, not the painting workshop.)

Building a Boutique

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 jewelry
Nikki’s weaving
Sam’s gourds
We closed up at 4 p.m. and it was beautiful outside!

Changing Spaces

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.

Friday Fun

Trail Guy went to Mineral King last week. This is how it looks at this time of year.

Farewell Gap with the Crowley Cabin from the bridge at the end of the Mineral King Road. November is bleak and colorless, waiting for snow.

That hardly qualifies as “Friday Fun”. What does? How about Pippin in the leaves!

Look hard. Might need to enlarge the photo to see Pippin, camouflaged in the leaves. Very very camouflaged.
Can you see him now?
Pippin!
Pippin didn’t want to share with Tucker.

See you tomorrow at the Three Rivers Memorial Building for the annual Holiday Bazaar, 9-4!

A Busy Month (and you are invited)

November is my busiest month. For the first time in several years, I have no selling events in Visalia. However, there are plenty of other opportunities to see me and my art: a list might be the easiest way to see all the upcoming events.
1. Holiday Bazaar, Three Rivers Veterans Memorial Building, Saturday, November 23, 9-4, free (of course). Always a nice event with good stuff made by interesting people who are eager to tell and sell.

2. Perfect Gift Boutique, 41837 Sierra Drive (that’s Hwy. 198 in Three Rivers) in a borrowed empty storefront, sharing space with the other Kaweah Artisans. Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30, 10-4. (the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving). The address on this poster is where we were last year; this year’s will be in the next building just downstream, next to the Kaweah Commonwealth office.

WRONG ADDRESS, WRONG DATES, WRONG DIRECTIONS (but right event)

3. In other events, I am teaching drawing lessons at Arts Visalia each Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30. Five students, good times!

4. But wait! There’s more! The Festival of Trees and Globes is the annual fall fundraiser at St. Anthony’s Retreat Center in Three Rivers, this year on Thursday, November 21. My part? Judging the decorated Christmas trees, along with 2 others. It is a little stressful, knowing that people poured their hearts into these trees, and trying to be objective when I know most of the participants and every worthy organization; Three Rivers is a small, self-contained community, and anonymity is rare. The event itself is quite fun, lots of food and drink, a silent auction, and the live auction of the trees. (It’s not fancy like the similar event in Visalia – we are easy-going and informal here in 3R.) You can buy tickets in advance or at the door or from me.

P.S. First Saturday, December, is also coming up, and for the first time in a long time, my studio will be open!

Now the 2nd side of the path to the studio door is planted. This is where I draw, paint, and occasionally contemplate matters of consequence, which results in fascinating blog posts such as this one.