Category: Three Rivers

Hidden Homes and Gardens

For several years, The Three Rivers Union School Foundation has organized a tour of gardens in our town to benefit the school.

The school always needs money. It is a one-school district, and the principal also teaches all day. These situations always cause me to wonder where the magical lottery money that was supposed to save our schools went, but no one brings that up or has answers. But, I digress.

On the first Hidden Gardens tour, I set up in the garden of my amazing friend Barbara. There were so many scenes to photograph and to paint! We collaborated on stepping stones a few years later. (lavender paintings on saltillo tiles)

This year, the Foundation has run out of celebrity gardens to bring in the visitors (William Shatner and Anjelica Huston both have places here in town). What to do?? Add homes!

I have the privilege of planting myself (ahem – pun intended) in a place up the South Fork with a beautiful view up the canyon, a fabulous new Craftsman style house, a classic barn, sheep, pigs, and plantings that were gorgeous in March. Not sure what I will find to paint in April, in spite of the cooler weather. March was hot and fried the hillsides to their more usual shade of brown.

The Tour is Saturday, April 18. A good article about it is here. Tickets may be found here. (will open in new windows)

Distracting Surroundings

If you are participating in the South Valley Artists’ Studio Tour this weekend, you will truly enjoy visiting the 7 studios in Three Rivers.

This is because it is BEEE-YOOOO-TEEEEE-FULL up here right now.

Painting In Church Some More

When I arrived to paint on Day #2 of Painting In Church (weird – I often draw in church, but have never painted there, unless you count one of my first murals which was outside on a Seatrain storage container, but that was outside, so never mind), this is what I had to work with.

Whoa. If that’s all I was able to finish in one day, how in the world will I finish by Sunday, especially when I don’t know what is going to fill the rest of the space.

I was in church, painting, and not knowing what to do, so I prayed. Then I figured out what to do on the left side. Hmmm, wonder where that idea came from. . .

I parked just outside the sliding door near the stage thinking I’d keep my car door open and listen to the radio. Well, duh, here I am on a stage surrounded by a great sound system, which I know how to operate AND have a key to! So, I put some of my favorite CDs in the player and cranked up that baby to get some work done! Work fast, Central California artist, because Sunday is coming fast! FAST!

It was a hazy day in Three Rivers. This was my view out of the sliding door, which I left open, because really and truly, I just wanted to be gardening. (Whatsa matta with me?? You thought I was an artist. . . Well, it is spring in Three Rivers, and I want to be outside!!)

I left a mess on the stage and there was music practice that night. I hope the musicians were able to work around my stuff. I had to work around theirs, so there.

Wow. This is what I had after a 9-1/2 hour day of painting in church.

If you are wondering, it is the First Baptist Church in Three Rivers. We have a churchy name, but we aren’t churchy in our decor. (Have you noticed all the non-churchy names for churches these days? The Well, The Rock, The Door, The Way, The Bridge, and then there’s “Radiant” – what? that’s not a noun! – and my niece goes to something called “Flood” – Hey! Where’s the “The”??)

It Rained in Three Rivers

Rain is an event around here. In the winter, we hope it is accompanied by snow in the mountains. Alas, it was a warm rain, and the river turned muddy. But what a thrill to hear the river roar again!

Kaweah River

Looking downstream, it was terrific to see the water actually reaching the measuring stick again.

Kaweah River

Looking upstream when the sun emerged, the muddiness of the water really became apparent. Every little stream and creek and ravine up to about 9000′ dumped its contents here. It felt like an event.

Then, it stayed very springlike. A friend and I had lunch at Anne Lang’s Emporium, where the food, the companionship and the entertainment were all superior.

We sat on the deck overlooking the river, and this tree with its birds were at eye level. This guy had a fabulous song, and it was a trick to catch him in the act. However, we aren’t burning film anymore, so after a zillion attempts, I caught this:

The red-wing blackbird puffs up when he sings his beautiful song.

Big variety of birds visited this feeder, but I wasn’t quick enough to catch them on camera. (on disk? We certainly don’t say “on film” anymore.) I couldn’t catch the hummingbirds without major bluration.

See? bluration. Good word, eh?

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.

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.

February is Spring in Three Rivers

To my friends who live where there is winter, if Three Rivers seems SOOOO LUCKY to have spring, think about the rest of the year. Hot, smoggy, fat people, poor people, lots of diabetes, high teen pregnancy. . . okay, I exaggerate. That’s Tulare County, but Three Rivers is in Tulare County.

Not much water in Salt Creek. Colt, a miniature Aussie, liked it!

Comb Rocks in the distance, lots of green on the ground. Colt likes it here.

No water in the falls.

Lupine in bloom!

Lots of oak trees in Three Rivers. Easier to photo than to paint or draw when there are no leaves.

Challenging Indoor Mural Update

Not exactly a mural update, but an invitation. Come back on Thursday, January 29 to see what happens to the mural!

Meanwhile, contemplate Lake Kaweah as it looked on one of my morning commutes.

Lake Kaweah, between Three Rivers and Lemon Cove, California

See you on Thursday!

Stocking Stuffer Boutique

What is a “boutique” anyway? It isn’t a bazaar. Is it like “luncheon” as opposed to “lunch”?

The dictionary uses the words “sophisticated” and “specialized” to explain a boutique. (Nope, didn’t look up bazaar – I saved that for you.)

Sophisticated? Me? har har har har har. . . I’m from Tulare County, a Realistic Regionalist from Ruralsville.

Specialized? Yeppers. I specialize in Tulare County images. Nikki specializes in high-quality hand woven items. Karen specializes in clay mono-prints (hunh?? Guess you’ll have to come see for yourself.) Anne specializes in lathe-turned wooden items. Sam specializes in gourds. We are specialists!

Stocking Stuffer Boutique

Saturday, December 6, 2014

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

41831 Sierra Drive (at the downstream end of the Kaweah Commonwealth Bldg.)

Another Three Rivers art event, on First Saturday Three Rivers!

Perfect Gift Boutique Post-Game

Perfect Gift Boutique Post-Game? Remember when the terms “pre-game” and “post-game” weren’t used? It is a sports/television term. “Wrap-up” also works, as does the stuffier sounding “evaluation”.

The weather was beautiful, so the day after Thanksgiving was a busy one. It was a little hard to be indoors, but I managed to corral my independent streak and behave professionally. The opportunities to interact with and sell to the public are rare, so I need to be focused.

The second day had less traffic, so the conversations were longer. I met so many interesting people, sold lots of art (the hottest item was the calendar), and even did a bit of photography and a little knitting in between.

I know. . . blah, blah, blah, just show us some pictures!

There were eight of us showing and selling out work. We call ourselves “The Kaweah Artisans”, a loose association of makers mostly from Three Rivers, each working in different media.

Sam sits and sews in the sunshine. She is working on one of her fantastic gourds.

Carole works in metal and clay, making whimsical and often highly detailed decorative items. Very unique in the true sense of the word – no 2 are ever the same, and no one else does what she can do.

Told you it was pretty out!

The Three Rivers Arts Center is such an interesting venue. It has stone and wood details all over the exterior. It is beautiful in a rustic manner, using stone and wood that appear to be from the area. I don’t know who did all the work, but I find the place to be simply fascinating.

Three Rivers

Three Rivers in Fall

Today I want to share photos of Three Rivers in Fall with you because in spite of the drought and the sense of endless summer, there is seasonal beauty here in this fine corner of Tulare County.

Happy Birthday, Shirley Goodness!

(Why do I say “Fall” instead of “Autumn”? Because I witnessed leaves falling from a tree today.)