Because there are flowers in the yard and the flowering quince is coming soon.
Because it is green around the studio.
Because the daylight lasts longer, the sky is blue, and the cats don’t beg to stay in the house during the day.
Because Kaweah is waiting for me to go paint.
And although she prefers my lap, she is content directly underfoot while I stand to paint!
Hope I never squash her sweet little self!
It isn’t popular in the artworld to admit that one works from photos. In fact, the closest you’ll get to reading that someone works from photos is “I use them for reference”. Brings to mind something Jack White, my painting inspiration/guru/mentor said – “All realistic painters either work from photos or they lie about it”. Me? I TOTALLY work from photos – if I just use them for reference, it is because the scene was so complicated that I just started making things up!
The other JB and I visited the Buckeye campground in Sequoia National Park over the weekend. There is a mellow little trail that leads to a picturesque footbridge over the main fork of the Kaweah River. (You can read about it in the January 17 blog post.) When JB saw the view, she burst forth with the declaration, “If you paint that, I will buy it!” Being a hard-nosed business tycoon (snort, guffaw), I said, “Okay, I will show you some sketches first so you can see if you like it and after I paint it, I won’t hold you to buying it.” (Jack White would not be pleased with me for that!)
Here is the main view that JB was so taken with; you can barely see the bridge in the photo! This is why I will have to sketch things in advance of painting – how large can I make the bridge without distorting reality? How much rock, if any, in the foreground is actually necessary? Can I “grow” the river, because in our memories, it is The Main Event?
All these photos will be useful to create a small (“thumbnail” in Artspeak) sketch that will determine what size and where each part should be in proportion to the other parts. If I was carrying a backpack that day, a sketchbook would have been a helpful item. But I am a modern chick who uses a digital camera with tremendous gratitude for the technology.
Ever wonder what an artist does on a day off? I only know what one artist does on a day off – that would be me. First, I experience a tad bit of anxiety about not working when there are deadlines and lots of work right here at my home studio. In a concerted effort to not work, I read some knitting blogs instead of websites about how to use Facebook to benefit my business. Then I decide that it would be rude to work when Michael is off and at home; besides, during the week when it is sunny out, I keep wishing I could be out in the yard.
After all this reasoned thought, I was ready to face the day. We spent the morning pruning and hauling brush and being amazed at the vast quantities of materials that grow in our yard and aren’t edible. . . which is why they grow here and aren’t consumed by deer and gophers. After a short lunch break, Michael suggested a walk. I’ve been watching our neighbor’s dog and the poor beast is lonely, so I thought we should go visit him.
This is Berkeley Jones, adopted from an animal shelter about 9 years ago and given his unusual moniker by 2 sweet little girls, one of whom will be getting married next summer.
There was more incentive to check on Berkeley than simple concern for his well-being; he has a beautiful back yard!
We walked back home with a profound sense of gratitude for life in Three Rivers, in the sunshine above the fog of the Central Valley, walking distance from the river, surrounded by great friends and beauty in every direction. (Never mind about the weak water system in our neighborhood which caused us to abandon 75% of the lawns that came with our house; that looks like a crummy lawn in the photo, but it is a weed patch now.) We were also inspired by the very fine manicured oaks in Berkeley’s yard so we spent another couple of hours in the yard when we got back home, trying to keep up with the (Berkeley) Jones!
In what passes for winter in Tulare County, sometimes it gets cold and gray. Count on it in the flatlands. Moan and complain about it in Three Rivers. If you’re smart, you’ll just drive up a ways and voila! Sunshine! That is what Michael and I did on Saturday. Ever been to Hospital Rock? I had, but only to the upper parts and not to the river. The interesting thing is this: I recognized the rocks because I have drawn them! As always, I was looking for light but seriously distracted by the lovely old rockwork. Under the photos, I will put my opinion of how each photo would be useful to an artist.
There was a bridge across the river (middle fork of the Kaweah) until it washed out in the ’55 flood and a wall was added for a viewing platform. This has the clear detail necessary for a pencil drawing, but probably not the best choice of subjects because it is sort of an odd structure. Those sorts of things make sense in photos but cause an art viewer to wonder what the heck it is!
There are inexplicable stairs all around. Clearly this was constructed in an earlier era before evidence of humanity was forbidden (except signs with cautions and warnings.) This has good clear detail for a pencil drawing, but not a great one because there is no visible sunlight. The person could be included or left out, depending on how much fiddly detail one wanted to do. If the face was showing, I’d say FORGET IT – NO FACES SMALLER THAN AN EGG! (ok, I might not shout, but I’d be very adamant on this point.)
I recognized this little waterfall – it had my friend’s parents standing to the left in the picture that I drew. This would make a nice pencil drawing – great contrast but not enough color for a painting.
Would the Park allow a trail to be built beneath a rock like this now?? Would they even allow the rock to remain? There are no warning signs – amazing! This photo is good for documentation only – the subject is too weird for art.
This is the kind of light I look for. It would make an excellent painting. Also good for drawing but it would be hard to render the textures unless artist is very experienced.
The Paradise Bridge was replaced in the early ’90s (Michael worked on that project) and it washed out in the ’97 flood, which was only about 1/4 of the water experienced in the flood of ’55! I wasn’t born yet. (Just had to throw that in in case you were wondering.) This would make a drawing and maybe a painting but I’d have to think about what to do with that heavy-looking tree leaning out to the right.
Hard to imagine it washing out. This photo is good for documentation only.Too much texture and the main subject is too small for a good drawing. In case you are wondering, I learned this the hard way.
Rockwork, light, this would make a nice pencil drawing. Maybe even colored pencil. Maybe a combo! I’d mess with the composition a tad to get the edge of the wall off dead-center.
What do you think?
Yesterday my husband had a birthday. I remember thinking how stodgy and middle-aged my parents were when my Dad turned 50, and now I am married to a 58-year-old man! We had to stick around the house waiting for a plumber (the more stuff you own, the more stuff breaks). After getting that situation situated, we went up to the BLM land for a little walk. (All walks are little compared to last year’s training for the 21-miler.) I share these images with you because it gives you a glimpse into the life and through the eyes of a foothills artist in residence.
This is a face screaming “OOO NOOO, not 58!”
When my art studio was in Exeter and I lived in Lemon Cove, people assumed I lived in Three Rivers. I’m guessing this was because of my occupation of pencil artist. (Given the choices of of towns in Tulare County, this is a reasonable assumption.) Now that I actually do live here and have become a painter, I recognize a multitude of reasons that any artist would want to reside in Three Rivers.
We are surrounded by beauty that takes no effort to see. There are incomparable views from my yard, studio, mailbox, and even from in my neighbor’s pool. The beauty continues as we go to the post office, the Memorial Building, the golf course, or maybe even from the dentist’s office!
Then there is the beauty that might require a little more effort to take in: the North Fork, the South Fork, Kaweah River Drive, and the Salt Creek area of BLM land come to mind. If you are able to walk, there is so much more that becomes visible. In fact, I wrote a series on my weblog called “Peculiar Sights in Three Rivers” documenting odd items that appear to the pedestrian in our town.
Another great enticement to living in Three Rivers is the shorter drive to Sequoia and to Mineral King. In less than an hour you can be among the big trees and in a little longer than an hour, you can be in a valley that I have heard resembles the Swiss Alps.
Everywhere I look there are subjects to paint. The wildflowers could keep my brush flying for several seasons. The gates alone could occupy my pencils for a year. I could produce an entire series of drawings and paintings simply of loading chutes. Curves in the road, bends in the river, the autumn leaves, light on the rocks, Moro Rock from every possible angle, Alta Peak from every attainable viewpoint, sycamores all around town, the grand oak trees of every variety, the assortment of fence styles – every one of these subjects could be depicted in pencil or paint.
It is true that there is beauty in almost any location if one learns to recognize it. I certainly had plenty of subjects available in my former locations. Now, the accessibility of paintable scenes is almost overwhelming!
This is our view when transporting the canoe. Can you see the elephant in the distance?
We put in at Slick Rock and paddled upstream awhile for a better view of the elephant.
Ever wonder what Slick Rock looks like up close? (Sorry, no elephant in it)
The reason we were able to put in at Slick Rock is because the recent storms raised the level of Lake Kaweah significantly. (The elephant is behind us now.)
That is the Horse Creek Bridge in the background. We’ve never paddled up Horse Creek before, because normally we only have the opportunity to canoe when the water level is too low for that area.
Michael spotted this Belted Kingfisher; I’m thinking it should be called Whiplashed Kingfisher.
Almost back to the car. See the elephant? For a few days there was so much snow that it was hard to see him? (Mickey, is it a boy or girl elephant?)
We found an easier way to load the canoe at the end of our excursion. Good thing, because my arms felt like limp spaghetti.
Last night the phone rang. Even though it said “Private Caller”, I answered. It was an acquaintance who identified herself, and immediately apologized, saying she had called the wrong Jana. After a few questions, I was able to tell her the last name of the “right Jana”. Where else can you dial a wrong number and not only find a friend, but get the info you are seeking?
While making a phone call a few years ago, I expected to reach Louise. Instead, I misdialed and got Pam. When I realized what I had done, I said, “Since I have you on the phone, can I order a cheesecake from you?” Isn’t that a hoot??
Last week I got a message on my home phone that was intended for someone else. I know where the caller works, so I looked up her work #, called her and told her that her message went to the wrong answering machine. She told me who the message was intended for, and I said, “Oh! That is my vet’s Mom!” (I was pleased that she didn’t say, “Oh? I prefer a Physician’s Assistant.”)
Casualty is another C word, but not an art one. (Remember “commission” and “consignment”?) Nevertheless, here is the literal definition: “a person killed or injured in a war or accident”. The figurative definition is “a person or thing badly affected by an event or situation”.
I was driving around on Sunday afternoon being a Looky-loo at all the rain action in Three Rivers and passed Neighbor Kelly’s house just minutes after this happened:
It was hogging up part of the road. Neither Kelly nor I have chain saw experience, nor could we find a handsaw. We got our pruners and I grabbed an ax. Together we got it hacked back and dragged off the road. We borrowed some cones from our neighborhood water project to mark it for cars to notice. (I mean the drivers of cars, but you knew that!) Kind of cool to have an ax, know how to use it! In Three Rivers, we depend on our neighbors for help. I know if there is a tree casualty in my yard when my personal chainsaw-operator is absent, I can call on Neighbor Kelly to come help me deal with it! (These two photos were taken after she and I dealt with all the stuff in the road – obviously there is still work to be done!)
Wasn’t it a beautiful tree?
