Category: Three Rivers

Learning to draw, Chapter Fourteen

Drawing buildings is the first thing I did in my career. Cabins, specifically. (“cabinart”, anyone?) These are not difficult for me, but many of my students would rather do anything else, even faces! Wendy is up for any challenge on a piece of paper – here is her beginnings of the Presbyterian Church in Three Rivers, a beautiful structure in a beautiful setting. The most important things to know in rendering buildings accurately are these: 1. vertical is ALWAYS vertical – it is the horizontal lines that do the slant tricks and 2. it is okay to use a straight edge to make straight edge.

drawing lessons Three Rivers Presbyterian church

Another Morning Walk

Because the redbud wasn’t fully out yet, I had to return to BLM land yesterday. Here is the only photo that really shows the across-the-canyon display:

It isn’t paint-able for me – but perhaps a abstract painter or a weaver (HEY NIKKI, you listening??) might find inspiration here. Of course, I could always get yarn in these colors. . . of course, I could always get more yarn!

Morning Walk in Three Rivers

A mile above my house is a beautiful place which goes by many different names: Case Mountain, Salt Creek, Craig Ranch, and BLM. I call it the last one, which, if you are not a Westerner, you might not know means “Bureau of Land Management”, which is under the Department of the Interior. But enough blah, blah, blah – you probably came here for the pictures.

Earl McKee keeps his horses here. In the morning before the sun hits, they have a little convention that looks like they are frozen in place. It was chilly!

The other JB and I were headed into the sunshine.

There are 2 seasonal waterfalls up there.

Did you know “cataract” is another word for waterfall? The dictionary says it is “a large waterfall”; I wonder if “large” refers to volume or height.

The variety of wildflowers was stunning, and I am rather proud of knowing the names of all these. I’m content with photos; JB wanted some to press and dry. Reminds me of my great Aunt Mary, who lived in Three Rivers when I was young. She made beautiful stationery with dried wildflowers and taught me their names.

We walked for a little over 3 miles before having to turn around. The only consolation in cutting our walk short is that the Redbud aren’t yet in bloom and give us a reason to return soon.

Studio Tour, Day Three

Lots of people, more paintings sold, I’m tired, thanks for coming.

Three Rivers Studio Tour

Studio Tour, Day Two

98 visitors, 6 paintings sold, 2 commissions, phew! Very few breaks, great conversation with interesting people – Steve visited China almost 100 times and I could have listened to him for hours, Peg is an Irish citizen, someone else is interested in drawing lessons, TJ showed me a great photo of an old car in a field. . . it was quite a day!

Studio Tour, Day One

This is the first time in the history of Three Rivers Studio Tour that Friday was included. I had 17 visitors including Cousin Charlotte whom I had met before but had no idea is a Marshburn cousin! I also met Abigail, a 3rd grader who wants to be an artist. When she reported to me that Father John Griesbach allowed her to paint on a painting at St. Anthony’s Retreat, I called her back into the studio to help me with some grasses on a painting. (Me, competitive??) This is how my studio looked before people arrived today.

My studio is in 2 buildings.

This is where I paint.

This is where I draw and do paperwork and occasionally teach private lessons.

This is inside the original studio, which was a shed for planing wood because the former owner used to make Cuckoo clocks!

Three Rivers Studio Tour

March First Saturday

The map is too large to put here, so just show up on Saturday at either Anne Lang’s Emporium (open at 9:00? 10:00?) or the Art Co-op (open at 11 a.m.) and get a copy. This month there is a special incentive to visit all the participating places. Each place is worth a certain number of points and there is a wonderful prize!

Unexpected day at The Art Co-op

Today wasn’t “my” day at the Art Co-op, but Ms. Saturday was sick so I worked. The river was roaring and muddy!

It is fun to watch the seasonal changes at that prime little spot. The brilliant yellow trees out front have been a treat, and I have been waiting for someone to come in and tell me their name.

Today a lady named Martha (no, not my mom but another lady) told me they are Acacia trees without even being asked, just what I was waiting for! Have a closer look:

The Art Co-op Three Rivers

Artist Statement

This is one of the most dreaded, misunderstood and boring aspects of being an artist. We artists, in general, dislike writing about our work. Obviously this doesn’t apply to me! But while I love to write, the artist statement gets me bowed up. I don’t do well with Artspeak, and I hate pretentiousness. This a.m. I read an article in the business/art magazine Art Calendar about writing an artist statement and realized it was time to update mine (yet again!) I’m still not sure if it is supposed to be a personal history, a personal philosophy of art, or an explanation. Regardless, here is my current one:

Art has been my fulltime profession for 17 years. Pencil used to be all I’d consider – it was the best way I knew to get every single detail in excruciating perfection. As my drawing students and customers asked for color, I reluctantly entered the world of colored pencil to record life around me. It didn’t resonate with me the way graphite did (and still does!), so 4 years ago I began to oil paint. As my proficiency increases, I’m able to focus more on light and color, and less on minutia. Although my medium is different, my favorite subjects remain: giant Sequoias, Mineral King, citrus, and Three Rivers. Tulare County is my home and recording its beauty is my goal.

It will probably be rewritten many more times as I learn what this is supposed to be and do. Mostly it is a requirement for gallery entries or group shows. Since I tend to be a maverick (as my college photography teacher told me back in the late ’70s), I can usually avoid this part of an art career. Yea! So, have a look at what is almost finished for the Zonta show (and they invited me WITHOUT asking for an “artist statement”):

artist statement oil paintings Tulare County art Zonta

In Progress, Spoken For – Kaweah Post Office

A few months ago, I painted the famous Kaweah Post Office. This is up the north fork of the Kaweah River, and is the smallest operating post office in the United States! Really! The folks who live near it and use it insist that they don’t live in Three Rivers but in Kaweah, and since they do have their own zip code, I suppose it is true. However, the town of Three Rivers claims the Kaweah Post Office as its landmark. Regardless, it is cute as can be and always sells when I paint or draw it. It sold as an 11×14 in November; someone stopped me in the Three Rivers Post Office (Where else for such a request??) last week and asked me to paint it again.

Here it is in its beginning stages.

Here it is a little later. Incidentally, all realistic artists either work from photos or they lie about it. (This is a quote from Jack White, my painting guru)

Kaweah Post Office three rivers landmarks