Category: 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”):

Spring in Kaweah Country

If you are reading this in Chicago or Alexandria or somewhere else that is having a real winter, please don’t do anything rash but just try to enjoy this posting. February is spring in Three Rivers. Down the hill in Visalia those poor folks have to contend with fog and gray days, but up here there are fiddlenecks in bloom, along with something white, an occasional plum tree, and narcissus. The daffodils are about to pop in my yard, as is the flowering quince. The green kind of looks fake because it is so very intensely green. This is how things looked on a recent walk:

My husband sometimes rides his bike along with me on my long walks. It helps pass the time, and he brings water. 😎 On days like this I have my little camera; someday you may see paintings that look oddly familiar!

Three Rivers

A Nice Walk

Ever been to Marble Falls? Until one week ago, I hadn’t. It is in the foothills of Sequoia National Park, and I’ve heard it is steep and hot; it isn’t that steep, and in January, it was pleasantly warm (low 70s) and very green. To get there, go into the Potwisha campground and drive to the far end where there is parking for a few cars at the trailhead. Walk along an interesting old flume for 1/4 mile, and then, don’t get so interested in the flume that you fail to notice the small “TRAIL” sign to the right.

This flume borrows water temporarily from the Marble Fork of the Kaweah, uses it to make electricity near Ash Mountain for Southern California Edison, and sends it right back into the river. Clean, established, historic, good!

Here is a photo of looking down while hiking – if you are prone to tripping or stumbling, sometimes it is wise to watch your feet. However, there is something else in this photo. Look at it here:

This is a tick. (Weird word in English – tick-tock, that ticks me off, this tick will bite you if given a chance, the worry of getting bitten is giving me a tic under my left eye, etc.) These little critters sit on the ends of grasses and branches just waiting to hop aboard an unsuspecting body as it passes by. The hike to Marble Falls needs to include stopping to do Tick Checks from time to time!

On the photo above, see the white near the bottom right that looks like a falls? It isn’t. Really! It is marble, but it isn’t water!

(photo above) These are falls along the Marble Fork, but they aren’t Marble Falls either.

This is Marble Falls, 3.9 miles up the trail. Couldn’t find a place to take a decent photo! The falls are most impressive if you are sitting on the marble at the top and seeing the water fall off into space.

The falls are below Eleven Range Lookout on the Generals Highway on the east, and at the base of Admiration Point on the west. This is off the Colony Mill Road (that you can no longer drive on), which connects the Crystal Cave Road to North Fork Drive.

And finally, here is a view of the trail on the way back and one more of the river back near Potwisha.

hiking in Three Rivers Marble Falls Potwisha Campground Sequoia National park Southern California Edison

Spring in Kaweah Country

That’s the title!

Signed, but not titled

Last weekend I was at the Chevron station when a man in a white van pulled up behind me. He asked if I had done the mural; I hesitated until he said he liked it. (Chicken!) Then I admitted it was mine. We visited about it for a bit, and he asked if he could make a suggestion. I said, “of course!” Then, he felt a bit embarrassed, and I had to really work to get it out him.

He suggested having more flowers extend beyond the borders, which I had considered earlier but gave up on when I couldn’t get my paintbrushes to behave in the drying wind. Hearing it from a “fan” caused me to realize that a second try was worth the effort. The man kept apologizing, and finally I had to explain that I am painting for normal people’s enjoyment, and that anything a “normal person” suggested was probably worth considering. He admitted to being a “normal person”, so Mr. Normal Guy, I thank you!!

untitled, Tulare County Fire Station #14, South Fork and Sierra Drive, 7×14′

mural Three Rivers Tulare County Fire Station

You Know You’re A Dork When. . .

. . . you’re in love with a bridge.

We drove our bikes to the 3 mile marker on the Mineral King Road on Sunday afternoon and rode the 3.5 miles to the Oak Grove Bridge. It was up most of the way, but not horribly upical.

The light wasn’t great on the bridge, but it was quite fun to have it be our destination and to just hang out on foot.

Mineral King Road Oak Grove Bridge

Mural, Day Three

The hardest part about this mural is the wind! It makes the photos flap around, my hair flies in my face, and the palette and brushes dry out Very Fast. Wow, this is a windy location! The other surprising thing is that no matter how many days I have worked on it, I always think “2 more days”. More will be revealed. . .

Alta is patched and repainted a bit.

It is actually further along than this, but I had to take the photo before the mulberry tree shadow reached the image.

Today I taped off the edges in order to decrease the hassles. Good policy, don’t you think? One should always decrease hassles if given the chance! (Once again, the color is not accurate in the photo – a field trip is recommended.)

mural Three Rivers Tulare County Fire Station

Fire Station Mural, Day 2

Murals are very social projects. Compared to Exeter, it didn’t seem that social until I began adding up the visitors! TCM DOC brought me some wonderfully welcomed liquid refreshments this a.m. Kristi wondered if I can walk tomorrow and if I had lunch with me. Lieutenant O’Dell bought some gray goo to seal up the divot in the center of Alta Peak. A former drawing student stopped by to say hello and so I could see his dog, which I named “Barney” back when he was a pup! (Handsome Aussie!) A stranger stopped by to say “God Bless You!” (I thanked him and wish I had thought to say “He has and is!”) Shirley the mail lady stopped because I had the flag up on the mailbox (forgot to mail my stuff at home) —we didn’t recognize each other without our knitting in hand! Plus, I met Mike and Steve, 2 EMTs. Best of all, my Other Half stopped by when he finished work! Here is the divot patch waiting to dry:

And here is the day’s progress from a distance:

The lake needs a bit of work. The mulberry tree is casting a weird shadow over the left side, in case you were wondering.

And here it is a bit closer. Next? The lake divot needs snow, the lake needs another coat, and the corners need wildflowers! The colors are sort of pukey in these photos – guess you’ll just have to drive by!

Three Rivers mural

New Mural!

This is at Tulare County Fire Station #14, at the corner of Sierra Drive and South Fork in Three Rivers. When I arrived this morning, this is what was waiting:

Nice prime job, Mike! Thanks! Next, I drew on the design with a small stiff paintbrush in gray paint. It needed a little improving, so I switched to green for the corrections.

Then, I began with the sky and worked my way forward. Had a nice visit with Lieutenant O’Dell – I grew up with his dad and uncle out in the oranges north of Ivanhoe! (Can’t be anonymous in Tulare County!) He was hospitable and helpful, and he likes to draw, so I gave him lots of tips as I painted. At the end of the day, this is what the tank looked like:

Look what’s next!

This is a concrete water tank at the Tulare County fire station #14 in Three Rivers. Starting Monday, October 19, it will get painted with a mural! Don’t those guys have good taste? It isn’t costing taxpayers a thing – the volunteer fire fighters raise money for extras like this! Aren’t those guys great? Nope, I’m not showing the design yet. More will be revealed in the fullness of time!