Figuring Things Out

Isn’t “figuring things out” a strange grouping of words? But we all know what that means. . . puzzling over something, trial and error, plan A and plan B, lots of conversation. . .

A long time friend asked me to do an oil painting of two significant Tulare County landmarks in her life. This is not two oil paintings; it is one painting with 2 separate scenes, a true piece of Tulare County art. I am a Tulare County artist, so why not?

I’ve been doing collage type pencil drawings for many years, but have never thought about this for oil paintings. This friend has challenged me before with other unusual ideas, and I’ve learned from her. So, here we go.

This is what she sent me first:

Homer’s Nose, a granite formation, from an unidentified magazine cover 
Homer’s Nose, a granite formation as viewed from another angle (from a book called To Find the Biggest Tree by Wendell D. Flint)
The Oak Grove Bridge with a significant pickup crossing it.

This is what I drew for her, using colored pencils so she could get an idea of how the two subjects would blend together into one painting.

Sketch #1

Her response was that she likes the view of Homer’s Nose from another place, likes to see lots of rocks under the bridge, and would like to see some wildflowers, preferably Mock Orange or Spice Bush.

Good thing I know what she is referring to on all these subjects and have 29,000 photos on my laptop that include most of what she is wanting.

To be continued. . . meanwhile, here is today’s painting. It no longer exists, but is the first oil painting I ever did of Homer’s Nose from that other place.

Homer’s Nose from Yokohl Curve, 12×16″, oil on canvas, gone.

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4 Comments

  1. Jana, can you squeeze in the flume behind the Oak Grove Bridge as in the photo of the bridge?

    • Maybe. . . but it might look as if it is a wire holding up Homer’s Nose! It also might be a tiny bit too tiny, but what do I know about painting on these giant canvases? Almost nothing, that’s what! Thank you for the suggestion, Nikki!

  2. You’re such a marvelous artist.

    • Thank you, Lupe. And YOU are a marvelous friend!

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