Returning to My Favorite Subject

Orange groves, foothills, and mountains remain my favorite subject to paint. (It used to be the Oak Grove Bridge, and who knows what it will be next?)

I painted this to hang in my dining area, but put it on my website and then, lo and behold, it sold! (off the website—I didn’t open my front door to customers)

No problemo—I just started another painting.

Then, I just left it on the easel for months.

After starting all those small paintings for Kaweah Arts, I finally went back to this painting. If I don’t get it finished soon, suddenly it will be October and then it will go to the solo show and then it will sell without ever hanging in my house first! The urgency. . . !!

Details, details. All those close trees needed details. Of course, once I’ve put all those leaves on, the oranges will need more color or shaping. Then I’ll decide to add blossoms. After that, the ground will need some debris. Next, I’ll decide to put cows on Wutchumna (the hill). Maybe all the distant rows will need refining, the hills reshaped, the mountains improved. . .

Never mind. How about starting another one?

I do love me some orange groves in the foothills with the Sierra in the distance. These subjects are a real benefit of life in Tulare County. (But DON’T move here. It is in California, where people are leaving in droves. Wait—what is a “drove”?? Aren’t people leaving in U-Hauls?)

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4 Comments

  1. These are beautiful!!

    • Aw shucks, thank you Marlena! These scenes never fail to speak to me of home.

  2. I find it interesting that the subjects YOU enjoy painting are the ones that other people appreciate (and buy)! Maybe there’s a pattern here. . . .

    Have you ever thought about putting one of your “Hidden Janas” (cf “Hidden Mickeys”) in your paintings, like you do for murals?

    I don’t blame the Californians for leaving this poorly-governed state, and not only are they leaving in droves and U-Hauls, they’re leaving in a huff, as well!

    • Well, honestly, Sharon, I would enjoy just sitting around painting beautiful flowers, but that’s not special to the area nor particularly lucrative. So it is a matter of learning to love what sells. I do love the bridge and the grove scenes, but sometimes I just want to paint something quick and easy.

      I’ve thought about the hidden thing, but my paintings are too small.

      Yeppers, a huff for sure!

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