How does a California Artist goof off? Lots of ways!
She has a friend visit for several days and they go walking together. (If you take food, it’s a “hike”. If you don’t, it’s a “walk”.)
She visits the Big Trees (Sequoia National Park) with her friend who moved far away and wondered if she’d ever get to see them again.
They climb Moro Rock. These chicas have been friends since age 17. They have probably climbed Moro Rock together in the past, but they can no longer remember.
They walk (no lunch) out on the High Sierra Trail because the view is definitely a source of inspiration. Hey! That was a business trip!
As a California artist based in rural Tulare County, I am willing to do odd jobs. Odd art jobs, that is. (Please don’t call me to wash your windows – they will probably turn out odd.) Staying in the business of art in a place like this means saying, “Yes” when asked to do odd jobs.
I’ve shown you some of the unusual things I’ve been asked to do in the past. Here are a few links if you want to see some of these items (each will open in a separate tab or window): cabin sign (gotta scroll down the post to see it), chair back slat, ornament (you can read the entire story and see all the photos in December 2011), antique window, pet sign, boat sign, quilt square. There are more, but I fear I will test your patience and you will say TLDR*.
My latest job could sort of be considered a mural, sort of a commission: a faded decal on a recreational vehicle at a mobile home park in Hanford, California.
It was a challenging and fun job. (I consider a job fun when the conditions are good and the job turns out well.)
The most fun part was mixing the colors to match the non-faded sides of the RV.
This side wasn’t faded as badly but the owner requested a touch-up here too.
Two blogs I read regularly addressed the subject of inspiration, and I realized that I am confused between inspiration and motivation.
Today I will tackle inspiration. People often ask artists what inspires them, and it is good to have an answer at the ready. (That’s a weird way to say it!)
Time for a dictionary. (Don’t you love dictionaries? online and on computer and big heavy paper ones? And do you remember how annoying it was to be told to “look it up” when you asked how to spell words? How can I do that if I don’t know how to spell it? It forced us to dig around and accidentally discover new words, which was the primitive version of surfing the web.)
Inspiration: mental stimulation to do something creative (this is my condensed version of the long dictionary definition.)
I am inspired by beauty. The right light makes almost anything beautiful. Color, shape, textures, subjects I love – everything nice is so much more beautiful when it has the right light. It makes me want to draw and paint.
Here are two examples, just what you’d expect a California artist to use!
This Sequoia tree has nice light. There is no question that it is a beautiful object. I could paint this. I might have already done so!
The light on these two Sequoias below is more than so-so – it is inspirational to me.
I want to paint and draw these. Why do I find these inspirational? Taste is an individual matter, or as my Dad was fond of saying , “Degustibus non est disputandem”.
That’s me. A drawing machine. This California artist has reverted to her roots of drawing cabins in pencil.
1. Yesterday I finished Wilsonia cabin drawing #92 and began #93. I try to always have one going on the table when I quit for the day. Then, when I return to the studio, there is no time lost figuring out what to do next. I can figure out the next step while I am drawing whatever is waiting from the previous day.
2. It is good to have close friends about the same size as oneself. Awhile ago, I made a list of things that I live by, including “Never give up the pursuit of the perfect denim skirt”. Because I had the thrill of helping my friend (aka The Captain) clean her closet, I may now own the Perfect Denim skirt. (On the other hand, it might be a weensie bit smallish. . .)
3. Concrete floors are cold; it is good to take slippers to work with me.
Yes, I did make them myself. Thanks for asking!
4. Would you believe my very fragrant paperwhites are blooming and have been throughout our weeklong cold snap? (stop sneering in Minnesota at what passes for cold in California!)
8. I’ve been contemplating the difference between inspiration and motivation. Perhaps there will be a blog post on that someday.
9. The local talk guy mentioned that lots of people are tired of being asked to “join the conversation”, sign up, create an account and a password, become part of a community and comment on blogs. I respect this. I will cease to ask you questions at the end of my blog posts so that I don’t annoy my faithful readers. However, you are most welcome to comment if you have something to say, or email me if you would like to have a private exchange or have a question. Interaction is always welcome. I just write because all that silence all day long means that lots of words and thoughts build up in my head.
When you grow up in the same county as the Sequoia Gigantea, you tend to call these guys “big trees”.
That is sort of a Duh thing, but maybe we are a little duh-ish in Tulare County.
As a graduate of Redwood High School, you’d think I’d call them “Redwoods”. But Noooo, I still call them “Big Trees”. (Grow up, already, California Artist.)
Big Tree III, 6×18″, commissioned oil painting
Sometimes I think I am a fake California artist because I am not painting the beach or palm trees, or eucalyptus trees like those California plein air guys from the early (or was it mid?) 1900s.
Then I think – WAIT A DOGGONE MINUTE! Why am I treating Central California as if it is fly-over country, a place unworthy of mention?
Tulare County has the highest point in the contiguous United States, the largest trees by volume in the world, the oldest oaks in the world (I think that is right), and we feed the world!
Take that, you beach bums. I am a California artist, so there. (Hmmm, a small amount of insecurity, perhaps?)
. . . except the snow was too deep and we didn’t get there!
This little vehicle is called a Trackster, made by Cushman in the 1970s. It is sort of like driving a lawn mower.
We unloaded the Trackster around mile 12, about 2 miles below Trauger’s. I think that is where we were. It looks so very different under snow!
The Trackster leaves tracks in the snow.
Wow, there was so much snow! (There was also a weird spot on the lens of my camera.)
See?
Sawtooth and the stoopid weird spot on the lens.
This is the historic Alles cabin at Atwell Mill.
It was very pretty and very cold. Remember, I am a California artist, and I live in the sunny foothills where it snows about once every 2 years. This was a wonderful opportunity to wear many of my knitted pieces. No photos of that, sorry to disappoint you.
Our enthusiastic passenger was thrilled to build a snowman. She was amazingly skilled at it for someone who grew up in the sunny foothills where it snows a little bit maybe every two years.
This is quite the unique guy. Since we all recently saw The Hobbit, we decided the dude needed ears. Actually I suggested ears like a bear, but these ears seem to be a bit like Gollum, the gross little dude who sort of talks like Donald Duck.
Any questions? ask in the comments or email me via the contact the artist button on the menu bar.
Yeppers, you can follow the progress on my book at dubya-dubya-dubya-dot-the-cabins-of-wilsonia-dot-com.
I’ve separated out this project from my regular blog for several business reasons, most of which you might find boring. And I NEVER want my blog to be b o r i n g.
So, here we go – a complete year of drawing! Can’t wait. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE to draw? 😎
The first 2 orders of 2013 calendars were all spoken for. Now I have the calendars available for order, right here on my bl0g!
The price including tax and shipping is $21. The earlier price was less because that’s just the way things roll. . . sigh. (Worm, anyone?) If you reserved one by email earlier, I will let you know when the calendars arrive and you can mail me a check.
To see the pictures of each month, here is the link to the blog post that showed each painting.
Did you know that some studio artists paint from photos?
I paint from photos. They provide ideas, inspiration, visual guidance and instruction.
I paint from photos that I take. Sometimes I adjust them on my computer. Sometimes I have other people shade my lens, hold branches out of the way or manipulate the scene in other manners. Sometimes I arrange things and rearrange them and move them around to other locations.
My friend Jimmy brought me the most beautiful pomegranates he could find. It was at a busy time as I was preparing for 2 different shows. I knew they would shrivel before I could paint them. No problem. I have a camera and am not afraid to use it.
Perhaps this is just the practical side of being a California artist in rural Tulare County.
The Perfect Gift Boutique happened over the weekend. It has become a tradition for the Kaweah Artisans to hold this exclusive event on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving at the Three Rivers Arts Center.
Exclusive? Well, the Arts Center is small, so we have to exclude any exhibitor who doesn’t say “Yes” soon enough to procure a space.
Exclusive? We are all folks who make what no one else makes. That could be more accurately defined as “unique”, but that is such an overused term.
Exclusive? We are from Tulare County, primarily foothill towns, primarily Three Rivers. If an artist from another town with a product that no one else was showing and selling asked, we would consider her. We are all California artists.
Exclusive? We aren’t a bunch of man-haters. We have included men in the past. Just turns out that we are all women.
Artisans? We all make our own products. That includes weaving, soy candles, soaps and lotions and perfumes, jewelry, photography, gourd art including ornaments, wood turned bowls and vases and platters, oil paintings on canvas, ornaments, journals and cards (that would be my work).
Care to join us next year, either as an exhibitor or as a shopper?
