Tag: California Artist

Oak Mural, Day Two

This California artist began the oak tree mural by working on the middle level of the scaffolding. There is a method here: build the trunk and largest branches first, get off the scaffolding and evaluate;

build the trunk down to the ground, look again at the middle branches to see if they are appropriately stout for the distance they have to travel, climb back up and add more thickness, accidentally hit the wall with my wet paintbrush and turn it into another branch, and up and down on the scaffolding.

Eventually decide it is too hard to figure out what to do, stop for lunch. Realize after lunch that maybe working on ground level looks the most inviting.

Paint until you do something stupid (oops, wrong angle on roof of barn, oops, dropped the mixing stick with wet white paint on the tile floor), take some photos and go home to blog.

California Artist mural

Oak Mural

Call me “Butter” – I’m on a roll! A tree mural roll, that is. This time the wall was inside someone’s home. It began looking like this:

There was a pile of scaffolding outside, and 4 strong men available to assemble it.

And a sister on hand to tell Jeremy how dangerous his position was. (He’s been through police academy and did much scarier stuff there so this wasn’t a problem to him.)

Looks a little bit scary from this angle, doesn’t it? This California artist wasn’t scared, but ready to get started painting a Valley Oak, the largest oaks in the world, right here in Tulare County!

Peculiar Sight

Happy Birthday, Elder Sister!

This photo was taken in my yard on March 15.

This photo was taken in my yard on March 18. I live in Central California (I am a California artist, remember?) at an elevation of 1000 feet. One thousand, not 10 thousand. Three Rivers, California.

How does this apply to art, California Artist?

So glad you asked that question! When working from photos (and Jack White said all realistic artists either work from photos or they lie about it), it is sometimes a temptation to work from something that is unusual or peculiar. Problem with that approach is that a drawing or painting of something peculiar looks as if the artist doesn’t have a firm grasp on reality.

People are still convinced of the truth of photographs in spite of Photoshop.

Back in the olden days when a camera was a camera and a phone was for receiving calls in one’s home or office, photographs were taken on special occasions. One time some folks wanted me to draw all 4 homes their mother had lived in her entire life. I think two were in Los Angeles, and two were in Exeter. Three of the photos they provided me were of the houses in the snow! WHY? Because when unusual things took place, the camera came out to record the event.

It wasn’t typical back then to take pictures any time you desired. I used to be a bit of a maverick, keeping my camera in my car at all times. And not only did I keep one, but I kept two with me. One had color print film and the other either had black and white or slide film.

Why did you always have cameras with you, California Artist?

Great question, I’m glad you asked that one. It was because I had to be ready to record the beautiful things and moments and light of every day life, not the peculiar sights!

California Artist

California Art

(Tomorrow I will have a guest post on Brendon Wilson’s blog. It will probably cause you to think “Who is this preachy chick and where is Jana The California Artist?” The subject is gossip. . . not related to my blog at all, but a subject that really triggered many thoughts in my pea-brain.)

Our interviewer got annoyed with me, so today’s blog entry will be unassisted.

The redwood boards are slats that will serve as the backs to Adirondack chairs. You may recall my throne, or even want to see the chairs as sold on eBay. The furniture maker and I enjoy working together and are figuring out a way to dress the chairs up a bit more.

Meanwhile, I do know how to paint oranges, poppies and Sequoia trees/Big trees/Redwoods on canvas. After all, I am a California artist!

California Artist orange painting oranges Sequoia painting

Odd Job, continued

Yesterday’s interview continues as our interviewer investigates the meaning of redwoods on redwood.

So, California Artist who has redwoods on redwood, what is the deal?

No deal. It’s a commission. It is unusual, so I’m calling it an “odd job”.

Who commissions stuff like this?

Someone who loves redwoods.

Come on!! What’s the deal?

The redwoods have been burned into the wood so they are recessed. The customer has asked me to paint in the recessed area.

How’s it going?

Not too well. The oil paint isn’t looking like much. It appears to be soaking into the wood, or maybe it is just too transparent to show on top of the charcoal. It is also too wood-grain-ish for my brushes.

What are you going to do?

I’ve put a layer of white acrylic paint as a base coat and will see how the paint shows on that. When it dries, I’ll try oil paint over that, and then you can continue the interview.

But you haven’t told us what these things are for!

Gotta keep you coming back to read the blog, don’t I?

California Artist Sequoia painting

Redo, Recolor

In my quest for truth and reality, I took a hard look at a painting of a green apple. I liked it, but it didn’t sell. The other 2 had, but not this guy.

Sold

Homeless green apple

Must be the grayish bluish background! No one decorates in those colors. “Everyone” is decorating in warm reds and golds and bronzes and rusts. Wise up, California Artist!

Golden Delicious, 6×6 oil on wrapped canvas, $40 (when it dries I’ll sign it)

California Artist commission oil painting

Reuse, Recycle

California artist recycles redwood trees into poppies.

I had a 5×7 oil painting of redwood trees in snow that I used to like. The longer it hung around and wasn’t sold, the less I liked it.

No problem. I have a paintbrush and I’m not afraid to use it!

Look at this weirdness:

Fear not. I have a plan.

But wait! There’s more!

Shocking, isn’t it? It will improve. I will show you. You will be pleased. (If you like poppies, that is.)

California Artist oil paintings poppies

Winery? Mountain? Vineyard?

Remember seeing this sketch a few weeks ago? It was the preliminary step to beginning the commissioned pencil drawing of a winery.

After drawing for awhile, it is helpful to stick it to the wall and study it at a distance further than 8″. You can see the size in comparison to the 10″ square barn painting above it.

Is it a winery drawing? It looks like a mountain picture to me. Wait, I thought it was supposed to be a vineyard. It is all fitting for a California artist, doncha think?

More will be revealed. Stay tuned!

California Artist commission pencil work pencil drawing