Commissioned Pencil Drawing Coming Up

I’m drawing my brains out, working on The Cabins of Wilsonia. (Okay, I’m not really drawing my brains out – I need them for stuff like posting to my blog. Try not to take me too literally here.) When I get commissions, I take a break from that Giant Project.

There is a house here in Tulare County that I have admired for years. It is on a road I really like – it is curvy, against the foothills, and it meanders through citrus country. A friend was hired to do some work at this house and provided the name and address of the owner.

I had the audacity to write a letter introducing myself and asking if he would like to hire me to draw the house.

He did not respond.

I was embarrassed, but got over it. If I was a really good business person, I probably would have followed up with a phone call. Alas, I don’t want to be sellsy, so I let it go.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the man’s wife, via a common friend. (She isn’t really “common” – she is actually quite special. But, what I meant is that she is a friend to me and to the wife. Try not to take me so literally here.) She asked if I could draw the house for her hubby’s upcoming birthday. She mentioned that I had written to her husband awhile back – I was a little embarrassed, but also pleased that my self-promotion hadn’t been too sellsy.

Trail Guy and I went to the house to get some photos. Now that he is retired, he gets involved in the more fun parts of my business. He also does errands for me so I can draw uninterrupted.

These are not the photos I am using for the drawing – because it is a birthday surprise, and because there is a 1 in 1,000,000 chance that the man reads my blog, I’m not showing you those yet.

On the off chance that he does read my blog, he won’t know which view I am drawing. Sneaky of me, yes?

Now that I only have Perkins, I am especially vulnerable to any and all cats. Try not to take advantage of this weakness, please.

If I didn’t love living in Three Rivers, I’d want to live here. Of course, I thought that when I was in Blowing Rock, Washington, and Downers Grove. Stop it.

After the birthday gift has been given, I’ll show you the photos I used, the ones I didn’t use, and the finished drawing. I think it turned out great, but given the subject matter, how could it be anything except beautiful?

And a Final Bit About Chicago

The Captain and I spent about one hour in the Art Institute of Chicago. ONE HOUR. ONE HOUR.

Better than not at all. We are outdoor kind of chicks, and decided a walk along the shore of Lake Michigan would be a good thing to do before sitting hours upon hours in airplanes.

It was a beautiful sunny day, only as cold as an extra cold day in Three Rivers.

Then I came home. I love Three Rivers, Tulare County, and California. Look! Are those mountains in the distance??

A California Artist at the Art Institute of Chicago

So much to see, so little time. The Captain and I spent only a few hours in Chicago, trying to see and do as much as possible. The goal was the Art Institute, but then there was Lake Michigan and all that wonderful architecture, and so many interesting things to see and do. We were nervous about getting lost on the way back to the airport or getting lost in the car rental area or in the airport. So far we have always gotten found again, but missing the flight would have been completely unacceptable.

This is me with Cousin Maggie. (She’s the one with the good hair. My hair isn’t so good because I like to travel light and not haul a lot of hair tools and gunk.) I loved being with her, as always. It was hard to leave, but The Captain and I had the Art Institute awaiting us.

Oh my. This is it. It is beyond huge. I bet all the buildings in Three Rivers proper could fit inside with room to spare. Fortunately I had read about it before going, and made the decision to only visit the Impressionism exhibit with our limited time. Picasso was there, but his work is weird to this Realist from Quaintsville.

First stop was the bathroom, fortuitously located by a room full of paperweights! We detoured through that room, because my Dad used to have a paperweight of this type. He gave it to his brother, the father of my cousin Bruce. (Bruce, do you still have it?)

I think these are the some of the most beautiful tchotchkes in the world.

blue glass paperweight

And true to form, I found a typo in the displays. Really! I find them EVERYWHERE.

Can you see it? I gave you a clue in the sentence above this photo.

 

 

Light and beautiful architecture really do inspire me. I could hardly get to the Impressionism Exhibit because the building and sunshine were so fabulous.

Holy cow. Seurat! Seeing these paintings for real, in the flesh, with my very own eyes – words fail me. (I know what you are thinking – “Stop talking already!”)

 

Monet!

To be continued. . .

 

A California Artist in Chi-town

The Captain and I really did make it into Chicago. We had several hours before our flight left, and it seemed right to use it by visiting the Art Institute of Chicago. That would turn a visit to Cousin Maggie into a business trip. That’s the way we self-employed artists think.

Ooh, ooh, there is a city in the distance! I even got a little shiver up my leg when I saw “Indiana” and “Milwaukee” on road signs. I don’t go many places, and am truly a California artist, through and through. Common sights to most normal people do give me a thrill. It’s a little embarrassing, but that’s the truth.

No, really! Look at those giant buildings!

The road goes UNDER THE POST OFFICE! I’m not making this up. Look at this. I think they might be a little low on space or something.

And it goes under the Stock Exchange too. Really, these people have some strange ideas. Not enough sunshine, perhaps?

What is on the roof of this building?? I photographed this through the windshield and later discovered it was the public library. Cities are so exciting!

Even the train is over the streets. They call it the “El”, because it is an elevated train. You probably knew that, because you probably go more places than this California artist. I actually knew it from visiting Chi-town in the winter of ’77-’78. Cousin Maggie’s daughter and I are great friends, in spite of being second cousins. (or because of it?)

Sunshine, snow, skyscrapers – I need to go knit a few rows on something to calm down a bit before continuing this exciting story of a California artist in Chicago.

See you on Monday?

You Thought I Was Kidding?

Did you read my post from Friday? It was called “What Happens in My Brain“, and I said at the end, “This is hard – maybe I should just go to Chicago for a weekend. . .”

The snow in Three Rivers was so fun that I decided to go to a place of true winter.

I went to Chicago for a weekend. Actually, I visited Cousin Maggie in a suburb for a few days. I’m not making this up. (And Scott D., I emailed you to try and connect, but am wondering if I sent it to an old eddress. . . ?)

This was the view out of the hotel window the first morning.

Running away from home??

 My dear friend, AKA The Captain, went to a suburb of Chicago to bury her aunt. Turns out it was the same burb where my dearest Cousin Maggie lives. That’s not the sort of coincidence one can easily ignore.

She drove me to Cousin Maggie’s house, but we chose not to take the rental car up the unplowed driveway.  Do I get any dorkier than this? Never you mind.

This is the first real live cardinal I’ve ever seen! They resemble our scrub and stellar blue jays, and I was just beside myself with excitement. Is that dorky? (Don’t answer that!)

I went walking in the woods behind Cousin Maggie’s house. It is a deciduous forest preserve, and I would LOVE to see it in the fall. It was cold, but I had my trusty LL Bean boots, and lots of wooly knitted items. It was very satisfying to actually need all those things I’ve been knitting all these years.

Everything looked beautiful to me. I love to see new things, to explore and to discover. . . although I have to admit that while we were sitting in the San Francisco airport ready to take off for Chicago, I told The Captain that I couldn’t wait to get home. My travel muscle is a bit flabby – love to BE there, but oh my, the effort is stupendous.

To be continued tomorrow. . .