Kaweah Post Office | Cabin Art

Tiptoeing Along on Several Oil Paintings

Why tiptoeing? Because it feels slow and careful at this stage, like I am just feeling my way along, trying to be as careful as possible.

First up, Sawtooth, the commissioned oil painting.

Second, rebuild the Kaweah Post Office, also a commissioned oil painting.

Third, plant some grasses. (Oil paint grasses, not fescue or bermuda or dichondra or Kentucky bluegrass or. . .) There was more progress made, but the phone call came that it was time to rescue Piper from the vet, where he got civilized this week. $192. No such thing as a free cat. (Samson cost $132 – he was in better shape to start with.)

Then I flipped it over to paint the bottom and begin the greenery.

This one had its skyline just too rough, with things not the right heights. So, I repainted the sky, using it to shape the mountain tops.

Better now. Miles to go before I sleep. . .

I mixed up 3 shades of green and began building background. While doing this, I increased the sizes of the blooms and added many more.

More Easel Time

Remember the commissioned oil painting of Sawtooth? I do, really, I do. Please don’t worry, DV!

It looked like this after the first painting session.

Now the sky and upper half of the painting has another layer that is more dramatic, which means both the colors and contrast are stronger.

It was a rainy overcast day, and by the time I got to the Sawtooth part of the painting, the light was too poor to mix colors accurately. That wasn’t very important on the first layer, but it is increasingly important as the layers build.

So, I moved on to a Kaweah Post Office commission. SD asked me to paint another Kaweah Post Office IX for her. This one is number IXV. It should be XV, but I didn’t number one of my earlier Kaweah Post Office paintings. That happens a lot around here.

Kaweah Post Office IX was painted in 2013; its twin will be painted in 2018 with a few adjustments. It will be a fraternal twin, rather than an identical one.

Gotta start somewhere. . . Don’t worry, SD. I’ll paint until you are thrilled with the results!

As I was painting, I realized it would be helpful to see the one this was modeled after, because maybe this wasn’t the actual photo used for that one. Yea for a laptop.

Added to the drying rack (who is back there making all that noise??)

Kaweah Post Office Mineral King oil paintings sawtooth oil painting

Easel Time, Take Two

I think that “take two” is movie talk. Since I only see a movie in a theater about once every two or three years, this is only hearsay. But we are here today to have a look at easel time, because I really did plant my feet in front of the easel. Several patient people are waiting for their paintings and might be getting worried that I have quit painting.

First, we have a Kaweah Post Office painting with a wonky-looking roof (Thank you, Nikki, my former drawing student who learned to see truth and speak truth, because drawing accurately is seeing accurately.)

Kaweah Post Office XIII as painted in 2015.

In the interest of self-preservation and professional dignity, IT WASN’T THAT FAR OFF! But it was off enough to warrant a patch-up. Besides, the flag is floating, and I am surprised that I forgot to put in the flagpole. (Maybe that’s why this one hasn’t sold. . .)

Using my angle finder tool, I corrected the angle and drew it on in yellow paint.

I corrected the roof, added a flagpole, added tiny white dots to the flag, and corrected all sorts of things. Where was the quality control when I painted this the first time??

Lots of work ahead at the easels, thanks to a couple of weeks of distractions, interruptions, events, trips, and plain procrastination. Where shall I begin?

With the smallest and easiest one. . . easing into easel time here. . .

Next!

If I can’t be out there walking in it, I’ll just stand here and paint it. Someone who came by during the studio tour asked if I’d email her a photo of this when it is finished so she can decide if she’d like to buy it. I said, “Sure, but if someone shows up to pay for it first, they’ll get it and I’ll paint it again if you’d like it.” A bit awkward, but it would not make sense to put a painting on hold and lose a sale when there is no commitment.

The road is clearer in this one, although only slightly. The greens in the photo are overly bright, so while painting, I look out the window and do some correcting to the color.

Three drying. Notice the shingle siding on my studio next door? 😎

To be continued. . .

Kaweah Post Office oil paintings

Kaweah Post Office Oil Paintings 2

Thank you for returning to see the next set of seven Kaweah Post Office oil paintings. Shall we commence our tour of the growth of my painting skills through the capitalistic exploitation of an innocent elderly landmark? (That would have cracked my Dad up – is anyone else out there laughing along?)

Kaweah Post Office VIII. Obviously, the little post office was popular in 2012. This one was bought by a celebrity who occasionally comes to Three Rivers. That isn’t as a big of a deal to me as the fact that a stranger bought my work!

Kaweah Post Office IX was painted in 2013.

Kaweah Post Office X was painted in 2014. It might have been the first one sold to raise money for the new roof. I think it is wrong to see this much sky behind it, because there is a steep hill back there.

Kaweah Post Office XI is my favorite so far. This was done in 2015, specifically to help with the new roof. Another lying sky.

Kaweah Post Office XII was also painted in 2015, also painted for the roof repair. But shouldn’t there be a little sky showing off to the side? This is another thing I forgot to check when I was there in person. Frankly, I don’t think anyone else cares!

This one is simply titled Kaweah Post Office. I lost the sequential numbering momentum, so that means that #13 is actually #14. Does anyone care? Too bad I didn’t skip #13, like ships and some apartment buildings do. And yet another lying sky. . .

Kaweah Post Office XIII was also painted in 2015. It is currently available at Anne Lang’s Emporium in Three Rivers or from my website. 8×10″, oil on wrapped canvas, $125 plus tax (unless you buy it from my website which STILL is unable to charge sales tax for some irritating and unknown reason).

And thus we conclude our tour of my endless depictions of the Kaweah Post Office, popular landmark in Three Rivers, but not where I get my mail, in case you were wondering.

Kaweah Post Office oil paintings Three Rivers

Kaweah Post Office Oil Paintings

Kaweah Post Office, first painted in 2009 with three years of painting under my belt, no confidence in my ability to paint architectural subjects and not a ton of experience in photographing my work either.

Every time an oil painting of the Kaweah Post Office sells, I paint it again.

Kaweah Post Office II, painted in 2010 (Where is the flag???)

Kaweah Post Office IV, painted in 2010, getting really elaborate with my details as my confidence and skill grows.

Kaweah Post Office V, complete with the cigar Indian on the porch, also painted in 2010.

Kaweah Post Office VI, 2012 (must have taken awhile for the previous one to sell)

Kaweah Post Office VII, also painted in 2012

That’s a lot of oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office. But wait! There’s more! Come back tomorrow and see the second set of seven.

commission oil painting Kaweah Post Office oil paintings Three Rivers

About the Kaweah Post Office

The Kaweah Post Office is about 3 miles up North Fork Drive in Three Rivers, California. For awhile it was known as the smallest operating post office in the USA. Now it is operated in a weird little way; the woman who owns the building goes to the Three Rivers Post Office to collect the mail and then brings it to Kaweah to pop it into the boxes.

People who live near the post office are quick to tell you that they live in Kaweah, not Three Rivers, thank you very much. It has its own zip code (93237), so I guess that makes it its own town.

The building is very picturesque and old-timey, established in 1890, but I think the current building was constructed in 1910. It is also sort of falling apart. I don’t know what will happen to it. But, I don’t know what will happen to anything or anybody, and neither does anyone else.

It has a ton of visual appeal, which is why I continue to draw and paint it. Have a look at some of the drawings. I’m not showing you the very first one because it is downright embarrassing.

Drawn in 2010 for the 100th year celebration

Tomorrow I will show you the first seven oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office. Not “THE FIRST”; MY first. I’m sure there must be dozens of other artists through the years that have chosen this little jewel.

drawing Kaweah Post Office Three Rivers

Field Trip or Procrastination?

While working on the umpteenth pencil drawing of the Kaweah Post Office, I was struck by how stupid it is to guess at what is around and behind the little building. Why am I struggling with an incomplete photograph when all I have to do is drive about 4 or 5 miles and see the thing in person??

This is the photo I was using, and there is green chaos all around the edges. Besides, I took this photo in October of 2010, so I suspect things have changed.

Indeed, they have. I know the biggest oak lost a limb; I helped raise money to replace the roof by selling oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office, donating half of whatever they auctioned for. But where is the little fence with the gate?Would you look at that? It is gone! But wait! I think I see it. . .That’s no help. Guess I’ll just stick to my old photo. The background works, just sort of scribbling in blurry curly growing symbols.

Are you curious about the porch and the inside? Have a look:

After ~~goofing off~~ enjoying a spring morning outing, I went back to the drawing board. (Do you know anyone else who can literally say that?)

drawing Kaweah Post Office pencil drawing Three Rivers

Kaweah Post Offices

The eBay painting went to a very happy lady!

Kaweah P.O.

Chuck’s painting progressed quickly.

IMG_1798_2 IMG_1214_2

This is a photograph of it while it was drying. Hang on, Chuck, it’s coming soon!

My Favorite Customer bought this painting and I split the sale with the Kaweah Post Office fund.

1293 KPO VII

Several friends gave cash toward the project. Some of them received a package of these cards. (The others didn’t receive cards because I was caught by surprise and didn’t have them with me.)

pencil KPO

Something just occurred to me as I think about this project: EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO CONTRIBUTED IS NOT FROM THREE RIVERS!!

Isn’t that amazing? That may be part of what has blown me away – so many people from other places have a soft place in their hearts for the Three Rivers landmark of the Kaweah Post Office.

Kaweah Post Office oil paintings Three Rivers

Kaweah Post Office – Sad and Good

It took a few weeks to gather the courage, but I finally drove past the Kaweah Post Office. You may need to avert your eyes – it is dismal and sad.

broken PO

Forgive me for such ugliness on this blog.

Let me atone for this indignity by sharing some good news about the Kaweah Post Office.

The eBay auction, the commission for Chuck, the sale of another painting of the post office, and several generous donations have produced. . .

rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap a rap a tap

(That was a drum roll, in case you were wondering.)

$2050!

This is a HUGE dent in the $3000 insurance deductible that the owner of the post office has to come up with for the repairs.

You people are CRAZY GENEROUS AND AWESOME! THANK YOU!!

(I used my favorite color of teal for that sentence to express my appreciation.)

Tomorrow I will further atone for the offensive photo above by showing you the 3 oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office when it was whole and surrounded by greenery.

P.S. I keep repeating Kaweah Post Office so that Mr. Google can help people find it when they are seeking updates about our beloved Three Rivers landmark.

Kaweah Post Office Three Rivers

Tag: Kaweah Post Office