Did Mineral King Need a Paint Job?

Did Mineral King need a paint job?

No, but the Mineral King Room at the Three Rivers Historical Museum did. The blue didn’t match the murals in the room, and the mountaintops weren’t recognizable. (You can see the murals here.)

First, I was determined to mix the right shade of blue using whatever paints I had on hand. Lightfastness isn’t a problem on indoor murals, so I was able to use a can of indoor white paint that came from who knows where, along with my 2 mural paint blues. Mural paints are highly pigmented and that makes them very useful for making my own interior colors.

Second, we taped all the parts that needed protection. (This was not the royal we—I had great help from MKPS Sandi).

Next, I traced the tops of the mountains on the mural showing the peaks surrounding the MIneral King valley. This provided a guide to redraw the peaks to match reality. (This was based on the assumption that I painted the mountains accurately in the mural.)

I drew the mountains on with chalk. (It wasn’t a Mineral King blue either but it matched my painter’s tape.)

Then, I started painting and almost immediately, dripped onto the rust color.

Good thing there is touch-up paint for all the colors involved. 

Here is an example of something weird that I have learned about acrylic paints, as opposed to oil paints: they are LIGHTER when they are wet. Doesn’t make sense, but it is true.

That teal color was great with the rust, but just not right for the subject matter. I told the Mineral King Preservation Society that if they are just going to waste the paint, I’ll be happy to take it off their hands. I’m sure I can find a use for it. (Weird how the rust looks like red here, and the white looks like light tan).

Now look at the room so you can see the corrected peaks and the color that matches the murals. (I’ll show a before and after on the 2nd shot for you.)

Before:

After:

The mountains in the Before photo are more dramatic and more proportionally pleasing. However, the mountains in the After photo are realistic rather than stylized, match the murals and give more display space for whatever will be going on the wall.

Tomorrow I will tell you a few thoughts about this job.

Saw on a Saw, Done

Stick a fork in it, it’s done. (Better not – the tines will bend.)

I gave this another good look. A few more branches on the left, another tree straightening, and my signature were all that it needed.

Tucker, please don’t drink the paintbrush water.

Wow, I have missed the kitties.

This was tricky to photograph. I tried several versions and decided it will be the most impressive when it is installed in its home.

 

Trail Guy and I wrapped it in 2 pieces of cardboard using duct tape around the edges and loaded it in the Botmobile for the next trip up the hill.

Sawtooth on a saw blade is finished! It is a relief to have accomplished an odd job and be pleased with the results.

One last photo; this is where it was and how it looked before it came my way:

Saw/Saw 3

Saw/Saw, a mini mural of Sawtooth Peak on a round saw blade, was almost finished.

I fixed the camera setting, stood on the ladder to photograph it, and then realized that the trees on the bottom were crooked. Of course I only noticed this after putting the photo in an email to the customers, but immediately after sending it, I straightened them up. This is tricky business on a circle – how do I know vertical is vertical without straight edges of the canvas or wall to guide me?

That’s why I get paid the Big Bucks. (Fall down laughing.)

Saw/Saw 2

Welcome back! I knew you would be interested to know how Saw/Saw turned out. Not sure if this qualifies as a real mural or not; I think it might just be an Odd Job.

Time to start on the ridges in front of Sawtooth, and meanwhile I am still wondering why things look darker on the camera screen. I also realized that if I would put a circular mask over the rectangular photo that I’d get things more proportionally correct.

Sawtooth didn’t have quite the right angle, so here I corrected my shapes.

Better, as each step and layer ought to be.

First coating on the rest of the blade.

Correcting the colors and shapes on the lower parts.

Finally, I figured out what was wonky with my camera. I had been experimenting with the settings, still not quite understanding what they all meant. When I changed “Poster Effect” to “Program” (who chooses these words??), It photographed more accurately.

But now the computer is not behaving properly, and when I export the photo of the finished Saw/Saw, it says it goes somewhere, and then it isn’t there.

My Mac is lying to me and cheating you out of seeing the finished saw blade!

Boy am I mad.

Maybe it will fix itself and work tomorrow. Besides, a job is never finished until these 2 things happen: A. The customer is happy and B. I have signed it.

Saw/Saw

What is “Saw/Saw”?

Glad you asked!

I have been commissioned to paint Sawtooth on a saw blade. Hence, saw/saw.

The blade is about 4′ in diameter and is heavy metal. I lifted it onto my round table and then couldn’t figure out whether or not I should lean on the teeth to get the balance off myself and onto the table. The weight made the decision for me – it was too heavy to hold while I decided whether or not the teeth would hurt me.

Round blade on a round table.

This photo was the customer’s preferred view and seems to be the most popular version of Sawtooth I’ve ever painted. I got lucky with my timing on that photo, which is how most of my good reference photos happen. Wait. It isn’t luck; it is Divine Intervention.

Most of the colors were already mixed in my mural paints.

Starting from back to front means sky first, clouds next.

That went fast. Here are the colors I might need for Sawtooth.

Sawtooth’s colors look different all the time, so I don’t have to match the photo, just make it look good.

Oops. The camera was on a weird setting (Poster effect? What means that??) I wondered why things were looking darker on my camera than in real life!

And that’s all you get to see today. Tomorrow is Friday, and Fridays are for Mineral King.

See you on Monday? I’ll show you . . . the rest of the story! (Anyone else around here grow up listening to Paul Harvey?)

One Down, Three to Go

One what? Three what?

Murals at my home, two of which are Mineral King murals. There are actually 6 murals, but two are indoors more than outdoors so they don’t get the sun’s abuse.

I finished the wildflower mural.

It has a ton of wildflowers in a not terribly natural looking manner, but good enough to identify.

It didn’t take very long to finish and the day was too nice to spend indoors, so I tackled the Farewell Gap mural next.

This is very faded.

Green is restored to the 2 main trees and several others, plus a few willows. One tree is wonky looking, perhaps listing a bit to port.

Alrighty, then! I didn’t do a thing to the 2 peaks or distant forests, although their blue might be a bit shocking. I also ignored the buildings, rocks and water. However, I did paint out the bird calling cards in the sky.

Next, the sequoia mural. Maybe.

See the Botmobile? Samson now likes to sleep on the shelf behind the passenger seat. Perhaps he thinks he might get to be a stowaway to Mineral King with us.

But I Don’t Feel Like It

The mural on my studio door was only partially repainted, and each time I would think about finishing, the thought would come into my head, “But I don’t feel like it. . .”  Summer was too hot to paint; fall came, and I looked at the door and wondered why I just never felt like finishing the mural.

When you don’t feel like doing something, there are 2 choices: 1. Do it anyway or 2. Don’t do it.

But wait! There is a third choice: 3. Do something else.

So, I painted a different scene. It isn’t quite finished yet, but this is how far it got in one short day of actually feeling like painting the door.

This just didn’t ring my bell enough to return to it for final detailing and tightening up.

Starting from the top, which is also the farthest part of the scene, here comes Sawtooth!

Added green, using some of the existing color; now let’s have a trail.

No more tree, lots of green.

On a break for lunch, I gave this young ‘un a talking to about how he (she?) is welcome to the mulberry leaves on the ground but needs to leave the geraniums, hydrangea and other flowering plants ALONE!!

Getting some leaves, hints of trees and grasses. . . I like painting with greens more than painting with browns.

Coming alive! I did 4 oil paintings of this scene, and all sold this summer. It’s a good one! I love wildflowers. Did you know that about me?

There is a reason for this strange coloring. I photographed it at the end of the daylight and then messed with the color on the computer trying to make it show up. There are about four more little things to do.

There is a reason for choosing this scene. More will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Repainting Mineral King, Day Twelve, Part B

On Day Twelve, the final day of repainting the Mineral King mural in Exeter, I spent a lot of time staring at the wall to determine what might need a touch-up, some polishing, a minor correction. It was hot, and the longer I stood there, the less I could see to do. Fortunately, there were many interesting visitors to visit with while I contemplated matters of possible consequence.

This is an ore bucket, one of the hidden items. It still seems obvious to me, and may be obvious to other observers. Since it is one of 13 hidden items, it is okay to have a few easy ones.

I stared and stared, thinking to show you before and after photos of the polishing process. Now I can’t tell which photos are the before and which are the after.

I added what might pass for phlox and groundsel wildflowers to this hill. The heat immediately turned the paint to the consistency of toothpaste and made the brush thick and unwieldy. The flowers don’t even show in the photos!Finally, I signed it. Had the same trouble with the heat and the paint consistency on the signature. I would have kept the old signature, but the brilliant periwinkle blue color was just too weird. Now that I see it on this photo, I wonder why I didn’t sign directly beneath the plaque. This might require another visit to the wall, on an overcast day when the brush can retain a point and the paint can retain flow.

Then, because there was shade on the other side of the parking lot, I stood back and took a few final photos, because the next time I see this, there will be cars parked alongside.

The color isn’t as good in the afternoon light as in the morning light. I like this because Marty Weekly’s mural “Timber Trail” shows in the distance through the awning. (far right side of photo). Why didn’t Marty’s fade? I’m sure it goes back to the colors I used; in spite of the high lightfast rating, my yellow was most certainly not light fast or fade resistant. This time using different yellows, it WILL last. I insist upon it!

And with this, we conclude our Repainting Mineral King series.

Maybe.

Mineral King Mural, Day Twelve, Part A

First, on Day Twelve, I returned the truck. Just drove it like I knew what I was doing, but sitting there on the giant bench seat, I couldn’t even reach the top of the steering wheel with my hands because it was so huge. Nice Freightliner, and I got it up to 25 mph. Just zipped right along.

Sorry. You probably don’t care about that. 

Then I walked the mile or so back to the mural, and along the way I encountered a good friend from Three Rivers, the man with the Events Room where I painted 2 murals last year (the second one here), stopped in at the dentist office to see if any decisions have been made about muralizing there, and checked in with Rosemary & Thyme to learn they are out of coloring books again.

It was a walking business trip, but I can’t write off the mile for that.

Then, with the Freightliner out of the way, I photographed the entire mural in the morning sunshine. At this distance and these angles, it appears to be finished.

Au contraire!

This lower hill needs wildflowers.

I’m certain there is something needed here, such as better foreground trees or a camouflaging of a hidden item.

But look – what is this? A visiting celebrity, a guest artist, none other than. . . TRAIL GUY!

What could I do except take a break and treat him to lunch?

So, this will be continued tomorrow. . .

 

Repainting Mineral King, One Day Left

Today will be my last day on this wall. The list of touch-ups, detailing, hiding things, camouflaging hidden things, and evaluating is long and boring. Maybe the photos will be interesting. I’ll show you tomorrow what I did today.

Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see the photos I worked from for the mural. You have to imagine them all stretched out one after another, and cropped off at the bottom, with snapshots of cabin scenes lying on top of the scenery. Then imagine them all lying ended to end, but now they are 110′ long.

Kind of makes your head spin a bit, yes?

Indeed.