For you, kind blog readers, a variety of photographs, oil paintings and one pencil drawing (this year’s Christmas card to my drawing students) just to enjoy.
Sequoia Oil Painting in Progress
I returned to painting Sequoia trees while I waited for more information on the Kaweah blacksmith shop and for it to dry a bit.
After helping the color bullies my advanced drawing students with their paintings of Sequoia trees, I wanted to paint my own.
This was the first time I have painted since we got Samson. (painting these the same day I began the Kaweah blacksmith shop). He was very busy, but didn’t attack my feet or the paint brush, or tip over the turpentine, or run across the palette.
I got this far:
Helping my drawing students with their Sequoia oil paintings helped me with mine.
Thank you, Color Bullies, Advanced Drawing Students!
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Sometimes when I need to get photos or see stuff, I trespass. Been doing it my whole life, I confess. Forgive me my trespasses. . .
Recently I went trespassing up the North Fork of the Kaweah, looking for the site where the Kaweah blacksmith shop sat. I have a photo from 1996, but the flood of 1997 probably changed the scene. Besides removing the blacksmith shop, it probably changed the route of the river there.
Why does it matter if I have a photo? Because I can’t tell if there are hills behind or if the river should show a bit or what to fill in with between the sycamore trees. If I can’t see it, I can’t paint it. Very well, that is.
New Oil Painting With Help
One of the benefits of participating in bazaars, boutiques and festivals is that I meet new people. Sometimes this results in commissions or new drawing students. The Senior League Holiday Bazaar brought me this new oil painting commission.
Oh boy, there’s a challenge! When the customer explained that he had taken this photo in the Three Rivers History Museum, I knew I’d receive some good help.
I emailed Museum Man, who promptly removed the photo from the frame, scanned it at a high resolution and emailed it to me!
The customer told me about this little building. It was the blacksmith shop for the Kaweah Colony, and it was on property that he now owns. In 1997, a flood took it away.
We discussed colors, and he and his wife decided it would suit them better in full color rather than sepia tones. They chose the fall season, which seems right based on all the sycamore leaves on the ground.
To be continued. . .
Color Bullies, Part 2
My advanced drawing students successfully bullied me into 2 oil painting workshops. We had a great time!
A rebel set aside her Sequoia painting that she began last week. This is of the Tetons from a photo she took. I painted the scene first so it would be a little easier for her. (I had the assignment of copying an “Old Master” during the 1/2 semester of painting I took at the local junior college – copying is a good way to learn.)
We had an overachiever who worked on 2 paintings at the same time.
Good job, E! You get an A for sure. No rebelling, one painting at a time.
Turned out that two painters did choose the same scene. We put them side by side, and learned that the one on the left could benefit from stronger colors and more contrast, and the one on the right could benefit from more detail. Interesting exercise! (They look different in real life than on the screen because I had to mess with the photo because it didn’t look right because. . . . on and on and on. Never mind.)
At the end of our session, it turns out that we had two rebels and five Sequoia trees. Yes, that is a cat, but the cat painter is actually drawing a Sequoia tree in pencil these days.
None of these paintings are finished. They need more layers, more details, some color corrections, edges of canvas painted, signatures, and varnish.
This probably means there will be another painting session ahead.
Color Bullies
About twice a year, I allow several of my advanced drawing students to bully me into giving an oil painting workshop.
Sometimes everyone paints the same subject, and sometimes each person chooses her own subject. It is easier to teach when everyone paints the same subject. That way everyone benefits from the same instructions rather than having to wait until I get around to help individually.
Recently, the color bullies arm-twisted me into another oil painting workshop. I negotiated to get them to all paint Sequoia trees and the result was that I gave them several photos from which to choose.
OF COURSE every single participant chose a different photo.
The color bullies and I had a great time. (You know I use the term “bullies” as an exaggeration, yes? These folks are truly wonderful, and we love painting together!) Stay tuned to see how the paintings turn out after session #2.
What I Think About While I Paint
While I painted recently, I listened to music (Selah is the name of the group), fought off Samson and thought about things.
In Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies, I am without a doubt a Questioner. As a result, most of my thoughts end up as unanswered questions. If an answer arrives, another 2 or 3 or 15 questions pop back up.
- Trail Guy and I recently found a cell phone. I emailed all the neighbors and asked if anyone recognized the number. The responses were “Nope, not mine.” Why did no one look on his phone to see if he had the number or name on his own contact list?
- What good are mosquitoes in the whole scheme of things?
- Why did none of my art teachers teach how to frame, approach galleries, set up shows, title pieces, sell, or reproduce art?
- Did I quit school too soon?
- Why are all those old cities in Israel buried so deep?
- Who dumps dirt on their towns and then moves to a new place?
- Why does Samson need to bite everything? (hint: if he came in a pair, his litter-mate would teach him better manners)
- Why is it so easy to harmonize with fabulous voices like Selah and so impossible to do it alone?
And, here is a bonus question:
- If 7/11 is open 24/7, why don’t they change their name and take the locks off their doors?
Cen. Calif. Artist Actually Works
Lest you think all I do is travel and walk, here is evidence to the contrary.
One last painting begun. It is the season of the freebie. This one will go to the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter for their annual fundraising auction. I’m happy to donate to the wonderful place that allows me space for teaching drawing lessons. However, I will not be able to attend the fund raiser, because the stress of watching no one bid for something I painted might just reduce me to giving up my business, stabbing myself with my knitting needles, and taking in enormous numbers of stray cats.
Popular Fruits
Oil paintings of fruits are popular for kitchen and dining rooms. Oranges and pomegranates sell the best for this Central California artist.
Here in Tulare County, we grow olives, walnuts, grapes, every type of citrus, cotton and all sorts of stone fruits, plus we produce more dairy than the entire state of Wisconsin. Some people like those things decorating their walls. If you want those things on your walls, I can paint them for you.
Meanwhile, I will continue to paint the very popular oranges and pomegranates.
These paintings are available here. Or you can find me in my usual places. Or, you can holler at me while I am pounding out miles to prepare for the Lake Tahoe 1/2 Marathon. My walking partner and I are the ones with a neon green shoelace and a neon orange shoelace. That’s our team uniform. Color is popular with us.
One More Mineral King Oil Painting?
These Mineral King oil paintings seem to be reproducing while I have my back turned. Maybe I should have left the light on, or maybe I should not have taken that road trip.
Ha. Don’t I wish they just reproduced on their own.
This is the one that was on my easel when I started the series about the most popular scene in Mineral King.
Yes, I realize there is a numbering problem. How can this be #24 when I have shown you 32 other versions?
Life’s full of unknowns, unsolved mysteries, and other conundrums.
If the plural of medium is media, shouldn’t the plural of conundrum be “conundra”? English is weird, but I still prefer it to Artspeak.