Daily Painting, 10

Sunny Sequoia IXX, 8×8″, oil on wrapped canvas, $75

When I belonged to the Colored Pencil Society of America, there was a tradition. At every annual juried show, there was a piece called “Paper Bag #_____”. The numbers went quite high, the pieces were always well done, they were a little boring, and they ALWAYS made it into the juried show! When the slide show took place at the convention, the paper bag was an anticipated piece, and it ALWAYS caused laughter.

What does that have to do with anything? Series: I learned about painting in series, naming series, numbering, keeping track and making tiny adjustments and corrections as I repeated a subject over and over. Besides, if it is a popular subject and customers ask for it, an artist can hardly say “Nope, it has been done already.” Okay, an artist can say that, but she would be stubborn and missing lots of opportunities. Me? not about to miss the opportunity to keep painting better and better Sequoias, poppies, oranges, whatever is appropriate to Tulare County in particular, California in general. And, whatever is popular! (gotta be honest here!)

Daily Painting, 7

Oh so much better to paint in my own style. Can you just feel the relief?

This is the 7th painting in my promised Daily Painting series. I could keep going. It is certainly an easy way to post to my blog. Are you asleep? Bored? Wishing I’d get off this train of thought?

Daily Painting, 6

Mineral King, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

Waking up in the morning has never been easy for me. Some people wake up energized and ready to go; I am not one of them. My Oh-So-Wise-Dad used to say that when he woke up in the morning, he’d lie there and try to die. Failing that, he’d get up and do whatever had to be done. He was joking, mostly. Now I wonder if he didn’t just struggle with the whole wake-up-get-up thing as I do – hard to tell, because he was a very early riser. And, he expected his daughters to get up at a reasonable time too. (Our definitions of “reasonable time” never seemed to mesh.)

Occasionally, I will wake up and feel refreshed, excited about the day, ready to see what there is to see. This painting is from a photo taken on one of those rare mornings. And, for the record, it isn’t morning I struggle with; it is waking up that is the problem!

This painting is available for sale on my website. Just sayin’.

Daily Painting, 5

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

Farewell Gap is an unusually symmetrical mountain pass. The elevation is somewhere in the 10,000′ range, and the trail to get there is 6-1/2 miles long, very well graded, with fabulous flowers. I love that hike. (Never mind. Stupid plantar fasciitis.)

This year I am lollygagging about the cabin, enjoying the views from the valley. This is one of the best. This one sold, but I can paint it again. Happily! Love this view.

Daily Painting, 4

Mineral King, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

The Crowley family cabin with Farewell Gap in the background may be the most photographed scene in Mineral King. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve drawn and painted it. Each time I take the picture, I’m sure it is the most beautiful it has ever been. I’ve been to Farewell Gap many times (no helicopters were involved), met most of the Crowley family and had dinner at their cabin. Lovely family, lovely cabin, lovely scene.

This painting is sold, but I am always happy to paint it again!

Daily Painting, 3

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

This is the Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King. Originally it was part of the resort at the end of the road. Disney bought the resort, and then abandoned the idea of a ski resort because Mineral King was incorporated into Sequoia National Park. They removed all the buildings except this little cabin. The Mineral King Preservation Society restored the cabin in 1986, and now it is a mini-museum. It is so very cute, and each time I paint it, it sells.

Yep. it sold, but I can paint it for you again.

Daily Painting, 2

6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

This is Sawtooth, 12, 343′ in elevation, reached by foot out of Mineral King. It shows up from the valley floor, particularly in Tulare County where it is located. I’ve painted and drawn it many times.  I’ve also been over Sawtooth Pass, below Sawtooth at Monarch Lake and at Columbine Lake, partway up Sawtooth, flown off its side in a helicopter, climbed it once, and looked at it more times that can be counted. When you are near its top, it looks too small to be visible from Visalia. This painting is for sale at the Silver City Store, or you can buy it on my website.

Daily Painting

This is a movement, or perhaps a trend, or maybe even a fad in the Artworld. I’ve considered it for several years, but seem to have too much work to be slamming out extras. And I would be “slamming them out’, because layered and detailed is my preferred way of painting. But, I can and often do paint daily among the tasks of blogging, updating my website, drawing, paying bills, tending the studio garden, teaching drawing lessons, returning phone calls and emails, bookkeeping, running to the Post Office, designing murals, bidding jobs, framing drawings, keeping up with inventory, photographing my work, et cetera. (Notice this list does not include Facebook. I am still resisting, but feeling the pressure and beginning to weaken.)

“Scuse me. I got distracted with that list. Had to go lie down for a bit, revive my spirits with a bit of chocolate.

It occurred to me that I don’t have to pay a fee to join a daily painting site. Nor do I have to announce that I am going to do FIFTY PAINTINGS IN FIFTY DAYS or whatever grand scheme I might concoct by staying up too late at night, consuming too much chocolate, stewing over ideas to generate interest and create sales.

Nope, all I have to do is show you one painting every day. In fact, I am going to do that for 5 days in a row. Maybe even 6 days. Aren’t you excited??

This was a painting done from the Hidden Garden Tour. I did 8 different paintings, of which 5 sold, including this one. It has a certain glow to it, and might have been the best one of the lot. Of course, taste is an individual matter.