Mineral King Paintings and 3 Reasons Why They Are Selling Well

Mineral King is the second most popular subject that I paint. Oranges are first, pomegranates are third. Thanks for asking – does me good to know you care.

 

Farewell Gap oil painting by Jana Botkin
Farewell Gap, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort
alpenglow on vandever oil painting by jana Botkin
Sunset on Vandever, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort (should have titled it “Alpenglow”)
oil painting of Sawtooth Peak by Jana Botkin
Sawtooth #8, 6×6 oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort
oil painting of the Oak Grove Bridge by Jana Botkin
Oak Grove Bridge VIII, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50, available at the Silver City Resort (This is my favorite bridge, but you already knew that.)

Many of the artists I know have taken to creating small paintings in this crummy economy. Since Tulare County’s economy is usually crummy anyway, I was already doing that. It is very seldom that I am on the cutting edge of anything, so this has just been a real thrill, I tell you, a real thrill.

Stop yawning.

I’ve been really working hard on these little jewels this summer, because the Silver City Resort is doing a great job of selling them. They’re selling well for 3 reasons (just my opinion):

1. $50 is dirt cheap for an original oil painting (especially if you are from a big city)

2. People on vacation in the area would like a real souvenir of their trip that isn’t an unnecessary plastic item stamped with Mineral King.

3. (Ahem). They are sort of good. Not as tight with the detail as many of my other paintings, but whaddya expect for $50, hmmmm?

Just try to be polite, ‘kay? And might want to duck, in case there is a lightning strike for excessive braggadocio.

 

P.S. These might have sold – I haven’t checked since delivering them to Silver City a few weeks ago. BUT, do not lose heart – I can repaint anything for you. Just ask!

 

Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King

The Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King sits at the beginning of the Eagle/Mosquito/White Chief trailhead.

 

oil painting of Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King by Jana Botkin
The Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King, 6×6″, $50, available at the Silver City Resort

It was part of the resort, back in the days of a store and rental cabins in Mineral King. That era ended in 1969, when an avalanche took out the store. By then, Walt Disney owned the place, and what the snow left behind, Uncle Wally’s people  finished with fire.

This is the only remaining structure from the resort, and now it serves as a museum of Mineral King history. It is maintained by the Mineral King Preservation Society.

I paint it over and over and over. (I mean I paint canvases with its image, but I’m guessing you were tracking with me well enough to understand that.) This is #12, maybe. Since it is at the Silver City Resort and I am not, I can’t flip it over and check for you.

Orange You Glad You Live in California (or Sorry That You Don’t)?

group of citrus oil paintings in progress
Morning sun in the summer dries oil paintings quickly.

Orange you glad you live in California? Or perhaps you aren’t so glad – the state is way over its head financially, we have both sales tax and state income tax, our gas is almost the most expensive in the country, and it is stinkin’ hot.

But we can grow oranges, and we can paint them. That’s what California artists do who get calls from realtors who sell lots of citrus orchards. Blessings on you, Oh Realtors of Good Taste.

In case you were wondering, my favorite color isn’t orange. Besides, it looks terrible on me. Not my color. Maybe that is why it is fun to paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poppy Painting Explosion

Last week I had an explosion of California poppies in the painting studio. They landed on top of my stereo. (Yes, that is duct tape on the stereo – You can ask Retired Road Guy, but I doubt he’ll remember.)

2x2" oil paintings of poppies and one poinsettia
2×2″ oil paintings of California poppies, $16.50 each including a small wooden easel, and one poinsettia, because no matter what, Christmas comes each year on December 25. (Thank you, Paula, for the idea!)

Who knew that canvases came in 2×2″? They are so cute, and can be painted quickly. Of course I need my mega-strong magnifying glasses to see what I am painting, just in case anyone under 45 years of age looks at them.

The Rest of the (poppy) Story

Don’t you just love finding out what happened? Ever read the last chapter of a book before (or instead of) finishing? That’s okay – you don’t have to confess anything here!

Remember this pale poppy?

4x4" oil painting of california poppy
California poppy, 4×4″ , oil on board, unframed

Now look!

pale poppy, repainted in brighter and darker colors
California poppy, repainted in brighter colors, oil on board, 4×4″

It was an easy fix. Thank you to everyone who shared their opinion – turns out we all thought it was pale and wussy looking. And thank you for being so polite about it all – all who remarked on it simply said they preferred the brighter colors rather than insulting the poor anemic thing.

Sawtooth Has a Story

Sawtooth Peak probably has many many stories. It is visible from Visalia, and when it is viewed in Mineral King, folks are often surprised by its smallish size. “How could that be visible from down there?”, I’ve been asked a time or two. My answer is always the same, “I dunno!”

On July 22, 1976 I was on a backpacking trip with a group of kids and 3 adults. We had a layover day at Columbine Lake, just below Sawtooth. Several of the group decided to climb the peak, but really wanted to make a mark in history by taking a less travelled route.

It was dumb. I got a helicopter ride, a hospital stay and many booboos from that experience. I also learned a number of things.

The main thing that stays with me is that I’d rather look at Sawtooth, photograph it and paint it than climb it.

The last time I painted it, my intention was to take it to the Silver City Store to sell it there. Instead, a man saw it at my cabin while it was still wet, and he bought it!

Thanks, Sawtooth Peak.

Love,

Jana, the scarred California Artist

p.s. I went back and climbed it in 1981. It wasn’t fun. My friends helped me. Otherwise, my scared (and scarred) bones would still be up there.

Going Places

Imagine you are on a road trip, just sitting there like a knitting machine, and your driving husband pulls over and says “I thought you might want a picture of this”.

Wouldn’t that be grand and thoughtful? It is.

Trail Guy and I like to visit his sister in Lake Tahoe. (Hi Laurie!) On one such trip we were passing Kirkwood, and he pulled over so I could photograph this scene. Kirkwood Meadow is outside of Lake Tahoe (south east? south west? just plain southish?) It is a ski resort, but in October it looks like this:

oil painting of Kirkwood Meadow
Kirkwood Meadow, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″

 

There were several horses in the photos I took. I chose this one and scooted him to a better place. That tiny little horse ’bout done near kilt me off.  I had to go paint some nice oversized oranges to recover. Must be a California artist way of getting over the trauma. . . gave me flashbacks to Put-My-Parents-in-the-Painting.

The painting was for several reasons: to see if it is a good subject for a larger painting, because I wanted to paint it, and as a gift for a generous friend who sends me a new book to read almost every month.

California Poppy Rerun

Do you ever surprise yourself with forgetfulness?

Last week I did a little painting of a California poppy. After it was finished, signed, photographed, varnished and dry, I added it to the growing stack of little paintings. (An artist who sells needs to keep up her inventory.)

Well, oops. Guess I already painted that poppy and forgot. SOMEONE needs a better filing system for her photos. Check this out:

4x4" oil painting of california poppy
California poppy, 4×4″ , oil on board, unframed

 

california poppy oil painting
California poppy oil painting, 5×7″, oil on board

 

Do you prefer the softer colors of the upper poppy or the stronger ones of the lower painting?

Trip-toe Through The Tulips

Sorry. That was just dumb. Sometimes I am just a real chucklehead. Honestly, I will try to come up with an appropriate title for this triptych, one worthy of the beauty of the scene.

tulip oil Painting by Jana Botkin

tulip oil painting by jana botkin

tulip oil painting by jana botkin

Once again I ask, “WHY is a California artist painting the tulips fields of Washington?”

Because:

1. They are beautiful

2. I love them

3. It is my hope to one day have a show called “Going Places” and finally paint and show work from my (somewhat limited) travels. I take many many photos, want to paint them, and wonder how to find a market for those subjects. Perhaps putting them all together in a show would really make a great visual impact. (Perhaps it would look like a mess of unrelated images. Maybe I’d even get arrested for visual assault.)

Meanwhile, I will continue to slowly build up my collection of non-central-valley art.

Do you think a show of China, Washington DC, Washington state, North Carolina, Oregon, and Lake Tahoe would look like a mess?

Orange You Glad I Can Paint Citrus?

Tulare County grows, sells and eats a ton of citrus. Probably several million tons. I learned to oil paint by using the subject of oranges over and over and over. When an orange would sell, I’d paint another. The last one was #103, I think. There were also a handful that I didn’t title or number in the beginning, so who really knows?

 oil paintings of tangerines and lemons photo by Jana Botkin

Tangerines and Lemons

A few years ago I was at some art thing with my dear friend D. I introduced her to another friend, one who sells ag real estate. D said, “Oh my goodness, you should be buying Jana’s orange paintings to give to your clients!” (She has been a great supporter and encourager to me in the 13 years we’ve been friends, always looking for ways to promote my work.)

Mr. Real Estate said, “That’s a great idea!” Now he and his partner have placed 3 or 4 orders for 6×6 and 8×10 paintings of citrus since then – mostly navel oranges, and some tangerines/mandarins/Clementines and some lemons. It is fun to do these – bright, simple, not too difficult. (I am THRILLED to paint simple things after Put-My-Parents-In-The Painting, THRILLED, I say.)

What else would you expect from a central California artist, daughter, granddaughter and niece of citrus farmers?