Painting Lots of Orange Things

When you look at my painting subjects, you might guess that orange is my favorite color. You’d be wrong. However, orange things are among my favorite things (not raindrops on roses).

The poppy painting is on the easel for consideration and contemplation. How can I make it better? Does it need to be made better? I have an idea for the first question, and the answer to the second question is “Maybe”.

The lemon isn’t orange. Well, duh. The Mural Gallery just sold a little lemon painting so I am painting a new one.

The larger commissioned painting is getting close to completion; the poppy painting is new, and the lemon needs an orange to go with it for the Mural Gallery.

The orange painting is going quickly; the poppy painting is a little more difficult.

It’s from a photo I took up the North Fork of the Kaweah River a handful of years ago. I am not trying to copy every poppy exactly; ain’t nobody got time for that. Besides, nobody cares.

I think this is going to be a good one. My goal is to get it to Kaweah Arts in time for the studio tour on the weekend. It is a county wide studio tour. I’m not participating but am supporting Kaweah Arts in their efforts to draw many people in.

Oranges in Oil

We are in fall, and oranges are a winter crop. But I have to keep a little ahead of the seasons with my paintings so that I am ready when the customers are.

The aloof Jackson jumped down after briefly inspecting my work. 

After finishing the two Kaweah Post Office do-overs, I returned to some oranges.

A customer/friend (If your friends won’t do business with you, who will?) bought a 5×7″ oil painting of oranges that sat on a mini easel, then emailed me to ask for a second one. These will be gifts for two of his family members at Christmas, so I could paint the same scene again or make something compatible.

I painted a new scene twice, then did a third one. All of these will go to the Mural Gallery in Exeter, and my customer/friend can choose the one he prefers. I hope he chooses one of the ones I painted twice (“one of the ones”?? Someone find me an editor!) or else there will be twin paintings at the Mural Gallery.

Started one on a board.

Started two more on canvas panels.

Finished all three, now drying, waiting to be scanned.Done, done, and done. (except for the scanning part)

Oranges are a HUGE crop in Tulare County and a great seller for me. At one time I thought I wanted to grow them; now I am quite happy to simply paint them.

 

Attending to Other Jobs

When I began these paintings, navels were still hanging on trees, and the blossoms began. Orange blossoms are my favorite scent. Suddenly, orange blossom season was almost over, and I hadn’t touched these 2 small paintings.


They are now available at the Mural Gallery in Exeter. 6×6″, $60; 4×6″, $50 (PLUS TAX, OF COURSE!) The Mural Gallery doesn’t have a website; it is at the park with Exeter’s first mural, next door to the Wildflower Cafe.

Speaking of Exeter’s first mural, here is the beginnings of a similar painting, another painting of my favorite subject.

This one will be fun. It is a commission, and I know I can do it because I painted the same scene a few years ago as a 16×20″. Or maybe 18×24″. I’ve slept since then (and painted many similar scenes).

P.S. The paintings are NOT scratch ‘n’ sniff.

Orange Groves in Oil Paint

These are several oil paintings of my current favorite subject: orange groves with foothills and mountains in the background. Looking at these (and showing them off) helps me regain my confidence as an artist after the tiny face show-down.

Citrus Cove (sold)

Looking East (sold)

Lemon Cove (sold)

Picking Time (10×10″, available, $150)

In the Orchard (sold)

If you have a hankering for a painting of this type of scene, I am available for commissions. Just tell me the size, which mountains you want visible in the background, and anything else you’d like in the painting. Then, I will put your project in the queue.

There. Seeing all those “sold” signs, and knowing there is a queue all helped repair the ding to my confidence after the face trouble.

 

 

 

Name That Painting

My current favorite subject for painting is classic Tulare County—citrus and mountains, two things I consider to be the best parts of living here.

Today I am asking for a little help. My most current painting is nameless, and I am out of ideas.

Would you like to name this painting for me?

Thanks! (You know it looks better in person, don’t you?)

Here are some ideas that were submitted in response to my emailed newsletter:

Here and There

The Elephant and the Orange

Beyond the Trees

Foothill Bounty

Sierra Oranges

Orange View

Oh Beautiful!

Before 50/50 bars

California’s Peaks and Navels

Spruce Road, East

On a Clear Day

Citrus and the Sierra 

Classic Tulare County

The Best of California

Last minute update: the painting was spoken for, the buyer chose the name, and then she measured her wall. Oops. It won’t fit. It is my fault for not publishing the size, 10×20″. It is now available, $375 (this includes sales tax if you live in California or shipping if you don’t), here on my website, or in all the usual ways such as seeing me in person, calling, emailing, etc.

 

Finding My Way Home

It feels as if I am finding my way back home in my art pursuits. Sales are encouraging, commissions are energizing, rain and snow is reassuring, and all of those things reignite my desire to paint, draw, and tell you about it.

We recently saw this oil painting:

It didn’t look right to me. The colors were wrong, and it needed orange blossoms. Back on the easel with you!

Better.

Painting oranges feels like coming home.

That Was Quick

On Friday I delivered some notecard packages to the Mural Gallery in Exeter. Manager Cindy told me of good sales of paintings there and said someone bought an 8×8″ oil painting of a poppy. That someone also requested the same size of an orange and another of a pomegranate. I asked a few questions, then went off to the Courthouse Gallery for a day of gallery-sitting and painting.

A little later, I heard from Cindy that the customer is from Barcelona, Spain, and will be returning there shortly after Christmas. That’s cutting things a little close, especially since I may not be going back down the hill before then.

When I looked in my crate of supplies, I saw an 8×8″ canvas with a photo of an orange lying on top of it. Hmmm, I wonder. . .

So, I started a new painting of an orange.

Because I have painted more oranges than I can remember, I was able to veer away from the photo but keep it believable. Of course, I had my painting friend with me to point out any areas of weakness.

I bypassed a few steps here: no wire on the back, no layering, no drying, no scan, no varnishing. But it will dry, Cindy will deliver, and our customer from Spain will go home with 2 paintings in her luggage!

Way Less Smoky, Where Am I??

On Thursday, the day started out with hazardous air, so I planned to work in the studio rather than the painting workshop. When I went to the house for lunch, I noticed that I could see things and it didn’t smell smoky! Wait, where am I?? So Trail Guy and I took a short walk, first time in a month, and then I was able to paint. And not just paint, but paint with the doors flung open! (The AQI was 52, considered “moderate”.)

I painted the edges on this one.

I started another orange painting.

What is that about? Someone saw the 12×12 painting called “In The Orchard” and requested an 11×14″ version of the same scene, but this time with a little rougher looking soil and some orange blossoms.

It was so wonderful to have clear air that I carried it outside to photograph for you.

It looks more normal hanging on the wall. Well, as “normal” as possible for a scribbly base coat.

Do you think I can get it to this level, PLUS orange blossoms? Of course you do. Thank you for your confidence in my abilities.

This one needed to be finished so I moved it to the easel from off the shelf.

Clearly there is a theme here. I will tell you why eventually.