More Snowy Sequoias

November is the busiest month in my business. This year is busier than ever, and there aren’t even any boutiques or festivals. It is so fun to have more projects than I can even show you. Here is the progress on the snowy sequoia oil painting commission. It is several days worth of painting.

The background will only need one more pass of detailing. There is still quite a bit of work left, which was puzzling to me. Why is this painting taking me so long? It feels as if I should be covering more territory in each painting session, but instead, I am inching along.

I’ll tell you why this is on Friday after a bit more time to process the ridiculousness of this situation.

Snowy Sequoias, continued

At the beginning of the painting session, it felt daunting. When this happens, I think about the basics. Start in the background. Since the white paint was still quite wet, this was good advice to myself.

Beginning of the day’s painting session
Upper left with detail started
Upper left, after
Between two trees, before
Between two trees, after
Jumping around, all over the sequoia grove. Maybe I’ll try the tree with moss on it.
End of the day’s painting session

When it was time to move to the mural project, I didn’t want to stop oil painting. It is hard to shift gears. At least the subject matter of the mural is the same, with the added bonus of the light coming at the trees from the same direction.

Mural, Day Three

On Day One, it was hot out. I wore shorts and painted in the shade. On Day Three, I wrapped it up early because of the icy wind that was whipping around, flapping the drop cloth, making my hand shake from the shivers. Weather Whiplash.

The pipe is annoying, so I decided to get that area finished first.
Pipe area is still not quite finished, but I am done with the annoyance of it for now.
By the end of the shivery painting session, I had scooted across to the big tree on the right. At the end of the day, I prefer to work standing or kneeling on the ground instead of on the ladder.
From a distance with a building blocking off the undone parts, you could get the false idea that the mural is finished.
Nosiree Bob.

Who is Bob? Some people say, “. . . and Bob’s your uncle” to mean that something has been accomplished. 

I don’t know who this Bob is, but today Kurt the Mailman stopped by to see the mural. Why does Kurt the Mailman care? He is a fabulous photographer and gave me a disk of his photos a number of years ago, along with his permission and blessing to use any for painting references. This mural is from one of Kurt the Mailman’s photographs! (I’m using quite a bit of artistic license, along with other photos for different details).

Pencil Reminiscing, Part Seven

After publishing the notecard set of Backcountry Structures of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, I moved into the front country of the park. That’s where most of the people visit, and now I had connections in the organization that stocked the ranger stations and visitor centers in the parks.

I didn’t save any labels, so I don’t know if this is when I switched to 4 cards per package instead of 5, or if I lost a sample card along the way. I remember taking the photos for these drawings, because my niece went with me. There was a long line for photos in front of the General Sherman Tree, so Ashley and I got in line. When it was our turn, she went up to the tree and then laid on the ground behind the sign so I could take a photo without any people in it. The other visitors were quite puzzled by this, but I was thrilled by Ashley’s innovative solution. I think I actually drew her into the picture of the Four Guardsmen, but now I can’t see details that small.

To be continued. . .

I CANNOT Attend

This time of year is all about events. All the events are about raising money. That seems to be the normal reason for a party/dinner/anything in Tulare County. Everybody needs money. The causes are endless, and they are all good.

The latest event that I am involved in is an auction at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter. “Involved” means I support the gallery and donate to their auction each year. This year I have given them this drawing.

I don’t normally give away original art, but the Courthouse Gallery is special. They provide a fabulous place for me to teach drawing lessons and have done so since January of 2002.

HOWEVER, I CANNOT attend auctions where my work is for sale. The stress is too much for my little sensitive self. What is no one bids? What if no one likes it? What if a board member of the gallery has to buy it and donate it back because no one wanted it? What if it only sells for $10? (The price on this original pencil drawing of Sequoias, professionally framed and matted, approximately 11×14″, is $350.)

You can go to the auction. It is a fun afternoon/evening, whatever it is called at this time of day. They always have good hors d’oeuvres and wine (so I’m told).

P.S. I don’t know why my name isn’t on the flyer. Maybe they know I am too chicken to attend. Maybe they weren’t sure I would donate something. Maybe they don’t know how much I appreciate them. But don’t let this little oversight stop you from attending!

Today’s Anne Lang’s Emporium featured painting 

Sequoia Gigantea II, 6×18″, oil on wrapped canvas, $150

Squishing a Meadow

How does one “squish a meadow”?

One layer at a time, with oil paint on canvas, a 6×18″ canvas to be specific. Canvases this size and shape have become popular; they seem to fit well into odd spaces for people. I can accommodate this.

This is how Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park looked about 2 weeks ago.

Crescent Meadow

The proportions are different in this photo than on a 6×18″ canvas. Can I squish this into a horizontal format? Can I stretch it out and remain believable? Sure. This is a forgiving subject, not an architectural exactitude where I have to artificially elongate things, maybe shorten the height and add a few windows. That would be neither forgiving nor believable.

This messy and sort of ugly beginning lets me know this will work.

Tucker doesn’t care, because there is something much more intriguing up the hill.

All this discussion about proportion, believability and elongating has put Scout to sleep.

Better sky (it is the farthest element), next grayish green on the trees that are farthest away.

Those distant grasses come next.

More trees, both near and far. 

Closer trees on the left.

Closer trees on the right, bright yellow ones last.

After this is dry, I will look at it with more critical eyes, add a few more details, decide if the colors are really correct, and then sign it.

And honestly, Dear Readers, my paintings look a ton better in person.

Slow Middle

Happy Birthday, Lauren!!

After a quick start on the redwood and dogwood painting (redwoods are Sequoia Giganteas, Sequoia being the source of the name for Sequoia National Park), it was time to do my usual slow, careful, meticulous, thoughtful detailing. (Is this painting better or painting the same as I always do??)

Branches first

Blooms and leaves.

More blooms and leaves.

More blooms and more leaves.

“Wow, you humans sure are mysterious.” Is this what Tucker is thinking, or is he wondering if there will be treats soon?

Even more blooms and more leaves, along with more layers and detailing on the Sequoia.

And more branches.

“This is so boring I fell asleep.”

More leaves on the branches.

Feels done, but absolutely will need more refining and detailing and brightening and edge-sharpening before I sign it and paint the edges.

Want to buy this painting?? You may. It is 12×16″, $300 plus California sales tax of 8%, one of the highest tax rates in the nation.

Quick Start

After a recent trip to Sequoia National Park to see the dogwood in bloom, I had a desire to paint them with a redwood tree in the background. The printed photos hadn’t yet arrived, so why not paint while looking at the computer screen? Then I began thinking about my “Paint Better” and “Sell More Paintings” goals, squishy at best, definitely not “SMART”. The idea of “Paint Better” is so vague; maybe it could mean to paint looser, just get the idea of colors, shapes, darks and lights. Maybe this would work with dogwood and redwood.

Maybe this will work. The redwood has to dry before the dogwood can go on the top. Otherwise, it might look like mudwood. 

Painting of the day:

Sunny Sequoias #33, oil on wrapped canvas, 11×14″, $275.

Non-boring White Flowers

Have you heard me say that I think white flowers are boring? There are a few exceptions, and dogwood is one of them.

Have you read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard? It is considered one of the classics of tree-hugging literature. In it, the author mentions a “tree of lights”. I am just sure that she is referring to dogwoods!

I recently went to the main part of Sequoia National Park for an afternoon, and both the yucca and dogwood were in bloom. These flowers are not boring at all; I only photographed the dogwood because there were no places to pull over for good photos of yucca. Yuccas? Yeah, those, plural.

This is dogwood. It is a tree with fabulous white blossoms that my dad used to refer to as “fried eggs”.

I went with the owner of Hot Wheels, and SHE LET ME DRIVE HER CAR!! (The rumbly engine, smooth handling and coolness made up for the automatic transmission.)

Dogwood grows at the same elevation as redwood trees.

Crescent Meadow road is a good place to find dogwood. They aren’t around the meadow, but are along the road.

What’s that red shrub off on the right??

Why does the red shrub look brown at this angle?

Obviously this flower will become a berry, but I have no idea what it will be.

Now the red shrub is looking red again. Might be some sort of willow – it is growing along a little “crik”.

Wait. This post is supposed to be about non-boring white flowers. Here, have another look at a dogwood. I have painted these non-boring white flowers and will again.

Redwoods, Again

The three small redwood oil paintings are completed and for sale at Anne Lang’s Emporium in Three Rivers (or you can contact me directly.)

Sunny Sequoias XXX, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″, $60 plus tax

Sunny Sequoias XXXI, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100 plus tax

Sunny Sequoias XXXII, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″, $60 plus tax

But wait! There’s more (in progress). This is 11×14″. The canvas began with a portrait of a stranger in a workshop; it was too hard for me, I didn’t know the person, I have no plans to become a portrait artist, so bye-bye, Stranger Face.