Three Rivers Studio Tour Ten Wrap-up, part 3

Watching out the window through the rain, waiting for visitors to pull into the driveway.

SUNDAY ON THE TOUR

1. It was overcast with rain imminent. I waited inside by the fire with my knitting for the first hour. Finally moved out to the studio and listened for the sound of cars and car doors while putting color in reproduction prints of Crescent Meadow.

2. Kaweah Kitty stayed in the house by the fire.

3. I told EVERYONE to watch their step. I don’t think saying those words would have prevented yesterday’s mishap. Sort of reminds me of how people say “Be careful!” AFTER you trip. Ummm, thanks?

4. Rosa, the successor of Ruby, came by with her human.

5. Mostly people came in groups, this time a few families including some children, and there were no Bobs.

6. It rained all day. It was cold. I stayed by the fire in between arrivals of guests.

7. There were 29 visitors including 1 returnee from yesterday, 1 locally known artist and 1 musician from a nationally known band (whose wife told him he needed to get a job before he bought a painting!)

Hoping the musician finds work so this painting will find its home.

Three Rivers Studio Tour Ten Wrap-up, part 2

Zeke’s only appearance of the day was when the sign was uncovered in the morning.

SATURDAY SPECIFICS

1. It was sunny and clear and not hot and very beautiful

2. There were 81 visitors (not counting the sheriff, fire and ambulance crews)

3. People were mostly in groups, only a few women by themselves, more men than yesterday but proportionately about the same. (3 were Bobs)

4. Many commissions to paint later

5. Kaweah Kitty remained very popular.

6. Learned 3 new words – luthier, autodidactic, aberration (which I already knew but did not know it also pertains to distortions under the magnifying glass)

7. Six of my drawing students came by! (Linda, Maggie, Wendy, Anne, Sara, Cathy) Perhaps there were some future drawing students also. . .

8. A lady fell (see #2). Learned later that she broke her hip. Until then, she was enjoying herself. Major Bummer.

9. The final visitor of the day walked up the driveway with her boot heels clicking on the asphalt. From inside the studio I thought the sound was one of my cats barfing.

Some therapeutic knitting and comforting chocolate consumption took place on Saturday evening. These photos are to help me remember the beautiful parts of the day.

The ever-popular and always present Kaweah Kitty thoroughly enjoyed the visitors.

Three Rivers Studio Tour Ten Wrap-up, part 1

The very popular flowering quince.

The gregarious Kaweah Kitty in the painting workshop.

 

Just the facts, Ma’am.

FRIDAY FACTS

1. It sprinkled when I removed the cover from my #13 sign to open for the day.

2. There were 30 visitors.

3. Most of them were women. (I think there were 4 men, and 1/2 were named Bob.)

4. 5 women came by themselves; the rest came in pairs or groups.

5. I knew 2/3 of the visitors; the other 1/3 were new to me.

6. Kaweah Kitty was very popular.

7. My flowering quince were very popular.

8. There were people from Porterville, Fresno, Visalia, Three Rivers, Santa Clara, Sandy Eggo, and Minnesota.

Friday was overcast.

Remember the chairs? Our experiment with sequoia trees engraved and painted has not yet been perfected, but the painted trees definitely dress up the chairs.

Three Rivers Studio Tour Ten. . .

. . . begins today! You can get tickets at the Three Rivers Historical Museum. The Tour runs today, Saturday, and Sunday from 10-5. My studio is one of 22. (Actually it is probably #13, but since I am not superstitious, this does not upset me.)

The flag is from First Saturday. There will be a different type of marker at the base of my driveway for Studio Tour. The weeds will be taller too.

 

The blooms got knocked off the tree by the snow. The snow got knocked off the tree by Michael. Hopefully Michael won’t get knocked off by anything or anyone.

If you are lucky, there will be a welcoming committee.

Sequoia Mural Madness

Help. I’m infected with mad mural disease. Can’t stop painting them!

Remember this, the largest mural on the right?

Did you know it is actually doors that open?

They’ve been awaiting a mural for several years now. The photo was chosen, but it never seemed urgent. Now that Studio Tour Ten is almost here, the urgency kicked in.

I began working inside the workshop (AKA painting studio) and got all the shapes blocked in. That way when I painted with the doors opened to the outside, the halves would match up again later. And, this scene looks good when it is split in half.

Here are the opened doors with just the bare bones painted on. During Studio Tour, if the weather is nice, the doors are opened and no one can see the Mineral King mural. This way there is something good to see whether the weather is good or rainy (which is also good).

Three Rivers Studio Tour Ten

Of all the 22 studios on the tour, mine is the smallest and the most rustic. That’s okay – it IS called “Cabinart”.  (And please excuse the First Saturday flag – this post is about the Studio Tour.)

Tickets are on sale for $15/person and available at The Art Co-op in Three Rivers and Arts Visalia Gallery in Visalia. They are also available online at Three Rivers Art Studio Tour

After March 4 the price increases to $20 per ticket.

March 23-24-25 will be a beautiful weekend to drive around Three Rivers and visit 22 artists studios. You can do it at your own pace and pick your own route. You can even spend the night, or two nights. Soak up some spring time green and wildflowers in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Meet many California artists, remember why you live in Tulare County (or perhaps why you don’t), enjoy a rural weekend, slow things down a bit.

Three Rivers Studio Tour 10 is coming

While in this drawdrawdraw mode, it is still necessary to think about other parts of my business. Three Rivers Studio Tour 10 is at the end of March, and people like to buy stuff from the artists. I’m real glad about that. It is helpful if I have things to sell to those fine folks of good taste. Here is a little sample:

These are 2×2″ canvases, and they look so cute sitting on little easels. Awwww. . . love those California poppies!

First mural, revisited

Back when I decided to begin muralizing, I started by painting Farewell Gap in oils and increasing the size each time. After I completed a 24×36″, it was time to paint it on my workshop doors. This was the first time I painted large and it shocked me how quickly it went. Michael stood back and helped me with the shape and scale of the peaks. Louise stood down the driveway and coached me on the water. This is how it looked in April 2008.

The colors faded, and I paint better now. Besides, the Three Rivers  Studio Tour is coming in March 2012, so it is time to repaint.

Now, I can see that the poppy door is faded too. Is this going to be like painting the Golden Gate Bridge?

Studio Tour, Day One

This is the first time in the history of Three Rivers Studio Tour that Friday was included. I had 17 visitors including Cousin Charlotte whom I had met before but had no idea is a Marshburn cousin! I also met Abigail, a 3rd grader who wants to be an artist. When she reported to me that Father John Griesbach allowed her to paint on a painting at St. Anthony’s Retreat, I called her back into the studio to help me with some grasses on a painting. (Me, competitive??) This is how my studio looked before people arrived today.

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My studio is in 2 buildings.

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This is where I paint.

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This is where I draw and do paperwork and occasionally teach private lessons.

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This is inside the original studio, which was a shed for planing wood because the former owner used to make Cuckoo clocks!