5 Things in the Life of a Central California Artist

Aren’t lists helpful? Back in the olden days (the 1970s), I was working some dumb boring job. At the end of some days, I got to see my best friend who was in college in the same town. I’d trudge through the day, doing my mindless boring job, and every time I thought of something to tell her, I’d write it on a little piece of paper. When I got to her house, I’d pull the list out of my pocket and share my thoughts or questions or ideas with her. She used to laugh, but it wasn’t derisive. I think she laughed because it was a bit weird, but so be it. It worked. Still does.

Turning Leaf XIV, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50

(Email me using the Contact the Artist tab above to buy)

But I digress. Here are a few things happening this month in the life of this Central California artist. This will give you an idea of all that is involved to earn a living as an artist in this rural place.

  1. The upcoming book, The Cabins of Wilsonia is supposed to be arriving on or around November 21. The early bird price of $70 including tax and shipping is good until November 19.
  2. There is a lovely little show in the dining room at Sierra Subs in Three Rivers called “Hidden in the Leaves”. I have 2 paintings in the show, one of which is shown above.
  3. My 2015 calendar of oil paintings called Beautiful Tulare County is now available (see Monday’s post)
  4. On Saturday, November 15 from 9 – 4 at the Three Rivers Memorial Building is fun little arts/craft fair called the Senior League Holiday Bazaar. It is a low key event, with a big variety of items for sale by those who made said items. One of the hottest things there is homemade jelly and jam. (I hope another hot item is my calendar!)
  5. I’m working on a very challenging pencil commission right now. Stay tuned for details and in-progress pictures.

Cabin Commission

The upcoming book, The Cabins of Wilsonia, will have 268 pencil drawings of cabins and cabin details.

Not everyone is pleased with the way I have represented his cabin. Most people are gracious about it and know that the book is an overview, rather than a documentary or a complete album.

One friend was not sure about how to tell me that she didn’t want to buy the original drawing of her cabin. She asked a few polite questions, and I got it. I told her that I can redraw it for her any way that she wants. She said, “But I don’t want to add to your work!” I replied, “Darlin’, that’s how I earn my living!” We laughed, and she commissioned me to draw her cabin.

I took many photos and then did a sketch for her, complete with lots of notes.

After I was sure that I knew what she wanted, I started.

commissioned pencil drawing of cabin in progress

After I got this far, I got a little worried and needed reassurance that I was on the right track.

She gave me the okay, so I finished it.

Commissioned pencil drawing of cabin

 She was thrilled, so of course so am I!

Fancy Drawing of a Not Fancy Cabin

This is the final drawing of the commissioned pencil drawing of a Wilsonia cabin. The customer chose “A”, asked that the sign size be reduced and that plenty of scraggly branches be added to that large tree in front that she affectionately referred to as “the old man”.

It was fun! Drawing cabins is one of the best parts of my business, Cabinart.

Complicated Drawing of a Simple Cabin

A nice lady wrote to me to ask if I would draw her Wilsonia cabin for her. She said it is plain, or perhaps she said “it’s not fancy”, but it means a lot to her family.

I knew which cabin it was. It wasn’t one that I planned to show in the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.  There are 214 cabins in Wilsonia, and there are lots of reasons that not every cabin made it in the book.

But, I have been accepting commissions to draw cabins in pencil since 1987. It’s what I do! My business is Cabin Art. 

So, I took photos of her cabin from many angles. It was hard to find the most interesting angle, and hard to see something special.

These aren’t the photos I ended up using, but these are like those “before” photos when someone gets a makeover. You know – out-of-date glasses, limp hair, no make up, bad light, old sweatshirt. (Substitute tied up hair and flannel shirt, and you’ve got a picture of me while painting.)

 

The customer requested a collage, which gives plenty of opportunity to dress up a picture. I did 2 versions and sent the sketches to her.

Come back on Monday to see which she chose and how it turned out!

What’s Happening Now in the Work Life of This Artist

Today’s posting is a list of information about what is happening now in my life as a Central California artist.

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

1. I have another blog –  www.thecabinsofwilsonia.com where I post about the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.  “Upcoming” as in should be here in several weeks. “Several weeks” as in I don’t really know for sure because the book printer doesn’t really know for sure.

2. This week on my other blog there will be posts about the following subjects:

  • quilt squares in Wilsonia
  • who is interested in buying the upcoming book (and who isn’t – a rather surprising factoid to me!)
  • a story by possibly the most interesting cabin owner in Wilsonia (but he did not end it with “stay thirsty”)

3. I’m still too busy with more important and interesting things to figure out why the comments won’t work and too busy to figure out how to post new work to my website galleries.

4. Maybe I’ll start showing new work on the blog.

5. There is an upcoming show in November called “Hidden in the Leaves”. I could fill the entire space all by myself with this subject, but we are limited to 2 pieces each. It will be here in Three Rivers at Sierra Subs & Salads, preparers of the best food around!

Invitation to Wilsonia Blog

This week you can learn about the current state of the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia at my other blogs, The Cabins of Wilsonia dot com.

On August 25 (today) you can read about a proof copy.

On August 26 I tell about commissioned pencil drawings of some Wilsonia cabins.

On August 27, quilt squares will be the subject. Hunh? yep. Quilt squares.

So, head on over to The Cabins of Wilsonia! And on Friday, this blog will be about Mineral King. (big surprise, eh?)

The Cabins of Wilsonia Now For Sale

After 3 plus years of planning, designing, photographing, editing, drawing, designing some more, exploring, computing, planning, and more drawing than you can possibly imagine, The Cabins of Wilsonia  is available for PRE-ORDER.

Pencil drawing of Wilsonia Club House

 

This means that you have to trust me to deliver a great book to you in 2-1/2 months.

So that you will be inclined to trust me, the pre-order price is $15 less than the real price.

The pre-order price is $70, which includes tax and mailing costs. (Mostly – I will be eating a little bit of those costs to keep the price to a nice round number.)

If you wait until the book is here to buy it, the cost will be $86.

pencil drawing of Wilsonia cabin

You may buy it here, using Paypal. When you get to Paypal (you need to already have a Paypal acc0unt for this to work), it will allow you to choose the quantity you want to order.



The special pre-order price of $70 has expired.

If we see each other regularly,  I will refund the mailing prices because I can simply hand the book to you.

You ready? I sure am!

Invitation to Visit Wilsonia Blog

Did you know that I have another blog?

“Cabin on a Sunlit Meadow” – sold

 

Yeppers.

It is called The Cabins of Wilsonia. For almost three years I’ve been working on a book of pencil drawings of the cabin community Wilsonia at Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park.

The process is documented here. If you click on the highlighted word “here”, it will open in a new window with my other blog.

Today and tomorrow I’ll be posting over there. I didn’t want you to think I’d quit on my real blog.

This is my real blog. Did you know that? I love writing this blog. Yeah, yeah, I know we are supposed to love people and use things. . . it is just the sloppy vernacular of my lazy generation that causes me to state it that way.

For over a year I’ve been missing from this blog about one day a week. You might have thought I had gotten lazy about regular posting, but I was over there.

I’m sorry for not inviting you sooner.

You are invited now.

Whatcha Doing, California Artist?

Working on the book, posting about the book, thinking about the book, working on it some more, that’s what.

What book, you ask? The Cabins of Wilsonia, progress being documented here.

How about if I make you a nice list, since you were good enough to come to my blog to see what I’m working on:

  1. The comments are disabled on this post because of 300-600 spam comments per day. 
  2. You can contact me via the Contact the Artist tab at the top of the page or by email if you have my eddress.
  3. “Eddress” is the best made up word ever – why am I the only one to use it??
  4. I found the most beautiful photographs in the world, even more beautiful than the stillblog I shared with you a few weeks ago. It is called 500px, with stunningly gorgeous photos by Elena Unspellable (not really – but she is Russian and her name is a long one). Thank you, Ann, for sending me the link to this fabulous breathtaking site.

Because I don’t have any new artwork or any significant message for you, contemplate this:

A man and his truck. A man and his old truck. An old man. . . never mind. 310,000 miles on this rig.

We might be looking for a 2001-2004 Toyota Tundra, 5-speed manual transmission, 4WD, extra cab, less than 150,000 miles. But keep in mind, there’s NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS TRUCK AND HE IS KEEPING IT. (I’m shouting it because I’ve been told this numerous times.)

Oh, and not silver. Not black or white either. But we really don’t have any strong opinions on this. . .

Meanwhile, I have a book to prepare for the printer!