Dad’s Desk

the-desk.jpg

This was my Oh-So-Wise-Dad’s desk. He had wanted his own dad’s rolltop, but a brother spoke up sooner. So, a brother-in-law found this one as a replacement, and it served Dad well. He was a farmer, and from this desk he paid many bills, made phone calls, sat and thought and probably prayed quite a bit and sometimes even dispensed fatherly advice.

 Dad used a manual Smith-Corona typewriter and a hand-crank adding machine at this desk. (I declined both of those items on the basis of one of my guiding principles in life: The More Stuff You Own, The More Stuff Breaks.) He didn’t type very often, but wrote by hand in all capital letters. He liked to write, and in retrospect, I have decided that words were his art form.

One of the many benefits of getting the desk (which neither of my sisters were interested in, thank goodness!) was that we got rid of a filing cabinet and 4-5 bags of papers! (Another guiding principle in my life is this: If You Can, Get Rid Of It!) 

Now the desk is in my house, and its very presence is reassuring. The massive size, the memories, the timelessness of this piece of furniture actually caused me to sit and HANDWRITE SOME LETTERS!! Really! I ignored the clicky noises of my computer behind me and used a pen and paper! 

 I wonder if this desk will help me be a better artist. . .  

 

 

Regaining confidence

 

Since I am sort of newish to oil painting (any kind of painting, actually), when weeks go buy without working in oils, fear strikes my heart. What if I can’t remember how to mix colors? What if I can’t control the brushes? What if I am so used to quickly slapping acrylic down in large quantities that I won’t be able to do tight detail anymore? The more I horriblize it, the more I procrastinate! Sure, it is still working to organize files, prepare a deposit, return some calls, work on my website, blah, blah, blah. But procrastination is procrastination, no matter what form it takes. (ow.)                                                             After blowing off an hour or two with non-essential work this a.m., I finally returned to oil painting. Wow, is it ever fun! Maybe I am glad I got that not-so-fun stuff out of the way this a.m. after all. I began several more paintings (shows are coming) and went back to the others that have been so patiently waiting for The Mural to be finished. 

 5-starts.jpg

They start out so very sloppy looking that it is sometimes hard to believe these paintings will actually turn into something worth the effort! (PL, can you see yours beginning to take shape? )

river-start.jpg 

But look, this is the second pass over this one, working from the top down, and you can see the upper half is starting to look worth the effort. And look! Here are my primary colors used to mix all the colors you see in this painting – phew! I can remember how to mix colors after all. Silly me. (The photo photographed darker than the painting, but in actuality, they are quite close in color.)

Why?

There are four main reasons for choosing the subjects I do: 1. Someone pays me. 2. This will most likely sell. 3. A show is coming. 4. OH! How Beautiful!   

Someone Pays Me: this is called a commission. It is good to please people, to create for them with their input. It is almost a guarantee of happiness all the way around, and that is too good to turn down. Besides, I love to draw and paint, and if you have been reading my blog, you know that I would rather draw something ugly than be a secretary or waitress!  

cabin.jpg

(No, this is not ugly!!)

 

This Might Sell: oranges are the best example I have. Since learning to oil paint, I have painted at least 34 still life orange pictures! This makes me wonder if all the practice at painting oranges has caused them to be better than any other subject, which increases the sales, which provides more practice, around and around and around.  

theres-nothing-like.jpg 

 There’s Nothing Like A Navel, oil, 18×24, framed, $495

A Show Is Coming:  People like to have choices, like to see new inventory, and like to do business with businesses that are successful (i.e. selling!).  We all like to see variety in colors, styles and prices. I know that the little things sell, but I also know that the big things make my displays look more impressive. This means I have to paint like a machine to create all these choices. I can do this.

 3-starts.jpg

These 3 oil paintings are patiently waiting for me to continue, now that The Mural is finished! 

OH! How Beautiful!: Almost everywhere I go, I take my camera. There is beauty everywhere, and I have learned (the hard way, of course) that if something is looks good, TAKE THE PHOTO NOW! These aren’t always subjects that sell, but they are irresistible to me. 

athinkingplace.jpg

A Thinking Place, colored pencil, 14×18, framed, $350 

All’s well that ends well

LJ and I arrived in Mooney Grove (thought it was Mooney’s Grove but learned differently today) to find the mural leaning inside the case. This first photo was taken before we got there and shows a bit of how the case looked Before Mural.  

dsc_0283.jpgdsc_0288.jpg 

Shaun and I began to put it in place, a more complicated and delicate operation than I had imagined.   

 pict0047.jpg

This is not a photo of me hugging the mural. It is me banging my head on the last piece when I realized it was THE WRONG SIZE and it WOULD NOT FIT in the case. But I’m not one to panic. . .   Nope, not me. Shaun had a saw, and this time he did the measuring, not me, not the curator, not LJ. Shaun knows how to measure and he knows how to cut.   

 pict0052.jpg

“Bummer” – Did I hear someone say “Bummer”? I am a Glass-Half-Full kind of woman, and I say “No Problem!” Why? Because now the Tulare County Historical Society has a wonderful new painting to auction for its fundraiser! Okay, so it is a bit of an odd size, but don’t ask me what size it is, because I obviously cannot operate a tape measure!

 

 pict0051.jpg 

 

And here it is, all together in one piece. (Sort of.)

 

 

 

Bye-bye Baby!

pict0034.jpg 

In case you think I was just standing around snapping photos, nope! I hefted the panels to the man on the right for loading in the truck.

pict0037.jpg 

 

And there it goes. . .

 I wasn’t worried to see it loaded into the back of a truck – I was relieved that it is no longer my responsibility! You must admit my track record as a keeper of a mural is a little weak – letting it do a faceplant doesn’t really constitute good stewardship.  So, it will get installed, and then I will do some touch-up while it is firmly and permanently in place! 

Event information

pict0002.jpg 

Here is the promised information about the event where my mural will be viewed as it was intended. Hope you can be there, and if we haven’t met, please introduce yourself! 

 

Tulare County Historical Society 12 th Annual BBQ & Fundraiser

 

Saturday, September 27th

11:30  AM- 2:00 PM

 

Tulare County Museum Grounds in Mooney Grove Park, Visalia

 

Adults: $20

Children 12 & under: $8.00

Children 5 & under: Free

 

The ticket price includes admission to Mooney Grove Park and the Tulare County Museum, delicious BBQ and live & silent auction.

 

Make checks payable to TCHS to:

 TCHS 2008 BBQ

P.O. Box 295

Visalia, CA 93279

 

Tickets also available at the event.

 

All proceeds benefit the Tulare County Museum improvements.

 

Auction items include:

Dinner for 8 by Serafine Italian Catering

1 day Jeep trip for 4 to any place in Tulare County

Helicopter ride for 2 to the Woodlake Airport & breakfast

2 nights at the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel

New Farmall “M” pedal riding tractor & trailer

Bear Cat Chipper-Shredder

Extreme ATV Tour in Sequoia Crest Redwoods

Firewood