Today involved more work on the giant project that will be revealed in a week or two. These things take a tremendous amount of planning, and also an acceptance that no matter how much planning happens, changes will occur. Then, I painted. This is still rough, but coming together. I was really on a roll, and then the clouds came in, the light was gone, and it was time to go into the studio. It would be very good if I could finish the large pencil drawings before the giant project commences. Very good, indeed! (and it was way too dark for photos of that picture.)
You can see that I am working from the top down to the bottom, because while the top looks a bit unfinished, the bottom is definitely rough! But don’t you think this will be beautiful?? One of my students brought this photo in with the idea that she would draw it in class. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the picture and blurted out, “Oh wow, I’d LOVE to paint that!!” What do you know? I am getting to paint it! Here is an unrelated thought: how many of you listen to a song you love on a fuzzy radio station when you own the CD and can hear it clearly any time you want?? I do this! Why?? Any answers out there? (or do you all have more sense than to do this?)
Sold!
This is the last time (maybe) I will show you this Lotus Blossom. The auction on eBay produced $81 for Travel China Roads, and my very good friends Wayne and Stacy will be the new owners of this oil painting! (They live in Pennsylvania and were part of our trip to the White House last year, as you will learn in a future post.) In the explanation of the painting, I said that this flower symbolized my time in China. When I was there in 1981 China wasn’t very modern and the people were very unused to “round-eyes”. When I returned in 2007, China was VERY modern, and Westerners were no longer a curiosity. The lotus blossom was one thing that had not changed. Of course, when I returned to the USA I began noticing them in people’s ponds, but this one is definitely from China.
Another day in the life of an artist
Today included some drawing, planning for a huge project (more will be revealed later, a week or two or three) some painting, and cleaning up the studio so some folks could stop by and I wouldn’t scare them away with the mess! (Nice to meet you, Chuck and Patricia!) Anyway, the painting is a commission, and instead of showing you how rough it looks at this stage, you can see my palette! (and Perkins and Zeke too).
The Rules
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110323380537 Remember to check the Lotus painting! There have been many art teachers in my life, and each one seems to have hard and fast rules. Several colored pencil teachers have said NEVER USE BLACK. Another c.p. teacher said, “If you aren’t supposed to use black, why do they manufacture it?” Makes sense to me! One c.p. teacher said to ALWAYS put the darkest color as the bottom layer and work up to the lightest color. Another said ALWAYS start with the lightest color as your base and then add layers in order of increasing darkness. I have done both on the same drawing and gotten the same result! My best drawing teacher in college only let us draw with a 6B, which is a very soft black pencil. He did not let us smear or blend with any tool, including our fingers. His premise was that if you could learn to control that one pencil, you could make any pencil do anything you wished it to do. It took me years to be able to use the entire range of pencils available because his idea was so deeply etched into my head. This is a drawing from his class: 
Some of the painting teachers I have listened to say “NEVER use white alone”. (What are you supposed to use if that is the color you need??) Most say, “NEVER use black”. At the Peppertree Art Show, one of the artists I spoke with told me of his layering process and it included black paint!! Go figure. Many of my students ask me how to hold their pencils. I show them how I hold mine, and tell them to try it, and to try anything that feels comfortable to them. The point is that there are some places in life where there are absolutes, but in art the only absolutes are determined by the results you desire.
The Peppertree Art Show
This was my third visit to the Peppertree, and sadly, this is the last one. It is my guess that Trace Eubanks, the organizer, will come up with a new idea because he has so many contacts in the art community and so much experience putting a lovely show together. When Marilyn and I arrived, we noticed a woman sitting outside the art barn with a complicated knitting project. Of course we went straight for her and made friends immediately. Her husband, Barron Postmus, was showing his oil paintings inside, and he came out for a break. What nice people, and what an amazing knitter Jane is! Finally made it inside, and were shuffling along with the crowds, oohing and ahhing. We came across one painter’s work in particular that wowed the socks off both of us (a little Knitter Lingo), and it was Barron’s work! Wow, wow, wow! http://www.barronpostmus.com/ Also, I finally got to meet the fantastic painter, Niles Nordquist from Escondido. His work also knocks my socks off, and it is my hope that one day he will conduct a workshop in his studio or nearby. I gave him a business card so he might feel sorry for me and offer to help! (that was so very brave of me – you must see this man’s work! http://www.nilesnordquist.com/ ) There were many many others showing their work, and one of my favorite painters is Denis Milhomme, from right here in Three Rivers. His work was there, but he was not. I talked him up to anyone that was looking at his work – such a nice guy, I wanted to sell something for him! http://www.settlerswest.com/artists/Denis_Milhomme.html There were people there taking photos of paintings and sculptures, which surprised me a great deal. I had always thought that was bad manners, but perhaps the rules have changed. The artists were all so accommodating about answering any questions. Nonetheless, due to my earlier training in etiquette, my camera stayed in the car. We had a great but fast trip, mostly without incident. There was that one unfortunate dyslexic mixup with the GPS that had us going south instead of north, but we had a steering wheel and knew how to use it. And, a great mystery was solved when we discovered that the GPS tells the driving speed. Turns out that if I want to go 55, I need to see 59 on my speedometer. 65 requires 69, et cetera. Is that why people always tailgate me??? Good grief, how embarrassing! The photos below show the entrance to the ranch where the show is held, and the last one is a view on the drive home. Don’t worry, I only aimed my camera while driving but didn’t put my eye on the view finder. (formerly known as the Eyehole until I got educated by Mike’s Cameras!) 
Chinese Lotus Blossom
Remember in an earlier blog I mentioned being in China July 2007? This painting is a result of that trip. I was there teaching English with a group called Travel China Roads. They are doing such a wonderful job of being ambassadors for the United States, making friends and teaching conversational English that I painted this picture for them. I am auctioning it on eBay and giving the proceeds to TCR. It is an 8×10″ oil painting on wrapped canvas, which I would normally sell for $80. The bidding is starting at $5 and perhaps you could get yourself a real bargain!! To see TCR’s site, here is the link: http://travelchinaroads.com/ To go directly to the painting on eBay, here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110323380537
Arts Visalia
Nice reception on Friday night, lots of folks, new and old friends, artists and art appreciators, and beautiful work on display for sale! Here was my big thrill of the night:
Doesn’t my art look hot like this?? I just about busted with pride (look out – here comes a lightning strike!) And, there was only one package of my new Christmas cards left – yippee ki yay! However, for years I have been saying it is all my friends and relatives who buy my work because they feel sorry for me. So, there I am, all flippin’ excited that my cards are almost sold out, and the Lovely and Gracious Pauline, a long-time family friend, tells me my Mom bought a big pile of them! See? Told ya so! Thanks, Mom, but you KNOW I would have given them to you!!!
Day Trip
An Art Show and A Commissioned Piece
I will be attending the Peppertree Art Show this coming weekend, Lord willing and the creek, et cetera. This will be the last ever Peppertree. It is a huge privilege to visit this show, to see the work and meet the artists. To learn about it, go here: http://www.peppertreeartshow.com/ 
Meanwhile, remember this piece? It embodies many of the principles followed in my art business, particularly the commissions. 1. Take your own photos. There are many little parts to a subject, and unless you really know the subject, you won’t know which little parts are necessary until you begin drawing. 2. Real life is messy and artists get to clean it up. 3. Plan, sketch it out, try different arrangements, and have your customer approve the plan before beginning the picture. 4. Communicate with the customer. This customer has been very gracious about allowing me to put this giant project (3 18×24 collages) on hold while dealing with other urgent and inflexible deadlines. 5. If I can’t see it, I can’t draw it. Whenever possible, work from photos printed on photographic paper rather than plain paper. I want the sharpest clearest photos possible, and the older my eyes get, the more necessary this becomes. 6. Add the color last, after the piece has been spray fixed so that the graphite doesn’t smear. (yes, I know there is no color in this yet)
Exeter Exposure
This is the Downtown Gallery in Exeter, California. Isn’t it cute? And it was very very well attended last night – took me a long time to be able to take this photo without folks walking past! See my painting of oranges in the front window? Those little scenes beneath it are also mine. The unfortunate thing is that I had to climb in the window with my back to the audience to arrange things. (Sorry, Ron, Nina, Jim, and Patty!) I talked to many people whom I had not seen since my studio was in downtown Exeter, and met some new people. Events like this are mostly for the purpose of exposure, to remind people that I still am making art and teaching drawing. My paintings, reproduction pencil prints and cards will remain at the gallery through the month of December, and then Cousin Chris and I will decide if this is a good location. (His wife and my husband are cousins, so I enjoy calling him “Cousin”!) Tonight is another meet-and-greet, this time at Arts Visalia, which is in (bet you can guess!) Visalia! I’m trying not to hyperventilate at the thought of 2 consecutive trips down the hill. Nikki the weaver and candle maker will be with me – this means I won’t be practicing the Christmas musical at the top of my lungs. (Try to be polite if you witness this phenomenon while encountering me on the road.) Anyway, this is the reception for Arts Visalia’s Holiday Art Show & Sale, which runs until December 20. It is open to the public, of course, and goes from 6-8 this evening. From the looks of the postcard, I think there will be a wonderful assortment of beautiful affordable items for gift giving. (this includes some little fruit/vegetable paintings by me, but remember all the citrus is in Exeter) The address is 214 E. Oak Avenue; phone 559-733-0905; eddress – artsvisalia@sbcglobal.net; hours Wednesday-Saturday Noon – 5:30.