Get ‘er done!

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These paintings are finished and just drying. The top one is for an upcoming show at the Creative Center in Visalia; Sawtooth with lupine and the snow scene are commissions. The little square is a view of Timber Gap with flowers in the foreground – this is the 3rd time I’ve painted it (but with little changes) because it sells quickly. The 8×10 of Farewell Gap is a wedding gift – unless the parents of the bride decide to keep it! (just kidding, K & T!)  Wow! 4 of these 5 are of Mineral King!

the painting process

A former drawing student and good friend asked me to paint poppies for her entry-way. Because she is also a weaver and a student of the Fibonacci principle, she had definite (and good) ideas about the design. After much discussion, this is what I drew for her:

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Scary, hunh? Good this you know that I can draw, or you might be doubting my abilities as an artist after seeing this!

N okayed the sketch, so I put it on the canvas.

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Good thing you know I can paint, or you might be really worried at this point! I decided that the 2 flowers on the bottom are too close in size and too evenly placed, so as I applied the second layer of paint, I made slight adjustments.

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Exeter’s Mural Project

When we began the mural project in 1996, our hope was to create a reason for people to come to Exeter. We wanted to WOW folks with our high quality outdoor art gallery, and now that is the reality. It still amazes me to contemplate the level of dedication and determination and perseverance that this project represents. A few months ago I met an adventuresome young couple who move every 3 months as she works in temporary positions and he finds jobs in the area. They were delightful, and here is their blog posting about Exeter’s murals:  http://tirello.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/exeter-california-gateway-to-the-sequoias-and-home-of-the-murals/  Makes me feel warm and fuzzy! Thanks, Chris and Teri, for sharing your mural experience!

Which end is up?

There are several commissioned paintings that need to be done before the mural begins. This is not one of them – it is a commission, but the commissioner said, “No Hurry”. (music to my ears!) He has a great 16×20″ photo of Sawtooth with Mineral Peak behind it and has been wanting a painting. His vision is a panorama shaped painting on wrapped canvas. I looked up available sizes, and he chose 18×36″. I cropped his photo using brown craft paper and began to outline the shapes in a gray-blue color.

 

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Next, I turned both pieces upside down, changed to a reddish brown, and corrected the shapes. Sounds crazy, but it works! Why? When it is right side up my brain tells my eye “You know what Sawtooth looks like; just draw it!” When it is upside down, my eye says “A little longer here, a little wider there, this is in line with that, that is to the right of this. . .” while my brain says, “Hunh?”

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Designing a mural, part 4

This isn’t exactly about designing the mural, but perhaps you’d like to see where the next mural will be. It is the 100 block of North E, but it is in an alley/parking lot and I don’t have an exact address. So, a picture or 3 might help:

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It is on the north facing wall of the same alley where my previous mural is!

Designing a mural, part 3

The last time I did a large mural, I learned a boatload of information about the process, particularly about projecting it onto the wall. It was so exciting to be projecting, and it was overwhelming to have so much eager help, that last time I didn’t really think through.  This time, I thought I had it all figured out. My plan was to mark the wall in the same number of increments as I have transparencies.

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Yesterday I visited the wall, which has been both plastered (very smoothly – wow, excellent!) and primed. Since I planned for a 40′ length of wall, it seemed right to just mark it off in 10′ sections. Then, my more cautious self decided to measure the length just to be sure. Good thing – it is 45′! I have 4 transparencies, so I divided 45 by 4 and marked the wall in 11′-3″ segments. Then, I thought I’d better check the height, since I planned for 14′. At its highest, it is 15′-6″! This brings me to my next big lesson – MEASURE IT YOURSELF NEXT TIME BEFORE DESIGNING AND BIDDING!  Today my plan is to test my overhead projector and to mess around with the math to see if my transparencies can be adjusted to fit the actual wall size.

Designing a mural, part 2

After I recovered from the enormous overload of photographic input, I sorted the photos by lake. Then, I realized the only historical photo of a dam that I had readily available (thanks, Louise!) was of Franklin. That caused the decision to be easy. The mural team requested the addition of mules, so I had to chase down an old photo from which to paint. I know many resourceful people with lots of history in Mineral King, so finding a photo wasn’t too hard. (thanks, Cathy!)

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This one will last!

Do you remember my posting about the fat girl inside screaming to be left alone?  Now I have the solution to those flimsy chairs:

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These redwood chairs are made locally by Bob Kellogg of Three Rivers and when I sit in this, my legs stick out like Alice in Wonderland! It is my throne, and sometimes I am the Red Queen.