Month: March 2016

List from a (BUSY!) Central California artist

Today’s post is full of unrelated items, all of which are important. I have a profession filled with variety, all challenging, fulfilling, and fun. This calls for a list:

Tonight I will be demonstrating pencil drawing for the Tulare Palette Club.
The drawings for my upcoming coloring book are FINISHED!
I have edited a novel! The author wrote a very good story and is now seeking an agent.
I have edited a non-fiction book! It included using Photoshop on 128 photos, and now I am chipping away at the design. This is because. . .
. . . I am the Book Shepherd for the project. Every heard this term? It is a person who takes a book all the way through publication. I have experience here because. . .
The Cabins of Wilsonia is a completely self-published book. The website croaked, but the book is available here: The Cabins of Wilsonia
I’ll be starting a new oil painting commission soon.
The giant oil painting of the Oak Grove Bridge is in a time-out. The future of the bridge itself is in a decision making stage with three options. You may comment about it, indicating your personal preference (as long as it is Alternative #1, but of course I am entirely neutral on the subject) I hope to learn of the website soon.
Next week I’ll tell you more about the upcoming coloring book.

Now, if you have persisted to the end of the list, you get to see a few more beautiful photos of spring in Three Rivers. Thanks for stopping by today!

Something New Coming Soon

Something new is coming soon to Cabinart. This calls for an interview with Cabinart’s very own Jana Botkin.

Why do people say “very own” in front of someone’s name? Because they like to fill the airwaves!

Ahem. Let’s get on with the interview.

Interviewer: What is Cabinart?

(very own) Artist: The NAME of my ART BUSINESS!!

Interviewer: EXCUUUUUUSE me. So what is new that is coming?

(very own) Artist: Don’t rush me. First let’s review a few facts.

I work in pencil and oil and in acrylic when painting murals.
Real life has edges not outlines. Cartoons have outlines. So do coloring books.
Ink is one of the most difficult media to work with.

Interviewer: What is “media”? I thought that meant the news, talking heads, and spokes-holes.

(our very own) Artist: “Media” is the plural of “medium”, which is a word used for the material used to make art. Not the “ground” but the mark-making stuff: paper isn’t a medium; pencil or graphite is. Canvas isn’t; oil is. A wall isn’t; mural paint is. Get the idea?

Interviewer: Are you stalling?

(Our very own) Artist: Nope, just ‘splainin’ it to you, Lucy.

Interviewer: “Lucy”?

(Our very own) Artist: You know – that’s how Reeeky-Reeecardo said “explain” to Lucy!

Interviewer: You ARE stalling.

(our very own) Artist: Nope, just letting the excitement build.

Interviewer: COME ON, ALREADY!

Very Own Artist: You are shouting at me. Do I detect a hint of impatience in your tone?

Interviewer: With that sort of evasive non-answering of questions, you could run for public office.

(our very own) Artist: No thanks. I have a business/career/job/jobs. (artist and editor – Did you know that?)

Interviewer: No more diversions or red herrings! What is coming soon?

Our Very Own Artist:

A coloring book of original designs, based on the landmarks and scenery of Three Rivers and Sequoia! (yes, including Mineral King!)

More will be revealed in the fullness of time. . . stay tuned!

coloring book

Pencil Drawing of Wilsonia Cabin

wilsonia cabin drawing

Many of the Wilsonia cabins were difficult to see because cedar trees were in the way.

This was one of those cabins. No problema (a little Spanish lingo for you). I just drew it from the back side.

It is in the book The Cabins of Wilsonia, available for $80 on this link: The Cabins of Wilsonia

Wilsonia Cabin Porch Drawing

Porches, decks, balconies. . . all those outdoor living spaces are very important to all cabins, including Wilsonia cabins.

willow 1-2

This one was very charming and it was for sale during the project. A friend bought the cabin, so her daughter secretly bought the drawing for her. Then, the mom secretly bought the drawing of her daughter’s cabin for her!

I was caught in a web of cabin gift giving secrets. It was tricky, but I don’t think I spilled any beans.

This four year project, The Cabins of Wilsonia, had many benefits, and one of them was rekindled and new friendships.

cabin drawing drawing pencil drawing Wilsonia

Sequoia Trees and Navel Oranges

Sequoia trees and navel oranges are specialties of Central California, right here in Tulare County where I live and work as an artist (and now as an editor too).

So, I paint Sequoia trees and navel oranges. Often.

When these are dry, I’ll scan them and put them on my website for sale. Maybe I’ll put them on the blog too.

oil paintings orange painting oranges Sequoia painting

More Poppy Peeping

This poppy peeping trip was up North Fork Drive out of Three Rivers. It was with one friend in a Mustang convertible that her Mom bought on her 88th Christmas. (No, my friend isn’t 88 – it was her Mom who was 88). It was a great top-down day, and sometimes I just stood on the seat to get the right photos. Handy set up.

There were poppies, (early) redbud, lupine, the North Fork of the Kaweah, sycamores, oaks, and cows. Lovely time, truly enjoyable companionship, beautiful drive.

California poppies poppies Three Rivers

Finishing the murals

Did you think I was going to leave you hanging as to how the Tanzania mural looked?

Customer called to say the cape buffalo needed about 1/2 hour of work. I was relieved to hear from him, because my final day working on them was without his expertise. I’ve never seen those animals, except in photos (and there was that one stuffed head staring at the back of my head while I painted).

So, I headed back down the hill one beautiful spring morning.

morning drive

He has a good eye and was very helpful.

Before:

After:

Yes, the differences are subtle, but my goal is customer satisfaction.

Then, Customer looked at me and said, “You left something out of the other mural.”

I said, “Shoot. I was hoping you would forget.”

He just tapped the side of his head. Then he waited for me to tell him what he wanted, so I smiled and said, “Buzzards!”

Using masking tape torn into little pieces, I stuck some buzzards shapes up in the sky. We scooted them around and discussed relative sizes and shapes. Then, I painted them.

As usual, Customer was right:

This photo of the finished Tanzania mural isn’t the best because the morning sun comes through the window and overexposes the one side. However, this photo beats the one with the scaffolding in front, and the slightly wonky buffalo.

Can you pick out the buzzards in the Missouri mural? Tiny, but they add the right finishing touch. This mural keeps amazing me, because the photo was so meh.

On the way home, I couldn’t just blow past Dry Creek Drive, knowing it was just filthy with poppies and lupine.

California poppies mural poppies

Poppy Peeping

When the poppies are out, there is no time to be wasted! Get out and see them, now!

2008 was a spectacular poppy year for all the foothills in Central California, and it was a source of great inspiration to this Central California artist.

2016 is looking almost as good.

A few friends and I took a drive up Dry Creek Road for some poppy peeping on February 26. Have a look:

Who can resist a ride in an open-top red Jeep toward the siren pull of those golden hills? Not these bandana-headed chicks! (“You look like you oughta be somebody’s wife somewhere”. . . a little Meryl Haggard, in case you were wondering)

California poppies poppies

Spring in Three Rivers at Kaweah Lake

This is my favorite photo of the whole day. This is one of 3 types of lupine we saw at Kaweah Lake.

This is another type – bush lupine.

Some sort of clover was very abundant and quite fragrant.

This road made me wonder how Three Rivers might be today had Terminus Dam not been built in 1963. The road would meander near the river, and perhaps the river would be more accessible to the public, at least down at that elevation. Most of the river is locked up by private land, and trashy trespassing becomes a real problem every summer.

Visalia, down the hill, would have had massive flooding for many years. It probably would not have the population that it has now, if the dam hadn’t been built.

Like Scarlett, I’ll think about it tomorrow, because today is springtime in Three Rivers and there are wildflowers to gawk at.

Three Rivers

Spring in Three Rivers

Trail Guy and I had a road trip planned, although it pains me to leave Three Rivers in spring. However, life interfered, and being prudent, flexible and spontaneous (don’t hurt yourself laughing), we decided to spend spring here in Three Rivers.

Have a look at an excursion to Kaweah Lake.

That is Alta Peak in the distance, and in a month or so all this lake bottom will be underwater.

My great-uncle used to lament all the “drowned wildflower seeds” resulting from Terminus Dam, built in 1963. Hmmm, looks like those seeds were resurrected.