Shutter For Sale

Trail Guy helps me with my art business in lots of little ways, and a few bigger ones too. He likes power tools, and by using one he was able to secure a wire to the back of the shutter so it can hang on a wall.

Will it hang on your wall?

For $250 plus shipping (oh my, it is heavy compared to my normal paintings) plus tax (welcome to California unless you live in another state, in which case I would advise you to count your blessings) this one of kind painting can be yours.

And remember, EVERYTHING looks better in person (except those aforementioned news babes – see the post titled “Farewell at Dusk” if you are wondering when they were mentioned “afore”).

Still Smoky

This is a long post. If it is a TLDR*, you can just look at the photos.

The smoky conditions varied widely over the past weekend in Mineral King, WHICH IS NOW CLOSED.

Friday, noonish
Saturday, about 10 a.m.
Saturday, around 2 p.m.
Sunday, around 11 a.m.

Now, let’s look at some other views in Mineral King. These first 2 are looking toward Farewell Gap on Saturday evening. (The weird grayish spots in the sky are just the mysterious moving spots on my camera lens.)

On Sunday, mid morning, we could see smoke moving up the canyon toward Mineral King, so we went for a walk while it was still relatively clear. First, we stopped on the bridge. Then Trail Guy encountered a Park mule that was out of the corral, but wanted to go back inside. There was smoke visible coming up from the direction of White Chief. We walked to Crystal Creek, which is hardly a creek. I found a few flowers still blooming, and we passed a hornet hole, AKA a wasp nest. I looked those critters up in a couple of books; although we call them “meat bees”, they are really just yellow jackets. Mean dudes, don’t mess with them.

Whoa. Is that from an existing fire, or is there one roaring up from Three Rivers? (It was from the SQF Complex and the Creek fires, not a new one.)
Blue sky directly overhead! Remember that? Thrilling (but fleeting).
Looking up toward Farewell Gap from the bridge.

One more pass over the bridge, then we packed up and headed down into the smoke of Three Rivers, talking about evacuation, thinking dark thoughts.

Please God, don’t let locusts come next.

*Too Long Didn’t Read

A New Card and So

Are you a note writer? Do you send thank you notes, or thinking of you notes? Getting real mail is fun. Email is good too, but there is something special about ink on paper in an envelope with handwriting on it, arriving at your home (or in your P.O. box). 

I saw an advertisement in a magazine about 20 years ago when email was new, and it was for fancy stationery. The line on the page said, “No one has ever cherished an email”. 

About my cards

You probably know about them already, so consider this a reminder. They come 4 to a package with envelopes, and each package has all the same design, $8/package including postage and shipping.

The newest one

Yokohl Oak

Standards (but not old enough to be called “Classic”)

Who in your life would like to receive a note in the mail? Your Grandma? Your grandchild who may never have received real mail before? The mechanic who keeps your car running so you can drive worry-free? The grocery store checker who is always cheerful, even when she has to wear a mask every day? The barber who lets you come in the back door of his shop so you don’t have to wear your hair in a ponytail?

Cards available here: Notecards

P.S. You don’t have to use the website and Paypal to buy cards because you can send me a check IN THE MAIL and I will send you your cards IN THE MAIL.

P.P.S. (This means PS#2) There are more designs than the ones I’ve shown here, including cards in color, different sizes, and even an assortment package (Mineral King, larger cards, $15).

Custom Drawing Almost Finished

These parts are unfinished, pending decisions:
 
1. Pinstripes where the boat goes from horizontal to vertical on the stern requires the customer’s input, because this area looks different in several of the photos he provided
 
2. Reflection of flag in the water – color here? What will the customer decide?
 
3. Chris Craft flag on bow – color? Another decision for the customer to make
 
4. Is ONE MOHR FRY too bright? I can tone it down to be more in line with the light on the stern, or we can keep it bright so it pops. (and now I can see that the second R needs a bit of work too.)
 
This is one of the most fun commissions I’ve done in awhile – perhaps because the subject is new to me. It is challenging to figure out textures I haven’t done in awhile, and the fun comes when they turn out well and the customer is happy.
 

I make art of places and things people love at prices that don’t scare them.

So Far, So Good

Hello, Blog Readers,

You may have heard that Three Rivers is under evacuation orders because of the SQF Complex wildfire.

Due to the nature of living in canyons with only one way out, the Powers That Be have deemed it prudent for two areas to vacate. Our neighborhood is still fine, not under mandatory evacuation. Trail Guy and I are making plans, getting ready in case evacuation becomes necessary.

This is how things looked here yesterday.

Thank you for your concern. Your emails, texts, phone calls, offers of help are all deeply appreciated.

Now, if you are a praying sort of person, please hit your knees on behalf of Three Rivers.

Decisions, decisions

My very wise dad used to say, “Life is a series of choices and decisions”. (My very wise friend still says, “Choices and consequences”.) 

In preparing larger paintings while hoping for a show at a local-ish gallery, I have to keep in mind my mission, which is to show off the best parts of Tulare County with my art. One would think that choosing the best scenes would automatically result in sales; one would be wrong. 

It is painting the scenes that people love, scenes that ring a bell, touch their hearts, resonate, remind them of good memories, and doing all this in the most excellent way possible that MIGHT result in sales. (Anyone have a crystal ball that I can borrow?)

There is a scene that draws me back, in any season with water in the creek, and I want to paint it on an 18×36″ canvas. It is Yokohl Creek.

This version isn’t quite it, and won’t fit on 18×36″ format. So, have a look at the cropped version:

Better, so I started on the canvas.

But wait! Spring is the most beautiful time of year!

Shall I try to convert the view I cropped to spring colors? First, let’s crop this view.

This still doesn’t have the same visual pizazz to me as the brown version. What’s a Central California artist to do?

More will be revealed. . . (and I bet you can complete that sentence.)

Farewell at Dusk

This year I have been painting larger, in between completing the commissioned custom work. Smaller paintings do well at shows, but all my shows have been cancelled. (By “shows” I mean arts and crafts boutiques, fairs, festivals, and other assorted events.)

My idea is to build up a body of larger works so that when a local gallery decides to give me an exhibit, I will be ready. 

In that vein, I recently completed a 10×30″ oil painting of Farewell Gap (in Mineral King, of course) at dusk.  As you look at the progression, remember that things always look better in person (other than the model-type news babes on teevee, because No One could possibly look That Perfect.)

Farewell at Dusk, 10×30″, oil on wrapped canvas, $500 (looks better in person, but everything and everyone does except those news babes on teevee, because NO ONE looks that perfect, ever.)

I photographed it while still wet on the easel, and then tried to duplicate the color on Photoshop Junior. It isn’t right, but it’ll do for now.

 

Another Smoky Stay

Labor Day weekend was smoky, but conditions kept changing. We only did a few short walks, not wanting to develop emphysema, allergic pneumonitis, or black lung.

The first batch of photos were taken on Saturday.

The smoky green tunnel.

An unknown yellow flower flourishes in the diminishing creek bed at Crystal.

Sierra Gentian can still be found.

This is the Honeymoon Cabin, AKA Point Cabin from an angle that is rarely noticed.

These next photos were taking on Sunday, which was hot hot hot. Yes, I know, not compared to down the hill, but in the 80s and smoky in a place without electricity is not what we expect for Labor Day weekend. There has been snow on some Labor Day weekends in the past. 

Sort of a hood ornament.

OF COURSE I stopped to put my feet in.

The last two photos are how things looked when we left around noon on Monday. Nope, not sepia photos, just the normal kind.

May God have mercy on us all.

Bringing the Tartar Sauce

There used to be a popular gift book called Life’s Little Instruction Book”. One of its nuggets of wisdom was, “When you are going after Moby Dick, take the tartar sauce”. 

I recently submitted an application, or “exhibition proposal” in ArtSpeak to an area non-profit gallery. That’s the only kind of galleries we have in Tulare County, and I’ve shown in all except this one.

With that tartar sauce mindset as I go after our local Moby Dick gallery, I am continuing to work on larger paintings, specifically Tulare County subject matter.

This one is 10×30″, which is biggish for me, although nothing like that 3 foot diameter circle. I started it upside down, my usual method (unless I am working on a mural.) 


I think it is pretty just like this. But, I paint in oil, not water color, so this will receive several more layers. At every stage, it is certainly prettier than tartar sauce.