Painting Big Some More

Yeppers, trying to figure out how to paint big is occupying my time and mind these days. As I struggled with the Mineral King Honeymoon Cabin and got stuck again, I decided to start another big painting.

Sure. That makes sense. If something is hard, do it more. Practice makes perfect. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. But wait! Mrs. Kline taught us in 4th grade to “Never trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you”.

Never mind.

Let’s try a simpler, more forgiving subject.

Bet you can guess what this will be. (The little circle is a wooden knob on the end of a pull chain for a lamp in the ceiling. You are welcome. I could feel you wondering about it.)
I could barely reach the top of the canvas so I rested it against the easel on the table instead of securing it inside the easel.
This looks like a good beginning.

Painting Giant Sequoias big makes sense. One day there will be a fancy “boutique motel” in Three Rivers which will be clamoring for large paintings by local artists of local subjects, and I will be ready!

Painting Big

Painting big in oils is harder than painting big on a mural. Not sure why just yet, but not giving up either.

This painting sat for a week or so at this stage.
The smallest tree in the main central clump of trees is there in real life, but it adds nothing. Looking at the painting for a week helped me see this. Now it is gone from the painting.
I was looking at several photos and couldn’t figure out which was my main reference. So, I asked Trail Guy which lighting situation he preferred, and for him, it was a “no brainer”. That helped me stop jumping from this angle to that one and back again. Then I covered the canvas with a first layer so almost no white space remains.

There are many hours remaining to complete this painting. I am the Central California artist, my specialty is Mineral King, and I can do this! (a little pep talk to myself.) Maybe if I think hard enough about this, I’ll figure out what is so difficult and then find a way through.

Finally, Finally

This is a longish story about a drawing student/friend.

Gina took drawing lessons from me in Exeter before I closed my studio there in December of 2001. She began a drawing, and then left lessons to return to school and become a nurse.

In about 2016, we listed some old roofing on Craig’sList (actually Cowboy Bert did it for us because we were not versed in that particular method of selling things), and someone named Gina answered the ad. We talked on the phone, and I gave her directions to our house.

When she and her husband arrived, Trail Guy went out to take care of the roofing transaction. He came into the house and said, “You need to come out here and meet these people”.

It was a happy reunion! Gina didn’t know where I had moved my studio or if I was teaching any more. She immediately said she wanted to return to lessons, because now as a nurse, her schedule is flexible.

Imagine my shock and awe when she returned to lessons and pulled out the very drawing that she had begun way back when!

Three years later, (or is it two? four? I didn’t write it down), Gina finished her drawing. It is possible that I am even more excited about this than she is!

Title ideas: Bob’s Borrowed Bike, When Dad Was Young, My Dad

When she began this drawing, we were both in our early 40s and could still see little things. Still, the rule is “no faces smaller than an egg” (and by now, I’m thinking ostrich egg). I discouraged her from drawing a face this small, but she is independent-minded and did an excellent job of capturing a likeness. This is her dad on a Harley.

Gina spent months researching Harleys, looking at each separate part of the motorcycle to get everything as accurate as possible. She spent weeks trying to discern what model of car that was. (It is a Kaiser, something we’d never heard of.) Together we spent years inching this drawing along, figuring out how to handle the various parts and textures.

Finally, finally, almost done, and then Gina decided to put clouds in the sky. She spent weeks looking at clouds, and each week she would announce, “I really don’t know clouds at all”, and all of us of a certain age would snicker.

The moment of completion.

But wait! There’s more! As Gina and I got to know each other, we learned that we both had been on the staff of Hume Lake Christian Camps in our late teens. I was in the mountains; she was in the foothills. I tossed or lost my staff photo decades ago, but as we have learned about Gina, she carefully preserves things. Recently, she sent me this, and WE WERE ON STAFF AT THE SAME TIME!

Nope, you won’t be able to spot us in this photo, purposely shown at a small size, so there.

P.S. Michael Smith-Jenson, I got your email. Thank you. I found you in this photo. I lost your email. I’m sorry. (I’m not nearly as careful or organized as Gina!)

Odd Job

As an artist with a lengthy reputation of reliability and skill in the same county for several decades, I get asked to do many odd things in the name of art. It is just part of the business of art.

Some friends have a painting of Mineral King by a long-deceased relative, someone who wasn’t very familiar with Mineral King. They didn’t like something about it, and asked me if I could change it. I enjoy challenges like this, so I said yes. The back of the painting is signed with the year 1964.

What’s wrong with this picture?
My friends’ beef with the painting is the scary face in the rock.
The lump on Farewell Gap really bothered me.
Little Red Riding Hood is seriously out of proportion; the upper body is too big for the lower body.
Scary face gone!
Lumpectomy performed on the right flank of West Florence (and Bearskin added to Vandever).
Now Little Red Riding Hood will be able to hike better.

Mucho Bettero. My friends reassured me that Great Aunt Whose-it won’t haunt me for messing with her painting. Someday in the future, someone may retouch my paintings, and to them I say, “Go for it!”

Going Bigger

In the post “Eight Things I Learned in October”, #3 said, “It is time to think about painting larger.”

Doing rather than just talking is something I value, so. . .

. . .I began a larger painting, and am slowly coming to understand the reason it feels necessary. Most of my paintings are 12×16″ and smaller, with a handful of 18×24″; this is fine for the art and craft fairs, but not so fine if I ever want to get into galleries. Do I? Not sure, but it can’t hurt to be prepared. (What I’d really like is for the hoped-for boutique motel to come to Three Rivers and buy my paintings!)

Here we go – 18×36″, practically a mural in my world.
Working from a previous version of the same scene, 6×18″, on my laptop screen.
The proportions of 18×36″ are different than the 6×18″, so I am struggling a bit with placement and sizes. I can do this!! (One would hope so, since I have painted the scene about 3 or 4 dozen times).
Looks as if we will be on this for awhile.

I need a bit more gratification, a quicker sense of accomplishment. First, I’ll go outside and enjoy some fall colors, try to get a sense of something other than “OH NO WHAT HAVE I BEGUN?”

Tomorrow you will see my quick fix to fulfill the need to complete something.

Nine Things I Learned in October

Closing the cabin meant I could finally wash my car. Pippin wanted to help.
  1. It doesn’t hurt to turn 60 when you are with good friends, doing fun things in interesting places.
  2. I really prefer the mountains to the desert; it was wonderful to see Bodie, Mono Lake, Convict Lake (and so-so to see the Devil’s Postpile), but I don’t feel a desire to return to those places. I’m glad they are there for folks to enjoy, but I’ll choose another destination next time.
  3. It is time to think about painting larger. Why? Not sure yet, just thinking it is time. More will be revealed in the fullness of time.
  4. My friend Lupe and I are almost twins–how could I not know this after 6-7 years of friendship?? Why is this so fun to know? Dunno–it just is!
  5. Symphony orchestras can rent movies without the music and then show the movie while playing the score live. What?? And who knew that the Tulare County Symphony could sound just like the London Symphony? I don’t really like action movies, but Raiders of the Lost Ark was a very fun movie to watch at the symphony (with Lupe, my almost twin!)
  6. Deer eat chrysanthemums, broccoli, comfry leaves, and sweet potato vines. Boy am I mad.
  7. I still love country music – thought I had outgrown it, but nope. My current song obsession is called “Ain’t No Grave” by Molly Skaggs, daughter of Ricky. Oh my goodness.
  8. A group called Business Networking International is working to form a chapter in Visalia. I have lost most of my Visalia business connections, and am trying the group out as a way to stay in contact with people in the seat of Tulare County. As great as Three Rivers and Mineral King are, they just aren’t quite big enough.
  9. Hiking Buddy and I talked about podcasts while on our road trip. I looked up speaker/writer/life coach Mel Robbins to see if she has one, and she does! She is like a nice version of Dr. Laura, helping people solve their problems. Mel Robbins is a wise, energetic, no-nonsense but kind person with a lot to teach people. It is actually a TV show but you can listen to it as a podcast.
Pippin settled on the roof of my clean(ish) car in the garage.

Good Season at Silver City

Yesterday the gate to Mineral King shut for the season.

Since 2010, the Silver City Store at the Silver City Resort, as they are now officially called, has been selling my oil paintings. 2019 was the best year ever!

6×6″ remained the most popular size (it costs the least), the Crowley cabin with Farewell Gap in the background remained the most popular scene, with the Honeymoon Cabin, my favorite Oak Grove Bridge and Sawtooth running neck and neck in second place.

Have a look at a few of the paintings that sold. I’m not showing the most popular scene because the other ones need a chance to shine too. (Except for the bridge, because you know it is my favorite subject to draw and paint.)



P.S. We also sold quite a few packages of Mineral King notecards (assortment of 4 pencil drawings) and many Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names.

Thank you, Silver City Resort/Store!

Recently Completed

See? I have been working, despite the all the travelogue posts. (It takes more days to show and tell about a trip than the trip actually lasted).

“First Granddaughter” (no, not mine!), 8×10″, pencil, private collection
Mineral King Alpenglow, 6×18″, oil on wrapped canvas, private collection

Another Trip, Day Three-C

After walking around Convict Lake, we headed toward the June Lake vacation rental. The Farmer was driving, and he suddenly said, “Are we ready to head back or should we go see the South Shore Tufa Towers at Mono Lake?”

I was sorry to have not seen that part of the lake, and after some discussion, we headed there. It was late afternoon, just about the time the light starts getting good.

We were all pretty happy to be back at Mono Lake. Maybe it is because Hiking Buddy broke out a stash of chocolate first.

There were many serious-looking photographers along the shoreline. They looked like retired school teachers, fierce and focused, with tripods, long lenses, and expensive looking outdoor gear. Being around them made me think I should whisper and tiptoe. I restrained myself from kicking off my shoes and splashing in the lake.

Trail Guy was captivated by the lenticular clouds.
The Farmer spotted a place where fresh water was bubbling up. That’s what creates the tufa.

On Day Four we drove home. I did a drive-by shooting of Mt. Whitney.

Mt. Whitney is to the right of what appears to be the tallest peak. It is 14,494′ above sea level.

This was a great trip to weird places on the East Side of the Sierra Nevada with great people. Thank you, Trail Guy, Hiking Buddy, and Farmer, for the best birthday weekend of my (gasp of horror) six decades!

P.S. I just watched a documentary called “The High Sierra Trail” and it states Whitney’s elevation as 14,505′!