At the Easels

Almost finished.
Careful – there are babies underfoot!
New bridge painting, this time 24×30″, a big ‘un.

Normally when I paint, I don’t draw it out first. This time, the bridge needs to be perfect for the show at the County Building, and time is limited. So, I drew it in pencil on the canvas before beginning to paint. Oak Grove Bridge number eleventy billion, here we go.

I began the way that Laurel Daniel taught in her workshop but didn’t mix the grays very carefully. I may be a rebellious student. On the other hand, I am what Gretchen Rubin calls a “Questioner”, and if I don’t see the value in a particular activity, I don’t bother. Because this is too big to do all in one session, it seemed fine to not mix a perfect gray. But, part of the trouble was a bad brush. (I spiked it into the trash after awhile.)

I also didn’t do it from front to back. I’ve painted this bridge more than I can remember and just fell back into my familiar pattern.

It is much easier to put in all the architectural details when they are a size that can be actually seen.

What?? Time to quit already? but I am really enjoying this. . . tell the sunlight to wait, because I want to keep painting!

Deciding What to Paint Next

Sometimes it might be nice to have a boss or maybe a crystal ball or even a mentor or a board of directors. When deciding what to paint next, there are days when I think how good it is to just do whatever I want; other times I wish someone else would tell me what to paint.

I have two 6×18″ canvases left and five ideas for them.

When I don’t know what to paint, I go with my first idea or first impression. All of the ideas are good, all are Mineral King, of course. The juniper tree along the White Chief trail has been calling to me in spite of having painted it twice already this spring, and OF COURSE I want to paint wildflowers. The others might be good to paint later. But, I’ll have to place yet another order with the art supply company, and Prudence tells me to wait until some paintings have sold. (Prudence often tells me wise things.)

I’m starting this and treating it as an “alla prima” painting in an attempt to finish it in one session.
Nope, this will take another session and much better light. But, I think it is a great start.
I just dove into this without much forethought. Could not wait to paint wildflowers. Does this surprise anyone?

This Mineral King painting will require lots of reference photos to remember the leafing patterns and to get the flowers to be believable. (The peak is Vandever, which is on the right side of Farewell Gap.)

Out There

“Out there” is a strange turn of phrase. Does it mean on the edge, in outer space, and weird? Or does it mean away from one’s comfort zone, out in the world? Either, but today it means having my work out in the world away from the comfort of Three Rivers, my known and beloved drawing students, and my own private studio.

I entered two pieces in “Seascapes” at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery. It is a juried show, but I have doubts that any entries will be turned away. The part that feels “out there” (vulnerable) to me is this: WILL ANYONE CARE ENOUGH TO SPEND $ ON MY WORK?? (or more accurately, $$$)

Excuse me for shouting. This sort of show makes me shudder, but at least it isn’t an auction. The shows are interesting to see, but it is nerve-wracking to interact with the public and wonder if they care or if they are just making conversation to be polite.

Wood, Wind, Waves, pencil, 14×19″, $400
A Walk to the Rock, 11×14″, $275, oil on wrapped canvas (looks square here, but that is simply misbehavior on the part of the blog)

But wait, there’s more. I also will enter these 2 pieces in a juried show at the Tulare County Government Plaza Building. And, I’m in the process of producing a third piece to enter.

Before M&Ms. . ., pencil and colored pencil
Little Cabin, Big Trees, pencil

What if they aren’t accepted? What if no one wants them? What if someone does, but can’t get them for an entire year?

Stop it. Just stop it.

Okay. I’m fine now. Thank you for listening.

“Seascapes”

June 1-28, Exeter’s Courthouse Gallery, 125 South B Street, Exeter, California.

Opening reception: Sunday, June 9, 2-4 p.m.

Lighthearted Lessons

Nice job, Mary! Thank you for all the years of drawing with me, and Godspeed to you as you begin an adventure in a new place! (P.S. Not sure exactly what “Godspeed” means, but it feels right here.)

ArtSpeak is what I call the pretentious vocabulary of artists. In my drawing lessons, and among my students, we have our own vocabulary.

I’ve recently begun using the word “embiggen”, simply because it makes me smile. One of my students asked if she should “smallen” something recently, and then another one said she needed to “outen” an edge.

Another student brought in a snow scene from an overcast day that she wants to do in colored pencil. We discussed the values (which is ArtSpeak for darks and lights). Usually we reserve paper color for the lightest areas, but the brightest snow isn’t going to be in sunlight on this drawing so paper color will be too white. I suggested that she keep it paper color, because by the end of the project, all the other colors will have “grubbified” the snow to the right color.

And don’t forget the time I explained to a student that she needed to “horizontalize her verticals.”

The most fun part is that we completely understand one another!

Learned in May

Penstemon, planted on purpose in my yard rather than a wildflower, but in spite of being a native, it isn’t really thriving.

Is it possible I didn’t learn anything in May? Or is it that I just didn’t keep track? (Who said, “You learn something new every day?”) What can I pull out of my memory from just the past 30 days? How about these 7 items:

  1. I sold something on eBay for $20 and charged $5 for shipping. Someone in Florida bought it and it cost me $16.17 to mail (there is currently no UPS outlet in Three Rivers). EBay took their bite, and my net profit was $7.80. Ouch.
  2. I went to the bank to do a routine transaction, or at least I thought it was routine. In the olden days, it would have meant interacting with a human behind a desk. This time it meant sitting at a desk, watching a human interact with a computer. Ouch.
  3. While at the bank with high ceilings and echoey acoustics, I wondered why they feel the need to play annoying (too loud and echoey and irrelevant) pop music. I didn’t learn why, only that my tolerance for noise seems to be diminishing in direct proportion to the increase of noise in the world. Ouch.
  4. A small number of vendors and low visitation at a local arts and crafts fair does not mean low sales. Un-ouch. 😎
  5. After saying, “no more shows” (meaning entering juried and judged shows), I made 2 exceptions: entered the show “Seascapes” at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery, and plan to enter a show (untitled) at the Tulare County Government Plaza Building. Haven’t learned anything yet, except that maybe I am the living embodiment of the triumph of hope over experience.
  6. Kittens are so much fun! I’ve always known this, but now we have healthy and well-socialized kittens instead of feral, rescued, or weaned-too-early babies. There is a difference, and this is a good litter.
  7. Memorial Day used to be May 31. Now it is the last Monday of May, a way to mark the beginning of summer. Really??
Mineral King on May 20, 2019.
Hang on. Summer IS coming.

On Naming Flowers

Morning Glory

Why does it matter what a flower’s name is? Why do I want to know? Why did it matter enough to me to spend 2 years chasing, photographing, writing, designing, and ultimately publishing Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names?

My first answer to that question is “inquiring minds need to know”.

My second answer (borrowed from a friend who said this to me once), “Well, of course it is important! Look at the first job ever given to the first human being!” (Yes, she spoke with exclamation points.)

My third and fourth answers are taken from a podcast I listened to recently. Someone was being interviewed about learning the names of the trees and frogs that she saw and heard every day. She said this (paraphrased by me): “Learning a name takes you from being an observer to being a participant.”

She also said, “Learning names makes you care more”.

If you bought a book or are thinking about it, what is your why?

100 page paperback, flowers in photos, common names only, lots of chatty commentary, $20, available here, Silver City Resort, Three Rivers History Museum, and from me or Trail Guy around town.
All 3 grays together – KitCarson, Georgia, and Undecided (because I am not going to name them so I don’t get attached. Hahaha)

Do-Over #2

This is the other pencil drawing that I will enter in the juried show at the County building.

The frame and mat are still good.
It isn’t actually discolored – that is the inadequate photography.

Again, the inadequate photography doesn’t do justice to the delicate colors. But, I am very pleased with its new look!

Now, I just need to think of a good title. “Grapes”, “Reworked Grapes” – nope.

How about “Before M&Ms. . .”?

Yes. I like that!

What do you think?

All 3 grays look alike to me in the faces.

Do-Over

Sometimes my pencil art doesn’t sell. It might win awards, sell as a reproduction print, garner much praise, get borrowed by someone to decorate their vacation rentals and second homes, but just not sell. It is a mystery.

Sometimes I can look at a drawing and see what it is lacking. Sometimes it needs a bit of perfecting or polishing. Other times I see that although it is technically well done, the subject doesn’t speak to anyone in my circles.

This is one of those drawings that lots of people have been happy to buy a print or borrow the original but not willing to actually buy it. Some people say it is because my prices in general are too low; other people say it is because the price is too high. By now, I don’t even remember what I asked for it back when it was out in the public eye.

Little Cabin, Big Trees

Recently, I pulled it out of its frame, studied it and made some subtle changes. Next, I’ll rephotograph, and reframe it and touch up some scratches on the frame.

Why?

There is an opportunity to put some art in a county building, a juried show where the pieces need to be relevant to Tulare County, larger than 2′ in either direction, and finally, for sale.

So, why not? No one can see it on a shelf in my storage area. New people will see it inside the county building. I don’t know what purpose the building serves, but it houses offices. People who work in county offices ought to be reminded of the good things of Tulare County.

Gilligan and Ginger?

Faded (poppy) Love #3

Let’s get those pinkish poppies re-oranged. (Funny, they don’t appear pinkish in this photo.)
Can I be finished now? There are 5 kittens, some knitting, weeds, and a stack of good books at home.
I put back the branches on the tree to the left of the door but am ignoring the dreaded door itself.

Truthfully, this mural is not in a highly visible place, it is rarely noticed, and no one cares if I refresh it or not. I don’t think anyone will notice if I leave the dreaded door. So, maybe I am finished. I didn’t sign it this time, so maybe I am not proud of it. Sigh. Maybe I am not finished after all.