I Love To Teach People How To Draw

I love to teach people how to draw.

Every Tuesday afternoon, people come to the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter for lessons. Four people for an hour at a time, each one working at his own pace on his own drawing. (Yes, I know it is acceptable to say “they” as a singular pronoun now, but I cannot. Can not.)

Sometimes I demonstrate some drawing techniques to a group. Two weeks ago I did this for the Tulare Palette Club, a delightful and attentive group. I sort of talked a little bit too long. They were gracious, but told me to shut up at 9:05. It was very fun.

And occasionally someone makes an appointment and comes to my studio for a private lesson. This is also great fun. I find out why she wants to learn to draw and tailor the information to her specific needs.

Equal opportunity here: “his” in the 2nd paragraph, “she” and “her” in the previous. No “they”. However, the Theys used to live up the road from me. Had a sign in their front yard – said “The Theys”.

I am not making this up.

And I don’t make up stuff when I teach people to draw. I help them all learn, and we all have a great time.

Are you interested?

Here is a sample to whet your appetite:

Bandit

This pencil drawing is “Bandit” by Jennifer Logan. She has been taking lessons from me for about 3 years.

You can learn more here: Lessons.

Coloring Book Almost Here

Hey, the coloring book is supposed to arrive on Tuesday!! That means you can order it now, and I can mail yours to the PO on Wednesday.

The tricky part is that I don’t really understand how to control Paypal’s pricing. I have the book listed at $15, but sometimes it charges sales tax and sometimes it doesn’t. So you are on your own there. And I’ll pay the postage for you.

Ain’t life confusing grand?

Here is the link: Heart of the Hills Coloring Book

Heart of the Hills

When you go to that page, click on the coloring book. It will take you to a page to add it to your cart. Disregard the sentence about April 15.

After you add it to the cart, scroll back up to the top of the page and click on the word “Cart” at the top right. Or maybe the word “Checkout”.

I don’t know for sure, since I’ve never bought anything from myself. Guess someone will have to let me know!

Spring in Three Rivers, continued

Sometimes it feels as if Spring in Three Rivers lasts for about 20 minutes. This feeling causes me to not want to leave the area, not even to go to Exeter for a day to teach people how to draw, which is something I love to do.

With apologies to the writer of the song “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, I believe with all my heart that Spring is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Have a look at a few days last week of enjoying Spring in Three Rivers. It is just photography, not art, but it is always a source of inspiration to me.

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Unsolved Building Mysteries in Wilsonia

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

A man cave? A Dude Den? a tool shed? guest quarters (so they won’t be inclined to overstay)?

Even after four years of visiting Wilsonia while working on The Cabins of Wilsonia, there are still many unsolved mysteries.

Get your copy here to learn about (or at least just look at) many mysterious buildings in Wilsonia: The Cabins of Wilsonia

Willow 4
Pencil drawing of Wilsonia outbuilding

Coloring Book Cover

Heart of the Hills

The order has been submitted, the proof has been approved, the job has been paid for, and now I eagerly await the arrival of the new coloring book.

It is listed on my website, but I can’t make it behave properly. When it is time to order your copy, try the website and if it won’t work, email me, call me, or post a comment in the blog to let me know you’d like to order one.

P.S. I even ordered envelopes so I can mail them out to people who don’t live nearby.

P.S. #2 This is a coloring book drawn and designed by me of Three Rivers, Sequoia and Mineral King to show off the best of our hills and mountains. Each drawing has a hidden heart, thus the title: Heart of the Hills.

Neighborly Wilsonia

wilsonia cabin drawing
Pencil drawing of Wilsonia cabins

Sometimes the backsides of cabins were more interesting to me than the fronts. There are porches, fire rings, sheds, and little paths (in the mountains we tend to refer to paths as “trails”) leading from neighbor to neighbor.

Mountain communities like Wilsonia tend to be very neighborly.

To learn more, you can order your copy of The Cabins of Wilsonia here.

New Coloring Book!

Are you aware that coloring books for grownups is a huge fad?

Huge! HUGE! Written up in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and even the Visalia Times-Delta. . . I have friends telling me they love to color. These are adults. And just over the weekend, the subject was in the Fresno Bee.

I hesitate putting the word “adult” in front of “coloring book”, because the word has been, well, adulterated. The word “adulterate” sort of means the same thing as polluted. You probably don’t need an explanation about this.

My new coloring book is pure and unpolluted. The title is:

Heart of the Hills

Why? Because I have hidden a tiny heart in every picture.

See if you can find it in this one:

first drawing

Hardly fair, is it? This is too tiny! Guess you’ll just have to wait until it comes out and get one.

Details for Heart of the Hills

  1. 19 drawings of Three Rivers, Sequoia and Mineral King
  2. Will be available around April 15.
  3. Suitable for colored pencil or marker
  4. Printed one side of the page only.
  5. Before tax price: $15
  6. Will be available on my website and at Kaweah River Trading Co. in Three Rivers
  7. Might be available for pre-order but. . .

.  . . I haven’t figured out why a person would want or need to pre-order.

If you think that would be a helpful method of ordering, please comment and share your opinion.

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:

  1. Tonight I will be demonstrating pencil drawing for the Tulare Palette Club. 
  2. The drawings for my upcoming coloring book are FINISHED!
  3. I have edited a novel! The author wrote a very good story and is now seeking an agent.
  4. 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. . .
  5. . . . 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. . .
  6. The Cabins of Wilsonia  is a completely self-published book. The website croaked, but the book is available here: The Cabins of Wilsonia
  7. I’ll be starting a new oil painting commission soon.
  8. 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.
  9. 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!

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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. 

  1. I work in pencil and oil and in acrylic when painting murals.
  2. Real life has edges not outlines. Cartoons have outlines. So do coloring books.
  3. 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!