Mineral King Photography

Trail Guy has really become quite the Mineral King photographer. He was back in the olden days of 35mm SLR cameras with film (remember those??). After we married, I stole his camera because I needed 2 going at all times. (black and white in one, color in the other, or prints in one and slides in the other) He didn’t mind, but I sort of wished he’d take photos too.

Now he carries a little digital camera with him on his hikes. Without my hogging all the good scenes, he is finding his own photographs of Mineral King and the surrounding trails.

If you want specifics, you can ask in the comments or email me using the contact button under the About the Artist menu item.

Mineral King photo by Michael Botkin IMG_6207 IMG_6219 IMG_6220 IMG_6222 IMG_6225 IMG_6226 IMG_6228 IMG_6230 IMG_6231 IMG_6238 IMG_6247

 

Random Thoughts

Random is a good word for unrelated items piling up in my head.

  1. Thank you for visiting my other blog this week. I hope you poked around and discovered things that interested and entertained you a bit while over there.
  2. Most of my sunflowers escaped the ravages of the voracious deer in the neighborhood.sunflower photo
  3. The same flower looks different at different times of day. I think there may be 2 paintings in this flower.IMG_1483
  4. I looked out the living room window and saw this: IMG_1476
  5. i looked more closely and saw this: IMG_1477
  6. My herb garden is a source of inspiration and a place of solace:IMG_1403
  7. I am in need of inspiration and solace these days while we navigate rough waters as a family. Here is a link to a video of my brother-in-law talking about his future: Neighborhood Church Facebook.

Steve made the video around August 1, but I have been taking refuge in drawing and gardening rather than talking about reality. (If you know him, you probably already saw the video.) Thank you to all who have been praying and expressing your kind concern.

Hiking in Mineral King

White Chief is my favorite place to hike out of (in?) Mineral King. So far this summer, it has rained often, I’ve been preoccupied with family matters, and often I only want to sit, knit and/or split (wood) while in Mineral King.

We have a tradition with a friend who spends time with us at our cabin each summer. This was summer #13. Our traditional visit includes barbecued pizza, Yahtzee (I may have one once in 13 years), M&Ms, and a hike to White Chief. There are other traditions, but they aren’t quite as sacred as our White Chief hike.

White Chief can be 4 miles round trip or it can be as long as 9. No matter how far you choose to go, it is always beautiful, always interesting, and always challenging.

I’ll refrain from further chatter. If you have questions about any of the photos, ask in the comments or use the contact button under About the Artist to ask.

IMG_6266

White Chief

IMG_1489 IMG_1491 IMG_1493 IMG_1498

IMG_1497 IMG_1501 IMG_1505 IMG_1510 IMG_1513 IMG_1516

Invitation To My Other Blog This Week

This is my real blog. The Cabins of Wilsonia is my other blog. Sometimes I am confused as to which posts belong on which blog.

After seven years of blogging, my default position remains here. Sometimes I have to remember that I have another blog, now that The Cabins of Wilsonia is a published book and I’m not obsessing about it daily.

So, today and next week you are invited to my Wilsonia blog to read about a commissioned piece.

The title is “Incompetence and Awkwardness”.

Does that pique your curiosity?

Another Decision Made!

As I began the previous commissioned pencil drawing of a cabin, another customer notified me of his decision.

3 sketches

A, B, or C?

C!

IMG_1464 IMG_1466

 

Decision Made!

A pencil drawing commission customer made a decision about which view to have me draw of her cabin!

2 sketches

A or B?

B!

IMG_1461

What appears to be a slight difference between the 2 views matters to the customer. I am here to make the customer happy. She knows her cabin; I do not.

IMG_1462

Sketchy Decisions

So many pencil drawing commissions are awaiting decisions. I’ve sent sketches and more sketches. Can’t start drawing until I know what the customer/commissioner wants!

2 other sketches 1 cabin2 sketches 3 other sketches 3 sketches

Sketches, called “thumbnails” or “thumbnail sketches” were required in most of the assignments in art classes, both in high school and college (I went to 4 different colleges – a full-fledged Transfer Student) More often than not, I had one good idea, and the rest of the sketches were just a waste of time, mindlessly fulfilling the assignment. The reason for the sketches was never clearly articulated – just do it because the teacher said to do it.  (As a Questioner, I despise that sort of “teaching”.)

Now that I am a professional artist, I know that customers need to see things sketched out because photos don’t do the trick. People also like choices, but not too many.

Too bad the “teachers” didn’t teach us how to guide a customer to a decision. My cynical mind says this is because those “teachers” never had any customers. They only had teachers, giving them time-filling assignments.

COME ON, PEOPLE, DECIDE, PLEASE? Please? pleeeeeeese? I really want to start drawing!

Discovering More in Mineral King

There is more to my life than selling oil paintings of Tulare County scenery.

I spend a lot of time in Mineral King in the summer. It is a great source of inspiration, because it is the most beautiful place in Tulare County. (Go ahead and argue with me – present your case! I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for beautiful places in Tulare County!)

The last time I went to Mineral King, I photographed the official name of my favorite bridge. The sign is wrong, I just KNOW it. It is THE OAK GROVE BRIDGE, because that’s what Trail Guy told me about 30 years ago. So there.

oak grove bridge

IMG_1434

Sometimes being in Mineral King is about hanging out with neighbors on their very inviting front porches.

IMG_1442

Sometimes it is about discovering favorite flowers in new locations. Your nose often leads you to this leopard lily before you spot it.

IMG_1445

Here’s a weird puffy mushroom or toadstool. Whatever it is, it is large. (And yes, I washed my hands after touching it. Thanks for your concern.)IMG_6195

Trail Guy went off trail to look at the “Three Falls Below The Gate”. Nice photo, Trail Guy!

IMG_6202

We went off trail together to look at more damage from the flood on July 2.

Always more to see, more to discover, more to inspire in Mineral King.

Selling Makes Me Happy

Selling makes me happy because it validates my worth as a business person. As brash as it sounds to say in words, I am a business person and my product is art and art related services (painting murals, teaching people to draw and occasionally to oil paint, putting together books, cards and reproduction prints of my works for for resale and retail).

I used to have more trouble facing this, but the book Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin really helped me see the truth about earning money.

With Tulare County being the third least educated and the thirteenth poorest county, I often question the wisdom of choosing art as a business here.

However, this is my home, and I love to make art. It is a huge challenge to find, portray and then SELL the beautiful parts of Tulare County.

So, let’s all have a YIPPEE moment as we look at the most recently sold oil paintings of Tulare County!

1533 MK Stream

IMG_1147

1513 Honeymoon XX

1519 Vandever

1445 FG XVII

1439 Blooming Oranges 2

Mineral King Trail 1507

1454 hiking MK

Maybe you would like to buy an original oil painting portraying the beauty of Tulare County, before I get all fat-headed and raise my prices!

 

Oil Paintings, Completed!

“Oil Paintings, Completed!” with an exclamation point, because it feels like an accomplishment to have a finished piece. (Currently I have about 6 pencil commissions, all on hold while people ponder their options.)

1504 Backcountry Lake

Backcountry Lake, 10×10″, oil on wrapped canvas, $150

1536 Mountain Quail

Mountain California Quail, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $60

You can click on the price to take you to the page where they are available for sale. Or you can use the Contact button under “About The Artist” in the menu above to buy them. Or you can simply enjoy them here on your screen.