Author: cabinart

Took Some Time Off

Did you miss me? I missed you. I think of you as The Blog, and without knowing exactly who or how many you are, you, The Blog, keep me accountable. You keep me working, when it seems as if I am just slogging along, trying, trying, trying, does anyone care or notice, I’m just working, working, working, does it matter?

Thank you, The Blog!

January has been quite eventful so far. Here are a few things, some related to the career of Central California Artist for cabinart, and some just the stuff of life.

After doing 4 little boutiquey shows in November and December, I was really tired. It caused me to rethink the wisdom of signing up for the Studio Tour this spring. I decided against participating in 2016.
Some scumbags came onto our property in the early morning and we watched them steal our trailer. They were caught and our trailer was returned. The first photo is what I saw through the rainy window of the Botmobile when we went to retrieve it. After being awakened by rude intrusive upsetting noises at 4 a.m., one tends to take strange photos.
Rain and snow! Look at all the white on the mountains in the second photo! The lake has been drained in anticipation of more precipitation.
Fog. Look at how the dam on Kaweah Lake is holding back the fog. This is how it looked as I drove down the hill to resume teaching drawing lessons. My classes are FULL! I love to teach people how to draw.
I am becoming an editor, currently editing both a novel and a work of non-fiction. I AM AN EDITOR AND AN ARTIST, and very happy about both of these careers!
I have 3 murals coming up. It takes awhile to bid, sketch, and come to a full understanding of what the customer wants, especially when the customer isn’t quite sure. I will keep you posted.
2016 marks eight years of blogging, 23 years of full time art, 22 years of teaching people how to draw, 10 years of knitting, and in October, 30 years of marriage. Never you mind how many years of living, or of living in Tulare County, the place where I am A CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ARTIST. (Just had to say that in case Mr. Google is trying to find me; he might have forgotten me in my time off.)

Still a Central California Artist

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ARTIST?

Calm yourself, Interviewer. I’ve been thinking, planning, resting, and taking care of stuff.

Stuff? What stuff?

None of your beeswax.

Fine, then tell me if you are still a Central California Artist.

I am. Want to see what I am working on?

Are you working on something?

But of course. I am a Central California Artist, and artists make art.

Let’s see some evidence! Prove it! Show us!

Keep your shirt on, Interviewer. I thought you were going to ask me about my plans, direction, and what I’ve been thinking about.

Nah, just show us some art, Central California Artist.

My Favorite Bridge

This one is 11×14 and is just because I love to paint this bridge.

This one is 8×10 and is just because I love this bridge.

This one is 8×10 and is a commission. It is further along than the other two paintings because someone is waiting for it.

These oil paintings are of the Oak Grove Bridge on the Mineral King Road. It is my favorite bridge, in case you have forgotten. I am currently on a roll of enhancing colors to make things seem a little brighter and prettier than real life. When life feels hard, look at something beautiful because it takes the edge off without any ill effects.

Merry Christmas

merry Christmas

Going silent for awhile – May you enjoy the blessings of the season, dear Readers.

Too Hard, Part Three

A few years ago, my mom and I visited Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This is where her mom, my G’ma grew up. We were exploring a bit, and I took a few photos of a little creek near G’ma’s homestead. Mom expressed an interest in having me paint this for her, and I have been procrastinating for 5 years. The point of this procrastination is to acquire more skill.

I’ve been messing with this painting that is too hard for me for several days in a row. Finally, I got an idea.

Since I took the photo and it is on my computer, I pulled it onto the screen and enlarged each murky spot so I could see what I was trying to paint. It’s pretty stinkin’ hard to paint things that I can’t see, and I finally accepted and understood that I cannot see what all those dark murky things are.

Look at that! The colors are brighter and the details appear on the laptop screen.

Now I have lots of rocks in the closer water area.

It’s hard to tell anything in the full sized photo, either as an 8×10″ or on the screen. But when each thing is enlarged, VOILA!

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE FINE!

Excuse me for shouting. I’m so relieved. It is too wet to photo (too shiny). It is too big for the scanner, so maybe I will get a good photo when it dries, and maybe not.

Phew. Christmas is 2 days away.

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Too Hard, Part Two

When something is too hard, we go slowly. Think about a steep trail. Think about moving a heavy piece of furniture.

S L O W L Y.

The background, the part where the sunlight is brightest, and the bank to the right of that area is beginning to make sense.

Ick. This is terrible, and there are too many dark rocks. The colors are all either dark brown or something sort of greenish-brownish-gray. Why did Mom and I like this scene so much?

Best viewed from the back of a fast horse.

Hey! this is looking significantly better! I’ll tell you why tomorrow.

This scene is near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and is significant to my Mom. I hope to finish it by Christmas AND have it dry enough to transport.

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Tina, Where Are You?

This is an unusual post, for an unusual circumstance. Someone named Tina ordered a calendar but did not provide her mailing address.

Her email address was provided from Paypal, but there was no physical address or P.O. box # provided so that I could mail her a calendar.

I emailed her twice, and didn’t hear back. This probably means that my email landed in her spam folder.

She emailed me asking where her calendar was, but still did not provide a mailing address. I replied, but am thinking that may have also landed in a spam folder.

So, this blog post is an attempt to locate Tina!

Tina, I hope you are reading this! If you are, please use the contact button again, and this time include your mailing address. I really want to send you your calendar!!

Too Hard

Since spending hours working on a painting that is too hard for me (i.e. “above my pay grade”), I’ve been thinking about how we handle things in life that are too hard. . . we take them S L O W L Y.

I can’t remember when I started this painting. It was many drawings, paintings and at least three murals ago. Many projects with real deadlines interfered with the progress. Finally, I decided to finish this to give to my Mom for Christmas. It’s okay – she doesn’t have a computer or know what a “blog” is.

It has been lurking in the background for months. This was last spring. I got the basic shapes on canvas and decided it was too hard.

It kept asking for attention, so I dabbed at it a bit more.

This was how it looked in July. It is also how it looked in December, when I decided it was TIME. Nope, past time.

Grandma's Creek

What’s to be afraid of? Paint slowly, one tiny area at a time. Mix the colors, dab at the canvas in the areas you know how to handle.

The areas are beginning to get defined.

Whoa. This is too hard. I have to stop and breathe.

Oh – it is near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Don’t mention this if you see my Mom, okay?

Blowing Rock North Carolina oil paintings

Navel Season

December is in the midst of navel season. Navels are seedless oranges, known for their great eating rather than for juice. The season has been greatly extended by adding early and late varieties.

These are most likely the classic navel, Washington, also known as Old Line.

These five oil paintings are also for the ag realtor who gives them as gifts to his clients.

1570 Navel XI 1571 Navel XII 1572 Navel XIII 1573 Navel XIV 1574 Navel XV

Olive Harvest

Olive harvest takes place in October. For me, it is NOW, because these oil paintings of olives are FINISHED.

Five of these paintings go to an ag realtor who has the good taste and class to give my oil paintings to his clients. Isn’t that brilliant?

The sixth goes to a friend who is giving it to her brother, an olive grower.

There will be a seventh, a 24×24″ painting that incorporates the best of each one of these.

Maybe. I have the canvas and the idea, but until paint hits canvas, it is just an idea.

1565 Olives I 1566 Olives II 1567 Olives III 1568 Olives IV 1569 Olives V 1577 Olives VI

Secret Oil Painting Workshop Part 2

Why “secret”? Because I don’t advertise and recruit. . . it is an insider thing for my advanced drawing students. I don’t believe I know enough to truly teach anyone how to oil paint. Instead, I view myself as one beggar showing a few other beggars how to find bread.

Let’s see how these other beggars did. . .

M wanted to paint the Tetons from a photo she snapped on one of her many road trips. I painted it first so she could see what sorts of colors and brush strokes. (Mine is slightly visible behind the photo on the little easel on the right.) Then, she was off and running, just looking at the photo and mixing her colors from the primaries. She needs another session or 2 on this canvas to complete it. Phooey – I was hoping she would buy mine from me, Just messing with you, M. I am PROUD of you!!

A chose a photo that I found a little intimidating. She wanted a black background which I knew how to help her with. She has a great eye for proportion, knows what chicks look like and is a bit perfectionistic. These are great qualities to paint in a realistic manner. This is after 2 sessions, and I think 1 more might do the trick. Isn’t this wonderful??

L is amazing. She has painted with me several times, and is off and running. She paints on her own at home, and has plans to give these second two paintings as Christmas gifts this year. The orange wants more texture, but the pear might be finished. There is no stopping this woman!!

drawing lessons lessons oil paintings