Author: cabinart

Secret Oil Painting Workshop

I’ve been oil painting since March 8, 2006, which doesn’t seem like enough experience to be teaching. However, several of my drawing students have asked me to conduct an oil painting workshop. I began doing this a few years ago, but only for my advanced students.

The participants need to understand proportion, perspective, values and my manner of teaching.. I need to understand where they are in their abilities, and how they learn.

Oil painting is much harder than pencil drawing because of the added elements of color mixing, all the ingredients to manage and the less than cooperative, wet, flippy brush, but if a student has the understanding I listed above, they can achieve impressive results in just a few painting sessions. Four of the five participants had painted with me before, and we did two sessions together this year.

We work from photos as a matter of ease and convenience. Plein air or using real life set-ups doesn’t fit our space, abilities, or level of experience. I want my students to have success and to be happy with their results rather than leave a workshop feeling as if they wasted their time and money. I am too familiar with that sort of result and want better for my students.

About 2 years ago, E asked me if she was ready to oil paint. I told her that she wasn’t. She kept working very diligently at her drawing skills, and this year she was ready to paint. We started with a simple subject – easy shape, few colors to mix. This is how it looked at the end of her second session. This photo looks a bit washed out compared to the painting because it is wet and shiny. But, still. . . pretty impressive! Her choice of background color truly complements the orange, since blue is the complement (opposite on the color wheel) of orange. Hey, Mr. Favorite Customer, aren’t you proud of your wife, and aren’t you glad she didn’t listen when you told her to give up on drawing lessons??

J pulled out this canvas she had started last year and dabbed at it without any photo reference. I dug through my cat photos on hand and couldn’t find the one I was looking for. We found one that helped with cat face proportions, and then as she was packing to leave, she flipped her canvas over and found the very photo I had been seeking! It was how she started this painting a year ago, and then we both forgot. The second session of painting was more fruitful. Lots of life in those eyes!

drawing lessons oil paintings

Commission of Cats with Colored Eyes

Remember, Mr. Customer chose view “C” – a Commission of Cats with Colored eyes?

Here it is, Tabby as a kitten and an adult, Sasha as a kitten and an adult.

colored eyes_edited-1

The kitten on the lower right is perched on some sort of a figurine. I don’t know what it is, but Sasha is in charge of it.

And just for fun, as I was finishing up, I was drinking coffee from a mug that says “. . .and thou shalt have dominion over all the beasts, except, of course, for CATS.”

Mineral King Oil Paintings For Sale

This week we conclude our little run of things for sale (did you notice the pattern?) with oil paintings of Mineral King.

Fridays are for Mineral King, but I haven’t been there since October. Since this is the season when people like to buy stuff, it makes sense to show you the paintings for sale.

Please forgive me if this seems sellsy and pushy. I promise I am not wearing plaid pants, waiting to pounce with false chatty cheer. I am showing you these in case you were looking for something like this. I am here to help you (and no, I am not from the government).

1535 Marmot

Mineral King Marmot, 6×6″, $60 (and no, I don’t know why it is appearing so large here).

1542 Kaw Hdwtrs

Kaweah Headwaters, 6×6″, $60

Long Way There

Long Way There, 12×16″, $275

1529 FG XVIII

Farewell Gap XVIII, 8×10″, $125

1527 Saw XV

Sawtooth XV, 6×6″, $60

005 MK Valley

Mineral King Valley, 12×16″, $275

1528 Saw XIV

Sawtooth XIV, 8×10″, $125

MK a.m.

Mineral King AM, 12×16″, $275

mineral king

Mineral King, 12×16″, $275

1441 MK Trail

Mineral King Trail, 11×14″, $250 (It isn’t this dark in real life – my poor computer skills may be misleading you on this one.)

1563 FG XX

Farewell Gap, 6×6″, $60

Eagle Lake Trail, 16×20″, $400

These are available on my website, this page: Oil Paintings, Landscapes

There are more but this post is already crazy long. Please excuse the length and enjoy the pictures.

Mineral King Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

2015 Cabin Calendars for Sale

There are still a few of the 2016 calendars, “The Cabins of Tulare County” for sale. This calendar is a collection of pencil drawings of cabins in Tulare County. (Captain Obvious speaks again.) It is heavy on Wilsonia, followed by Mineral King, and there is one token Camp Nelson. These drawings are gathered from the book The Cabins of Wilsonia, and various commissioned drawings I’ve done in the past year or two.

Have a look at the unidentified months. I didn’t attempt to find seasonal pictures, other than a snowy cabin in December. Cabins, for the most part, are summer homes.

2016 calendar drawings

The calendars are $15 each, including sales tax. If you send me a check in the mail or money using Paypal, AND YOU GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS (excuse me for shouting – someone ordered via Paypal and didn’t give me her address or answer my email – how is she going to get her calendar??), then I will get your calendar to you and pay the mailing costs. (in the USA only)

cabin drawing cabin drawings California Artist commission pencil work drawing Mineral King Tulare county Wilsonia

Wilsonia Book For Sale

the Cabins of Wilsonia

Sometimes I get emails or phone calls asking where to buy the book, The Cabins of Wilsonia.

The 2 short answers are:

at Amazon
From me

Amazon is self-explanatory if one shops online. Here is the link. The Cabins of Wilsonia

“From me” has options:

Mail a check to my P.O. Box and I will mail a book to you. (P.O. Box 311, Three Rivers, CA 93271)
Send money via Paypal to cabinart@cabinart.net, making sure to include your shipping address, and I will send you a book.
See me at a show/boutique/presentation/festival/arts and crafts fair and buy the book there.
Use the Paypal Add To Cart button on the Book For Sale page.
Call me and I will
tell you all the options. (559-561-7606)
Encounter me by accident somewhere, and I will pull a book out of the trunk of my car for you. Checks or cash, but not plastic. (And I still drive a stick shift and don’t have a microwave either.)

The book is $81, which includes tax. I will pay the mailing costs, and no, I don’t charge a “handling fee”. (Doesn’t it bug you when a company says “free shipping” and then tacks on a “handling fee”?)

Here is another handy Paypal Add To Cart button so you don’t even have to test out any of those other methods.

True confessions of a confused artist: I can’t figure out if the Add To Cart button includes sales tax. If you get charged more than $81 when using this button, I will reimburse you. Sometimes the very technology that is supposed to simplify our lives just confounds, confuses and complicates things. Or is it just me?

The Cabins of Wilsonia book Wilsonia wilsonia book

Cats!

For someone who does not consider herself a kitty-puppy artist, I seem to be over-run by pencil drawing commissions of cats and dogs.

That’s okay. I love to draw in pencil.

First, the sketch. The customer chose C.

Cats sketch

Second, begin the real drawing.

Cats 1

Third, keep drawing.

Cats 2

When I told a friend about this drawing, I couldn’t think of the kind of cat called “Persian”. So, I took the palm of my hand and smashed it against my nose, and she got it.

Okay, Central California Artist, quit talking and nose-smashing, and get back to the drawing table.

commission pencil work drawing pencil drawing

Dogs!

I have no intention of becoming a kitty–puppy artist. However, when I receive commissions to draw cats or dogs, if the photos are decent and I have the time, I usually say yes to those jobs.

This one began with sketches, as most commissioned pencil drawings do.

Ernst Dogs

Not quite it. More sketches requested.

Dogs B & C

Mr. Customer chose C. Now we’re cooking with gas!

dogs

The printed photos weren’t detailed enough so I also worked from the laptop screen.

Dogs Done

Mr. Customer changed mind about toy in front of dachshund. Back to the drawing board.

toyless dogs

And thus we have 3 dogs all together, being quiet and well-behaved. Mr. Customer informed me that this NEVER happens. That explains why he sent me so many separate photos.

If you recognize these dogs, SHHHHHH. It’s a Christmas present surprise.

commission pencil work drawing pencil drawing

Stocking Stuffer Boutique First Saturday Three Rivers

Saturday, December 5, 2015, is what is called “First Saturday” in Three Rivers. I know, thanks, Captain Obvious.

Every first Saturday of the month, special things happen at various businesses and artist studios in Three Rivers.

Tomorrow, the Kaweah Artisans will hold a little show and sale called the “Stocking Stuffer Boutique”. It will be at the same location as last year’s – a one-day location from a generous business person in Three Rivers.

Stocking Stuffer Boutique

Saturday, December 5, 2015

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

41831 Sierra Drive (at the downstream end of the Kaweah Commonwealth Bldg.)

I will bring;

original oil paintings – priced from $20 – $400
2016 calendars, “The Cabins of Tulare County” – $15
The Cabins of Wilsonia books – $80
Mineral King tee shirts – $25
blank journals with photos or oil paintings on the cover – $12
notecards – priced from $7 – $10
molasses raisin cookies – yum, free snacks!

Three Rivers Three Rivers 1st Saturday

Olives

I am the daughter of a farmer who grew oranges and olives. Instead of going into farming, I went into art depicting the products of local farming.

A friend of mine sells agricultural properties, and he likes to give my paintings to his customers (although he probably calls them “clients”. . . someday maybe I’ll learn the difference between the two words. . . for now, I prefer the less pretentious “customer”.)

My friend has bought many paintings of oranges, lemons and tangerines from me. I really appreciate him and his business.

This year he has asked for some paintings of olives. This feels a bit weird, because one of the olive groves he sold belonged to my parents. Time marches on, and changes are inevitable. I’m thankful that my friend came to me for the paintings and for the opportunity to paint olives.

8 wet

wet ag

5 olives

When I can come up for air again from my busiest month, I will study these 5 paintings of olives and design a new painting of olives to paint on a 2 foot by 2 foot canvas. I have the canvas and the idea. Next, I need the time to design and the time to paint.