Despite the relentless heat and lack of water in Central California, it is green in Mineral King in the summer. Here are some recent photos taken by my husband, AKA Trail Guy. Can you see the pika? (Pronounced “PEE-kuh”) Upper Cobalt Lake.
Fourth of July in Wilsonia
You’d think that when writing of the Fourth of July in Wilsonia that I’d show a cabin with a flag. Instead, it is the sweet little cabin on a meadow without a flag. Why? Because it will be included in Wilsonia’s silent auction on Saturday, July 4. She-Who-Runs-The-Silent-Auction thought this would have the most appeal, so […]
Lost
Sometimes I refer to myself as a “loser” in the true sense of the word. My mom used to tell me that I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached. As usual, Mom was right. The Mural Gallery and Gift Shop in Exeter sells my oil paintings. We’ve had a good run lately, so I […]
Drawing Lessons
For about 21 years I have been teaching drawing lessons. This sounds formal. The more accurate description to my way of thinking is simply that I show people how I draw and thus guide them to do their own pencil drawing. It is one of the most satisfying and rewarding (more than just financial) parts […]
S L O W
This project is difficult and slow, oh so v e r y s l o w. I often tell my drawing students, “You can be fast or you can be good. I get to be both.” Not this time. I am S L O W. Or perhaps it is the claybord that is slow. Or […]
Wet Spring in Mineral King
The drive up the hill was sunny, clear and hot. I stopped at my favorite bridge to contemplate some rock formations that confound me each time I paint the scene. I’m not sure these photos will add any clarity. A few hours later, it was HAILING in Mineral King. It hailed for about 3 hours. […]
On the Drawing Board
Drawing board? Drawing table? Drafting table? The piece of furniture where I draw pictures using my pencils. Now that we have that figured out, let’s have a look: Say what? Is that a typo? “Claybord”? A customer found 2 antique frames at an estate sale. She loves my pencil work and asked me to do […]
Oil Paintings at Home
Oil paintings at someone else’s home. Someone else who really likes my work. Someone whom I really like. But, this is the World Wide Web, so her identity will not be revealed. She has others that are not yet hung, only propped against the wall the last time I was over. As she and I discussed […]
About Selling Oil Paintings
This post is about the business of art, selling oil paintings, but I only go on about it for a paragraph and then it is all pictures. In the past month and a half, twelve oil paintings have sold. TWELVE! I would say, “I’ve sold twelve paintings”, but it wouldn’t be very true. I am not that good […]
Hail and Quail in Mineral King
Because it was almost a non-winter, we had early access to Mineral King this year. However, it didn’t act very summerish in those early weeks. (You may recall our cold, gray, overcast, foggy and rainy Memorial Weekend.) Two weeks later I was back, and had an exciting afternoon in the cabin. Is this hail?? […]