Two of these have been shipped and one has been retrieved in person.
PHEW!! We did it, Lisa!!
Final Tahoe Posting
I know, it is Friday and I’m still talking about Tahoe. It was beautiful and this post is for your enjoyment, not because I have a compulsion to finish topics, although that may be a factor here. This post will be long so that I can finish (not that I have a finishing compulsion or anything).
Before my friend The Other JB moved away, we used to walk and hike together. She told me about a lake near Tahoe called Fallen Leaf. I thought it was a small lake with a dusty campground. I was wrong. It is about the same size as Emerald Bay, 3 miles by 1 mile, and has a fancy-pants community of awesomely beautiful lake houses and a few cabins. Who knew? the Other JB, that’s who!
In spite of it being late October, there was sunshine and fall color remaining.
Then, we visited Taylor Creek where the salmon were spawning. This means swimming upstream out of Lake Tahoe to lay eggs and die. There were zillions of dying and dead fish. It smelled like it, too.
The ducks didn’t seem too bothered by the fish and their smells.
Beaver activity – there is a dam on the creek behind this fallen tree (not to be confused with Fallen Leaf Lake).
See the dam?
See the fall colors? Weird extended summer this year – Please God, send us rain and snow!
We woke to this on the morning that we left.
New Notecards for the Thank You Revolution
Have you heard of the Thank You Revolution? This is something begun (or perhaps continued?) by my friend Matt McWilliams on his blog, “Life. Leadership. Love. Learned the Hard Way.” He writes thank you notes every Thursday and encourages his readers to do the same. He is a prolific writer of a great business blog, a wise man who shares information freely with his audience and interacts honestly with his commenters.
I’m a big advocate of writing cards and thank you notes any day of the week. My mama taught me this at an early age, and I’ve never stopped.
Matt got me thinking that it is time to update the notecard page of my website. I’ve got many cards that haven’t been visible to the World Wide Web but only to people who visit my studio or see me at the small handful of shows I do.
So, click here to go to the page of cards and see what is new!
Okay, here is another peek for you:
Old Mineral King Store, 4 cards and envelopes, $7 plus tax
2014 Tulare County Calendars Here Now!
12/11/13 – 3 calendars available
12/1/13 CALENDARS SOLD OUT!
12/10/13 – 4 calendars left!
12/9/13 – 8 calendars remaining!
As of 12/6/13, there are only 23 calendars remaining. When they are gone, they are gone. If you only said, “Save me one”, and you still want it, use Paypal NOW.
The 2014 calendar of Tulare County photographs are here now, available right here, right now.
This calendar is full of what I consider the best of Tulare County. I am a California artist, a studio artist who works from photos, a regional artist who doesn’t get too far from home, a Tulare County artist with 21,600 photos on her computer.
The 2014 Tulare County calendar is full of my favorites, taken by me and by my husband, aka Trail Guy.
Last One Standing
Back in the olden days (last century), there were lots and lots and even more of those craft and art shows. There were so many to pick from locally that I never considered going outside of the area. Besides, my work is so very regional that people down the hill in Visalia were confused about some of my Mineral King art, which is in the same county just 50 miles away.
Now, there are very few shows remaining from which to choose. I used to consider the Senior League Bazaar a show that could easily be skipped. Now it is the last one standing of all the regular shows I used to participate in.
It was a great show this year! The show organizers didn’t have music blaring so conversation was easier. Many people came that I invited, which made me feel warm and fuzzy. I sold items the entire time, for me, for Sophie (author and knitter, among many talents) and for Barbara (The Lavender Lady).
As I stood by my booth, friends would say, “Where is your booth?” They didn’t recognize it because it was chock-full of brightly colored knitted items, among other things.
“But where is your artwork?”
“On the cards right here.”
“But where are your paintings?”
“All my time is being spent drawing for an upcoming book, The Cabins of Wilsonia, so I don’t have time to paint.”
“Then how do you have time to knit?”
“I knit after work, in the house, in the car, when I’m waiting for stuff, in meetings, on airplanes and in airports. “
“Oh! I never thought of that!”
“Maybe you should stop watching so much teevee”.
Nope, I didn’t say that last thing. Just thought it a few times. Such restraint takes it out of me sometimes, but I bravely soldier on. Sometimes I feel like the last one standing myself. Actually, I often am, because I stand for the entire show and I REFUSE to pack up before the thing ends.
That’s me. Last artist standing at the last show standing.
A Bazaar With Knitting, Calendars, Tees, and a Mineral King Box
That is a bizarre title; please be impressed with the way I incorporated Mineral King into a Friday post. (Tahoe is postponed until next week.)
Would you like to see some of the things I will have at tomorrow’s bazaar?
Great, glad you asked.
The lavender purse is spoken for – please forgive me for taunting you with it. See the bright stripes at the very bottom of the photo? Those are socks, which are too big for me, dang it. I think a women’s size 7-11 foot would work in them. See those red felted slippers? They are too small for me, dang it. I think a women’s size 5 would work in those.
But what is this box? Yes, I hear you wondering about it.
Trail Guy and I are not above scrounging in places where people have disposed of items. I INSISTED that we rescue this box. He said it was junky. I agreed but asked him to shore it up anyway, because storage boxes are functional and cool and it would be great to paint on. He complied with my request. and then added wheels too. The lid doesn’t quite shut, it isn’t completely smooth or totally square but it is clean, has wheels, and will hold lots of knitting or whatever floats your boat.
A functional all-purpose Mineral King painting on wheels!
And this is the final selection of calendar photos. We did it!! Thanks to you, Tulare County photo calendars are now available!
See you at the Senior League Bazaar
Saturday, November 16, 9-4
Three Rivers Memorial Building
Drawing and Knitting??
The annual Senior League Bazaar will be on Saturday, November 16, 2013, at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, from 9 – 4.
What does this have to do with drawing and knitting, you ask. (Yes, I can hear your thoughts from time to time – keep them sweet!)
Because this year is dedicated to finishing all the drawings for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia, the only paintings I’m doing are commissions. This means I don’t have any new paintings to sell at the Senior League Bazaar.
However, I have knitting to sell! Yeppers, knitted wooly cuddly cute handmade colorful useful items.
Why do I have time to knit but not time to paint?
Great question – glad you asked. (Remember, all interviewees respond to questions with either or both of those phrases and I don’t want to be left out of the current culture completely so this is my token way of faking as if I am “normal”.)
I can knit in the car, at home in the evenings, when I am in a meeting, if I am waiting somewhere. Bringing an easel and oil paints is somewhat frowned upon in a doctor’s office or at an airport.
That green purse is spoken for – forgive me for taunting you with it this way.
There will also be calendars! And Mineral King tee shirts! And a very cool wooden box which I will show you tomorrow! And some cards, because I have lots of those.
Donation Bloviation Postscript
I received a few emails about my “Donation Bloviations” post. Some people like to interact privately with me instead of in the comments, and I am grateful for their feedback and input.
As a result of those private conversations, I’ve made a list of thoughts as a postscript to that blog entry.
1. Some of those “beg-athon” events are really fun for the community and anticipated with happiness.
2. I’m not the only artist who is worn out from being asked to give away my work.
3. Artists can request that bidding begin at a minimum price, which will help them maintain some dignity and their work retain value.
4. Should other donors be paid for their contributions, such as hair salons, motels, restaurants, retail stores?
5. Does donating help their businesses?
6. Are they able to write off anything on their taxes?
7. Are they tired of being asked too?
8. Is there another way to raise money for good causes instead of through donations and auctions?
9. Is it possible for the non-profit to say “We’ll pass on that donation because it doesn’t represent you well and it won’t bring in money for us”?
10. Some members of the public sincerely anticipate a piece of art from their favorite artists, and it causes them to want to participate in the auctions.
I welcome your thoughts about this subject, either privately (you can use the contact the artist tab above) or in the comments on this blog.
With Apologies to the Veterans
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day. I messed up by posting something not about veterans. When I realized it, I painted a flag on the door to my painting studio.
What veterans have done is incomprehensible to me in its sacrificial capacity. I am in awe of their bravery, adventuresome spirit, discipline, devotion, patriotism and unselfishness. Even those who had no choice became all those things.
THANK YOU.
More Tahoe
If you came here on Friday for Mineral King, I’m sorry. I temporarily ran out of things to show and tell on the subject. I hope you aren’t too disappointed to find Lake Tahoe . . . same mountain range. . . does that count?
We took a short hike, along with what felt like hundreds of strangers, many of whom spoke other languages. Obviously, Lake Tahoe is much more accessible than Mineral King. Ever had to say “excuse me” to pass someone on a trail in Mineral King? Maybe if it was narrow and someone was carrying a large pack. . .
No, we didn’t climb that. I think it is Mt. Tallac.
This is along the trail to Eagle Falls, and ultimately Eagle Lake. (There is one of those in Mineral King. There are probably lots of Eagle Lakes.) This one required a permit for a day hike! In spite of it being late October, there were still some wonderful places of colored leaves.
The falls were barely trickling under this bridge when we were there. This is probably quite spectacular in the spring. We chose not to go on toward the lake, because there was a giant one behind us. Besides, we hadn’t applied for a permit. A permit to day hike! Kind of irritating, if you ask me. (You didn’t, and I don’t blame you, considering my attitude toward such things.)
This is the view of Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe as seen from the Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake Trail.
Emerald? Looks more Cerulean to me! (That’s an art word for blue. It isn’t quite as fun to say as “indigo” which is a fancy word for “navy” or “alizarin” which is a fun word for red.)