Lisa’s Lake House, 10

Lisa’s Lake House is completed – signed, varnished, photographed and titled correctly as “Hjartebo”.

Now it sits in the painting workshop so I can follow it while working on the duplicate paintings for Lisa’s sisters. You’d think I’d have this completely memorized, but my visual memory is not quite that developed. I could work from the photos of the painting, but the color matching would be off.

Hang on, Lisa, I’m painting as fast as the weather, the light, drawing lessons, developing a 2014 calendar and The Cabins of Wilsonia will allow!

Donations Bloviations

When non-profits want to raise funds, they hold dinners or tastings and have silent and live auctions to go with these events (called “Annual Beg-athons” by author Matt Gleason in the Huffington Post on 6/8/11). The first people they contact to donate items to their causes are artists.

Why artists? Why not dentists, lawyers, gas stations, pharmacists??

There was a year that I donated more than I sold. (Hmmm, someone might possibly benefit from a business manager here. . .) That year I decided to stop the insanity. I began reading what other artists had to say about the matter.

Sequoia oil painting, 8×8″, sold? Nope, donated. 

There are many reasons for artists to not donate and a few for them to continue donating.

REASONS TO NOT DONATE:

1. An artist is only allowed to write off the cost of the materials.

2. Donating depletes hard-won inventory.

3. Art work at these events usually sells for less than its full value.

4. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, those who paid full price will feel ripped off.

5. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, the buying public may begin waiting for the events instead of spending money with the artist.

6. If an artist gets tired of donating, she may begin donating second-rate work and damage her reputation. An artist friend once told me, “Just give them your bad stuff that won’t sell anyway.” Yikes, is that what is happening?? That’s not good for the organization, the artist’s reputation or the recipient!

REASONS TO DONATE (and some are pretty poor reasons):

1. An artist loves the cause and want to help.

2. An artist wants to reduce inventory.

3. An artist wants exposure (which is a myth in terms of building a business.)

4. An artist feels guilty and wants to “give back”. (What did he take in the first place??)

If you are part of a non-profit, you might rethink this common idea that artists are the best ones to approach for donations.

Here is an idea for non-profits: Ask to buy the work. The artist can sell it to you at a discount, you can write off what your organization spends, and you can begin the bidding at that price. Anything you receive above that will be profit for you, and none of the Reasons To Not Donate will happen.

A few weeks ago I got caught up in the spirit of an event and spent a very long day helping to create labels for the silent auction. It was a fun day, and I ended up donating a painting. A good friend bought it, and I’m very happy for all the parties involved. I donated the painting because of Reason To Donate #1, which I think is the only good one on the list.

Meanwhile, here is a letter I’ve borrowed from New York Times writer Tim Kreider on the subject:

“Thanks very much for your compliments on my art. I’m flattered by your invitation to donate a painting or drawing or print or package of cards or to paint a mural. But art is work, it takes time, it’s how I make my living, and  I can’t afford to do it for free. I’m sorry to decline, but thanks again, sincerely, for your kind words about my work.”

 

 

Fridays are for Tahoe?

Is it possible that I have run out of things to write about Mineral King? It is true that my interaction with the place is lessened once the cabin is closed for the season. I might have shown you all the best photos already. Recycling photos is a little boring. . .  a cop-out method of writing blog posts, in my opinion. (Oh great – now I won’t ever be able to do a recycle or you will call me on it!)

So, for a little while, Fridays will be for Lake Tahoe. We’ll see how long I can stretch out the photos from a beautiful fall weekend. And of course, these are photos from which I may be able to paint some day, so it had to have been a business trip, right?

This is my favorite. I love that little edge of light on the side of the trunks.

I took this photo because it struck me as interesting that these colors are gorgeous in nature and gaudy on manmade objects.

Hey Laurie, did you notice these leaves on the ground in your yard? They are at the base of your back porch!

Painting Multiplication

Yesterday I said I’d tell you what is happening with all the duplication and triplication and multiplication of Lisa’s Lake House (which has now been titled “Hjartebo”, but there are 2 dots over the a and I can’t find the key for that on the computer. It means “place of love” in Swedish. Remember, this is in Minnesota.) 

Lisa has two sisters! That’s what’s going on here. I started the 16×12 for one sister (it will be surprise but she doesn’t know about me, so it’s cool, no worries). Then the other sister requested a 20×16. Since the decisions have all been made, this shouldn’t be as painstaking.

I don’t mean I will be sloppy. It is just that I will be able to get things right the first time.

Lisa’s Lake House 9

Am I finished?? I am not finished until I sign, and I don’t sign until the customer is happy. Is Lisa happy? More will be revealed. . .

I am happy. I am really happy!  The hollyhocks and day lilies took out the Big Red Square feel of the painting, softened the edges, and livened it up. Lisa requested the chimney in spite of the fact that it does not show from this angle. That’s fine – I am her hired paintbrush, her humble servant. We also figured out how to put in the sailboat, once we figured out where the horizon line really belonged. Would you believe this lake is 3-1/2 miles wide?? That boat is waaaay out there!

Are you wondering what is going on with all this multiplication? Duplication? Triplication??

Tell you tomorrow!

Closing Weekend in Mineral King

There is beauty in the shoulder seasons in Mineral King. There is beauty in all seasons in Mineral King. In spite of that, it is a summer place to me. I feel sad when we close the cabin, when I am no longer there half of every week and not hiking, knitting and reading guilt free, and not turning on the computer but cooking on a wood stove.

On the other hand, it is hard to live in two places. (Now that’s an embarrassing statement – sounds like “It is so difficult to manage a household staff” or “Stupid Rolls got another flat tire” or “My latest hair extensions weren’t quite the right color”.)

We usually spend the final weekend at the cabin chasing the sun. This year was no exception. I’ll let the pictures speak for the rest of this post.

Your Opinion Sought

Greetings, oh Gentle and Faithful Blog Readers.

Last year I printed a calendar of paintings.

This year I have only been working on The Cabins of Wilsonia drawings and a few commissioned paintings. I don’t have any new paintings for a calendar.

On my computer there are 21,500 photographs. With the help of my husband’s honest and strong opinions, I have chosen 12 of those photos.

Now, I seek your opinion.

Shall I turn these into a calendar? Or are there enough calendars out there in the world? You all know me as a pencil artist, a painter, and a portrayer of the beauty of Tulare County. But, will anyone care enough to buy a calendar from me of photos of Tulare County?

It includes Sequoia, Mineral King (duh), and Three Rivers. Yes, I occasionally go to Visalia or Exeter, but please forgive me for not including either of those locations.

Thank you for reading, for considering this question and for responding!

LATE BREAKING NEWS – Great positive response from you all! The calendars will probably be between $20-25 and that will include shipping. They will have staples for the center instead of the spiral thing. The paper might be stronger than last year. They will have squares for writing. The folded size will be 8-1/2 x 11 (like copier paper). And Mary Jo, I will look through my photos and see if there is something that fits your very good suggestion. Katie, I’m with you – would love to do a year of nothing but fall photos. . . might be a bit too odd for normal people. (We’re special, don’t you know?)

Lisa’s Lake House 8

And finally, it is beginning to look detailed! There will be an extended drying session, because the shadows on the house are all wet. The next step is hollyhocks, lilies and geraniums, and they will go over the house, so it cannot be wet when I add those.

In addition to seeing Lisa’s Lake House, you can see I have several unfinished paintings and that I have painted the trim in the workshop a lovely teal. What you can’t see is that I poured teal paint on the floor while moving those telephone wires around. I think teal and brown are a beautiful combination, so the spots on the floor look okay to me. It’s a workshop, not a living room! (although sometimes it feels as if I live there. . .)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I just turned my back for a sec, and look what happened on the easels! I think I’ll go lie down for a bit, maybe take an aspirin or find some chocolate.

Lisa’s Lake House 7

The saga continues.

Here is exactly what I emailed to Lisa about it:

“Why can I not notice that the wet paint shines until I put it in an email to you?? sigh. The shadows on the left side of the house are really darker, not shiny lighter!

“In other news:

1. The sky is repainted and the trees and distant lake shore are repaired.

2. the hosta bed is now painted

3. I added the barest tiniest hint of lake through the porch even though it squeezes the side of the house a bit.

4. The stump has more texture (white geraniums can’t happen until house is dry)

5. The shadows cast by the battens are straighter and more distinct (I’ll have to rephoto it  when it is drier)

6. The windows are straighter and I added a bit of sunshine to the one on the far left (we’ll see how it looks dry).

6. The boulders are beginning to look like Minnesota rocks instead of rounded river rocks.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

Leave these dadgum paintings alone in the workshop and they begin multiplying in the dark!

Remarkable Event on the Mineral King Road in September

On Labor Day, there was a car fire on the Mineral King Road. I didn’t write about it then because there were hikes that were more interesting.

We were on our way down the hill when a car coming up stopped us to say there was a fire down the road. The driver said 3-4 miles, but it was 7-8 miles down. When we saw the smoke ahead, we stopped in the shade of an oak tree about a quarter mile above the excitement.

There was a very long line of cars, some with people sitting inside, but most were empty.

We walked down to see what was around the corner. Something about a helicopter is so fascinating. Add a bucket of water and a fire, and you’ve got a happening event!

This was only part of the crowd. We knew lots of people and had all sorts of mini reunions as we watched the action.

When the water was released, we got a bit of spray and a few drops. It was hot out, but not unbearable and the water felt good.

It was caused by something electrical. Bummer.

Isn’t that cool? After the car was no longer in flames, most of the water drops went onto the surrounding area, soaking it in case of errant sparks or embers.

Here is what I found truly remarkable and wonderful:

1. No one got surly about waiting.

2. Everyone was friendly.

3. The help came in time to prevent a horrible wildfire, in spite of no cell phone service.

What an organized place we are privileged to live in! All those skilled and trained and competent professionals and volunteers with fabulous equipment that works, sitting ready for such an unfortunate event. I felt proud to be an American, thankful to live in a place that can handle potential emergencies without incident.