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 […]
Lisa’s Lake House 6
Lisa and I have been discussing the height of the horizon line. When I work from a combination of somewhat incomplete photos and a customer’s memory, there is a lot of explanation involved. It became necessary to thoroughly understand horizon lines and where they belong so that I could put this one in the right […]
Crazy Hard Pencil Commission – DONE!
Remember that crazy hard pencil commission of those two miniature fuzzy faces? (You can see it in the October 2 blog post.) The customer/friend asked me to make an adjustment to the boy’s cheek because his face was more narrow than round in real life (couldn’t prove it by me or by that photo). Adjustment […]
Lisa’s Lake House #5
As I was painting on this fifth pass over the canvas, the phone rang. I was between colors and just staring at the canvas, so contrary to my normal phone habits while painting, I answered. The caller identified herself, and I was completely blank mentally. Completely. I realized that I was concentrating so much on […]
Mineral King is Closed
Hmmm, this is all so weird. I will refrain from sharing my opinion about the government shut down, because people come to this blog to be entertained and inspired. Discussing a difficult and divisive subject could possibly be entertaining, but I doubt if it would be inspiring. Have a look at a painting of a […]
Commissioned Pencil Drawing of Wilsonia Cabin
This is a completed drawing of a Wilsonia cabin. I couldn’t decide if this post belonged here on my normal blog, or if it belongs on The Cabins of Wilsonia. The drawing won’t be in the book. Those pages are already designed, and this cabin has its front door represented in the chapter of Park […]
Lisa’s Lake House #4
Nope, not the fourth lake house of Lisa; it is the 4th pass across the canvas. In my opinion, the sky, clouds, lake and trees are finished. However, my opinion is subject to change, and if I see something to improve, pass the paint brushes and step aside! The roof, the porch and steps all […]
Lisa’s Lake House, 3
Lisa is enjoying watching her painting develop as this California (cabin) artist paints a Minnesota (lake) house. Apparently she isn’t squeamish. Because there is no one photo that says it all, she needs to be involved. For example, in most photos that she provided, the trees look very thick. But, she wants to see the […]
Hiking to Monarch Lake in Mineral King
In early September, I had the pleasure of a weekend at the cabin with two dear friends. They requested a hike to a lake. Eagle is steep, Mosquito didn’t call to me, one friend has been to Franklin twice, Crystal is really difficult, and Monarch is far but has a well-graded trail. It was ten […]
A Good Challenge (Or a Crazy-Hard Pencil Commission)
A wise colored pencil artist taught me to NEVER draw a face smaller than an egg. I’ve passed that on to my drawing students. It is tricky enough to capture a likeness correctly with photos or people that you can actually see and measure. Try doing it when you can’t see the details. Worse, try […]