cabinart | Cabin Art

And Yet Another Post About Oregon

This time the post is about Salem, Oregon. There are 2 main reasons for going to Salem for me. Yes, it is the capital city, but I care little about that. My reasons are family and blueberries. Going in mid to late July means there are you-pick farms with the fabulous fruit just waiting for your labor. At $1/pound, it is hard to resist! We came home with quite a haul.

Here is an interesting factoid: when I visit one of my sisters, we often walk along the St. John’s River. When my family visits me, we often walk along the Kaweah River. When I visit my sister in Salem, we walk over the Willamette River. And, this trip involved the Sacramento, Rogue and Willamette Rivers. Didn’t know I was such a river rat, didja?

piano over the Willamette River in Oregon — Salem Oregon is having a piano event. There are 11 pianos scattered about town, painted up, and inviting anyone to just sit down and play. These strangers didn’t know a California artist was photographing them for her blog.

2 sisters picking blueberries — My sister is a great blueberry picker. I kept eating them, but it wasn’t stealing because I ate them off the ground. No one would be filling his bucket with blueberries off the ground, so it wasn’t stealing, but gleaning!

Picking blueberries is a-may-zing, as the youngsters say. (Have you noticed that the word has replaced “awesome”?) It wasn’t hot or dusty or sticky or thorny. That is unheard of in any sort of fruit gathering in California!

cute baby girl — This is the world’s cutest baby. Her name is Brooklyn and she is my grand niece. If I were going to name a baby after a bridge, it would have to be Oak Grove. Doesn’t quite have the ring of “Brooklyn”, but I think her dad chose it because the Dodgers used to be in Brooklyn.

Retired Road Guy holds a pink baby — Who knew? This is Retired Road Guy, aka Trail Guy. Babies like him. I’m still recovering from dropping my cousin when I was 8 and she was an infant, so I’d rather hold the camera. (She survived; thanks for your concern.)

Leaving California, Enjoying Oregon

Temporarily, of course. Although, whenever I visit the Pacific Northwest, I wonder why I have never moved there. Oh yeah, I’m never moving again. Sometimes I forget that very strong conviction.

The coolest thing I’ve done lately is to ride a jet boat up the Rogue River in Oregon. The company is called Jerry’s Rogue Jets, and it is The Best! Get your tickets soon, and request Kevin for your pilot. He is a grandson of Jerry and has been on the river since he was a wee lad. He knows everything about it, just everything. And, his dog Emma rode next to me the entire trip. Took the edge off missing Perkins, my sweet cat.

on a jet boat on the Rogue River — At the mouth of the Rogue River in Oregon, riding a Jerry’s Rogue Jets boat, going underneath the Patterson bridge. It is designed like my favorite bridge but instead of one arch, it has SEVEN!!

Patterson Bridge over the Rogue River, Gold Beach, Oregon — It was cold, foggy, the boat was very fast, and I was flipping over this wonderful piece of architectural beauty.

Another bridge across the Rogue River, Oregon — I can’t remember what this bridge was called, but we were thrilled to break into sunshine upstream from the very cold Gold Beach.

Rogue River, Oregon — All my river photos sort of look the same, beautiful scenery, eminently paintable. (“Eminently” is a cool way of saying “very”.)

To be continued. . .

Rogue River

Sometimes I Leave California

I hope it isn’t too shocking to you, my fine readers, to learn that the California artist sometimes goes out of the state. She has a penchant for the Pacific Northwest. (“Penchant” means a strong habitual liking.) She also blogs while she is away so that the bad guys on the internet can’t tell that she is gone. Tricky, eh?

While visiting these other places, she takes photos that she hopes to paint one day. She hopes to have a show called “Going Places” to show and sell these as of yet unpainted pieces of art.

And, while she is away, sometimes she gets on a weird roll and begins writing in third person.

unknown blue wildflower — How exciting – lots of these along the roads in Northern California and Southern Oregon. What are they??

natural bridge on Oregon coast — Here is some of the Oregon coastline. Figures I’d show you a bridge, albeit a natural one. (“Albeit” is a cool way to say “although”.)

blue hydrangea — The hydrangeas are blue in the Pacific Northwest because there is so much acid in their soil. I was in blue flower heaven. The acid is also what makes them able to grow blueberries. Acid = blue??

driftwood structure on an Oregon Beach — There was a TON of driftwood on the beach where we stayed. There were also many of these structures, probably built as windbreaks. That is Trail Guy on the beach, in case you were wondering who I went to Oregon with.

Are these pebbles on an Oregon beach? They look like river rocks to me. This Oregon beach was difficult for walking because a beach walker was trying to not freeze to death, clumping along over rocks, or negotiating through driftwood. I loved it anyway.

To be continued tomorrow. . .

Paint it Again

I met some wonderful people in Mineral King WHILE they were buying 2 paintings from me at the Silver City Resort. That is always a thrill! They were so enthusiastic and appreciative of my work, of the area, of everything. Two days later, the cabin they were renting burned down in the middle of the night.

They escaped with their lives, for which we are very grateful. They did not escape with their possessions, including the paintings. I am still stupefied and horrified as I write this, but nothing compared to how they must be feeling.

It is good that I paint from photos (a studio painter composes much work first using the camera), good that I met the customers and know how to reach them, good that I can paint the same scene over and over again. These will be repainted soon for these good people who had a very bad experience.

oil painting of Farewell Gap by Jana Botkin — Farewell Gap, 8×10″, oil on wrapped canvas

oil painting of Mineral King Bridge by Jana Botkin — Mineral King Bridge, 6×6″ on wrapped canvas

Mineral King oil paintings

Empire Mountain, Mineral King

Fridays are about Mineral King on this California artist’s blog. Just reminding you, in case you are wondering where’s the art. . . or perhaps you only tune in on Fridays. Welcome! (and Mineral King is a HUGE source of inspiration to this California artist, so it isn’t really off topic.)

Michael, aka Trail Guy, likes to go off trail, which is the only way to get up Empire. There is a great deal of interesting history up there.

empire mt. as viewed from the Mineral King valley — The most visible rock outcropping on Empire isn’t really the highest point on the mountain. Bit of a poser, that outcropping.

trail to Empire and Timber Gap, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — The trail to Empire and to Timber Gap (and Sawtooth and Monarch and Crystal) is full of giant, giraffey steps. These aren’t the worst ones!

photograph by Jana Botkin of Empire Peak in Mineral King — Just follow this drainage up to the bunkhouse, the road, the mines and the peak(s)

view down canyon from Empire, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — That’s Case Mt. in the distance.

Trail Guy is heading up to Empire, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — Be careful, Trail Guy! I’ll just wait right here for you.

knitting with a mountain backdrop, photo by Jana Botkin — Waiting is never a problem with me. This weighed next to nothing in my backpack. I believe it enjoyed its adventure.

mine on Empire, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — There are mine remnants all over the side of Empire.

road between Empire and Timber Gap, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — This is a road, built in the 1870s. I am not making this up. There were horses and mules hauling wagons full of ore, right here.

wildflowers on Empire, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — It was the 4th of July, and I amused myself by looked for a group of wildflowers that contained red, white and blue. Why do we always say it in that order? There are five other ways we could arrange those colors verbally, but they just don’t ring.

Empire Peak, Mineral King, photo by Jana Botkin — Did we really go up there?? Not me, but Trail Guy did. My inner slob prefers to sit and knit, take photos, and contemplate matters of consequence.

California Artist Mineral King

California Poppy Rerun

Do you ever surprise yourself with forgetfulness?

Last week I did a little painting of a California poppy. After it was finished, signed, photographed, varnished and dry, I added it to the growing stack of little paintings. (An artist who sells needs to keep up her inventory.)

Well, oops. Guess I already painted that poppy and forgot. SOMEONE needs a better filing system for her photos. Check this out:

4x4" oil painting of california poppy — California poppy, 4×4″ , oil on board, unframed

california poppy oil painting — California poppy oil painting, 5×7″, oil on board

Do you prefer the softer colors of the upper poppy or the stronger ones of the lower painting?

California Artist California poppies oil paintings poppies

Trip-toe Through The Tulips

Sorry. That was just dumb. Sometimes I am just a real chucklehead. Honestly, I will try to come up with an appropriate title for this triptych, one worthy of the beauty of the scene.

tulip oil painting by jana botkin

Once again I ask, “WHY is a California artist painting the tulips fields of Washington?”

Because:

1. They are beautiful

2. I love them

3. It is my hope to one day have a show called “Going Places” and finally paint and show work from my (somewhat limited) travels. I take many many photos, want to paint them, and wonder how to find a market for those subjects. Perhaps putting them all together in a show would really make a great visual impact. (Perhaps it would look like a mess of unrelated images. Maybe I’d even get arrested for visual assault.)

Meanwhile, I will continue to slowly build up my collection of non-central-valley art.

Do you think a show of China, Washington DC, Washington state, North Carolina, Oregon, and Lake Tahoe would look like a mess?

California Artist oil paintings washington tulip field oil painting Washington tulip fields

Orange You Glad I Can Paint Citrus?

Tulare County grows, sells and eats a ton of citrus. Probably several million tons. I learned to oil paint by using the subject of oranges over and over and over. When an orange would sell, I’d paint another. The last one was #103, I think. There were also a handful that I didn’t title or number in the beginning, so who really knows?

Tangerines and Lemons

A few years ago I was at some art thing with my dear friend D. I introduced her to another friend, one who sells ag real estate. D said, “Oh my goodness, you should be buying Jana’s orange paintings to give to your clients!” (She has been a great supporter and encourager to me in the 13 years we’ve been friends, always looking for ways to promote my work.)

Mr. Real Estate said, “That’s a great idea!” Now he and his partner have placed 3 or 4 orders for 6×6 and 8×10 paintings of citrus since then – mostly navel oranges, and some tangerines/mandarins/Clementines and some lemons. It is fun to do these – bright, simple, not too difficult. (I am THRILLED to paint simple things after Put-My-Parents-In-The Painting, THRILLED, I say.)

What else would you expect from a central California artist, daughter, granddaughter and niece of citrus farmers?

California Artist citrus oil piantings oil paintings orange painting oranges

Hay, A Barn!

Big Fat THANK YOU to all of you who did my thinking for me to title this piece for the Madera Ag Art show! Here is the complete list. The winner is in red (and the title of this post). The runners-up are in teal. They (Sharon, Don and Sam) will receive a token of appreciation for their witty work.

barn oil painting by Jana Botkin — Unnamed Barn, formerly known as Tulare County Barn, 10×10″ oil painting on wrapped canvas

Choosing was very very hard. I am clearly drawn to things that make me laugh or at least smile. After thinking more about it, I decided that focusing on the barn alone wasn’t true to the image. It is 1/3 barn and 2/3 hay. (If it is wheat, I don’t want to know!)

The submitted names are elegant, gracious, sensitive, picturesque, poetic, appropriate, and dignified. My sense of humor is dumb, unexpected, plebian, and lacking in refinement. The chosen title acknowledged the field and the barn, was dumb and made me smile.

Now, I hope the jurors of the Ag Art Show feel the same!

Vintage Homestead

Vintage Charm

Seasoned Valley Barn

Tools of the Ag Trade

A Loyal Companion to CA Ag

The Farmers’ Loyal Companion

Shadows of the Past

The Grey Ghost

Standing Tall

Forget Me Not

Look At Me

Structured Field

Grassy Barn

Serenity

Rustic setting

Rustic Patina

Rustic Serenity

Grandpa’s Office

Original Jump House

Reliving Farm Memories

A Voice from the Past

Ripe with Harvest

Where’s the Beef?

Acreage

Seasoned Farmstead

Zoological Storehouse

Historical future

Green Waves

Hay, A Barn!

Rustic and Ripe

New Crop, Old Storage

Times gone by

Waiting for Harvest

Field of Dreams

Field of Promise

Testimony of Time

Weathered Barn in Summer

Country Memory Maker

Casa de Bovine

Vanishing Breed

Barn Sweet Barn

Pure Country

Green Peace

Aged Rest

Quite Contemplation

Verdance

Rust Renewed

Spring Harbor

Spring Study

Barn Memories

Do you agree or disagree with my first choice and the runners-up? Talk to me!!

ag art show madera ag art show oil paintings

That Mineral King Bridge!

Will the Mineral King Bridge ever be finished? Will the saga ever end?

Retired Road Guy had the camera with him while his former road crew worked on the bridge. Rumor has it that he joined them for an hour or so, wearing shorts instead of green pants and his signature straw hat instead of a marshmallow head. Rumor also has it that he actually enjoyed the work!

2 guys goofing off while working on the Mineral King Bridge photo by Jana Botkin — How could he not have fun working with a couple of marshmallow-headed clowns such as these?

Kirk operating a big yellow machine in Mineral King photo by Michael Botkin — This is a HUGE yellow machine. It doesn’t have a steering wheel. The road crew isn’t very fond of it. That may be why Supervisor Kirk is at the helm. Is it a helm? What’s a helm?

Huge yellow machine on Mineral King Bridge photo by Michael Botkin — I am not kidding when I say this is a HUGE yellow machine. Good thing the bridge was replaced with this strong new one!

asphalt overlay on approach in Mineral King, photo by Michael Botkin — One side almost completed, one more to go.

equipment on Mineral King Bridge, photo by Michael Botkin — See those guys clustered around the smaller machine? It broke. Guess the other side will have to wait.

Announcement:

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 21 is the annual Mineral King Preservation Society Picnic in the Park. It takes place at noon in front of one of the cabins at the end of the road. (Look for the signs, follow the people.) Bring your own lunch and chairs, lemonade will be provided. The program has 2 parts – one by Steve Jones who will tell of his memories backpacking and camping in Mineral King. (Never met him before, don’t know a thing!)

The second part will be Retired Road Guy and the California Artist discussing the Mineral King Bridge project. They will be asking the crowd to share their memories of the bridge, and rumor has it that they may even tell what they REALLY think about it.

Guess you’ll have to attend to learn the rest of the story!

Do you have any Mineral King Bridge memories you’d like to share with the blog readers or me?

Mineral King

Author: cabinart

Announcement: