Weird Winter Walk

On January 2, Michael and I drove to Mineral King. That is weird for this far into the snow season. The drive up was seasonless – is this late October? early May? Then we walked to Monarch Lake on a mostly dry trail. That is immensely weird.

Okay, I lied a little bit. Michael went to Monarch Lake. I climbed and struggled and finally say “I’m done”.

You can see the lack of snow, but what was there was glistening on Farewell Gap at 9 a.m.

We chose the old trail beneath the spires of Empire. It isn’t maintained, sometimes isn’t visible, is overgrown, disappears under rockslides, splits into multiple choice, but eventually gets you to the destination.

Can you pick out the new trail over there in the ice, snow and shade? That is why we chose the south-facing old trail.

Monarch lake is beneath Sawtooth. Nice “trail”, eh?

As I struggled along, I entertained myself by devising a numerical system to rate walking. #1 is going out to my garage. #10 is “I’m done”. This walk began at a 6-7, which is “this is sort of hard but I can do it and it is even sort of fun”. It became a #8 after about 2-1/2 miles when we were on the non-maintained trail for about a mile. This number is “this is hard and it isn’t fun anymore”. I decided #9 was “this is almost too hard but I can do mind over matter” and that when I hit #10, I’d quit. Gotta save some juice in my legs to get back to the parking lot!

I hit #10 just below the lake. When I emerged from my semi-comatose state, I was able to enjoy the sunshine and this view. I am married to an animal, and he proceeded on toward the lake. He said it was “only 5 more minutes” and I said, “not for me!”

To be continued. . .

A new year, still reading

“Salt and Light“, oil paint on board, 11×14 (Thank you, Steven S., for the title!)

This year I will continue to tell you what I am reading (Thank you, Melissa, for the idea!). What does this have to do with art? Nothing, except it gives you a more complete view of who this California artist is.  I’ll do it in groups of threes. Just finished or am finishing these books:

  1. Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo (such an unfortunate last name). I was astonished and inspired  by this book. It is a simply told story by the father of a boy who had an amazing life-changing experience at the age of 3. It is very convincing. It is here on Amazon.
  2. Sylvia’s Farm by Sylvia Jorrin. This is a book of essays by a sheep farmer in upstate New York. At first I was confused because the chapters didn’t seem connected. When I read it, I could picture the sheep, the 28 room house, the stone walls and gates, the barn and carriage house. It made me go to her website to see the photos, but they were distorted on my screen. She uses the word “shall” too much, but I liked it anyway.
  3. Losing It by Laura Fraser. I learned of this book from a reference to Fraser’s writing in another book. Her blog is great to read – what a life, what a writer! It made me order all 3 of her books from the library and this was the first to arrive. It is a very engrossing look into the diet industry and how the myth continues, despite the fact that diets are proven to not work.

What are you reading?

Big Fat Announcement

For a few months I’ve been dancing around the subject of a Very Large Project on the horizon. Today is the day to tell you all what it is. It isn’t a very well kept secret, just a non-published-on-this-blog secret.

If you know me, you know I love to draw in pencil and that I love to draw cabins. Little cabins, big cabins, they inspire me to draw. So, The Cabins of Wilsonia, a book of drawings of (duh) the cabins of Wilsonia is underway! It will be similar to The Cabins of Mineral King.

There are differences.

1. It will contain very little history  because I’m an artist, not a historian, and the history has already been written in several forms.

2. I will be doing this one solo instead of with Jane Coughran, the very qualified former picture editor from Time-Life Books who was my partner on the Mineral King book.

3. It may not contain any photographs, because there are more than 3 times as many cabins in Wilsonia as in Mineral King.

4. It will take longer than a year to produce because it is a bigger book (226 drawings, at least 128 pages and probably more) and I have to learn how to do the designing on my computer all by myself. (deep breaths, deep calming breaths. . .) I’m aiming for Memorial Day of 2013.

5. The cabins won’t all be represented – there are just too many!

6. The cabins won’t be identified by name. They will be in chapters by street names.

There are similarities.

1. It will contain pencil drawings.

2. It will contain quotes from cabin folks.

3. It wil be hardcover (yes Brad, I listened to you!), horizontal in format.

4. It will contain some history and explanation of Wilsonia.

5. It will be self-published. This is the way Janey and I did our book in 1998, except technology has changed DRASTICALLY. There are plenty of assisted self-publishing sites out there like Lulu and Blurb and West Bow Press, but I won’t be using them.

There are challenges.

1. 226 drawings to complete and scan.

2. 40-something quotes to gather and verify.

3. Adobe InDesign to learn to use.

4. Writing the text.

5. Finding a printer.

6. Finding a binder.

7. Selling them all!!

Happy New Year!

This California artist blog will resume the blog’s regular posting schedule of Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on January 3, 2012.

Dry December, continued

On the trail, the snow was doing this cantilevered melting thing around the edges.

This chick wouldn’t have been eligible for Gideon’s army! (see Judges 7: 4-8 in the Bible)

A little decorating project using found objects.

Is that a hand knit scarf?? How festive! (and is this really December in Mineral King??)

Snow in the shade and on the north facing slopes below Sawtooth.

Is this an ad for Dodge?

Farewell, Farewell. It is time to pray for rain and snow.

Dry December

Because December has had no precipitation, we were able to drive to Mineral King this week. I’ll share the photos today and tomorrow.

The same and yet not the same. Sigh. (See this)

My request for pruning the dead branches on the cottonwoods that stab into my photos was ignored.

A Cabela’s model and a representative for Terratrack were on the bridge.

We walked up to Crystal Creek.

If you’ve crossed it in the summer, you may or may not recognize this view. It was flowing under the snow, but that curly looking part is frozen.

This man bravely tested the snow bridge over the creek, following the tracks of animals.

More tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel!

Peculiar Sights

Back in the days when I walked a lot of miles, I photographed and showed you a series of what I called “Peculiar Sights” in Three Rivers. (A central California artist has to find her amusements wherever she can!)

Plantar fasciitis takes a very long time to heal, and now, with the help of an acupuncturist friend, I believe I am back on my feet. Slowly. This means my little camera is back in my pocket, and the peculiar sights might begin appearing on the blog again.

Wrap-up

Mr. Communicator came for the ornament and brought his brother and Grandma! What fun – we could have all talked for hours. His G’ma grew up on the same street in the same town in Orange County where my G’ma and G’pa raised their 3 children. His brother flies for the Air Force, and Mr. Communicator? He works in finance on Wall Street! Ever met one of those guys before? I have, and both have been as genuinely nice as you could ever hope to encounter – nothing like the nasty stereotype. Of course, both of the ones I met grew up in Tulare County, Perhaps that is the difference. Enough chit-chat. Photographs are more fun than words.

Had to show the 2 ornaments together!

He is tall – I am not short. More American women are 5’4″ than any other height. Just sayin’.

Custom Ornament, final episode

Thus we conclude the conversation and saga of the Custom Christmas Ornament between Mr. Communicator (the customer) and The Artist (that would be California Artist Jana Botkin, in case Mr. Google is paying attention). Again, I ask you to overlook the size jumps because I really have no earthly idea how to force this blog to behave properly.

The Artist:
I almost typed a whole paragraph of excuses but got a grip!
Goose is more defined, porch posts and arches show, sunburst is white, side wings have a roof, ribbon shows more, oval is in front door.
When all this is dry enough, I’ll go over it again and tighten it up more and add more detail, and the first layer of the American flag.

Mr. Communicator:

I would have never accepted your excuses!  You’ve done magic thus far so I expect nothing less than miracles! No pressure 🙂

It gets more amazing with every picture.
The flag will definitely finish it off. And I’m glad you kept the goose. I’m waiting to see who points out the goose, flag and ribbon first – Mom or Dad. They’ll be touched by the detail.  You’ll finalize it all with your signature, right?
Artist:
So glad your expectations aren’t too high – I might just collapse under the pressure. Be prepared – your Mom might cry. And I had thought I might sign it “Norman Rockwell”, but if you want my signature, your wish is my command!

Mr. C:

Don’t kill me. I noticed one small thing that had confused me and I only now put my finger on it.

Artist:
If you continue to scrutinize the painting to this level, then we won’t ever finish! That’s because you will see that I have stylized and simplified much of what made that house so special.

Your life is safe. But now I am wondering if you are an artist yourself. Or an architect? Or an accountant, perhaps? Maybe a homicide detective?

Mr. C:
Haha. I promise that is the last little change!
Artist:
I swear this thing looks so much better in person! There all these reflections off the paint thicknesses in the photos that are just starting to tick me off! And please pretend with me as if there are stars and the correct number of stripes on the flag (eyes squinched shut, hands over ears, LA LA LA LA LA)
Okay, tantrum over.
Now that I am looking at the photo, I am making a small list of touch-ups.
1. rafter tail from porch on the right (it was too wet this a.m.)
2. show the bottom sill of the window directly to the right of the porch – got the far right one, but sort of lost it on the left.
3. even-up the blackness of the windows – can’t tell if this is reflection problem, degree of wetness problem, sloppiness problem or no problem
4. straighten up the left blue edge of the house
Do you see anything else?
I know: you are a micro-biologist!
Mr. C:
Ha.  Now that we’re playing the “what do you do for a living” game, I’ll let you keep guessing.  I’m certainly not brainy enough to be a micro-biologist!
I love that you communicate like you’re a business woman and not an artist; you send lists and detailed updates!
BTW, I wasn’t even going to count stars and stripes.   I know you were joking, but I think you secretly thought I might!  ;P  And certainly, if this were a bigger painting, I would have counted and measured each stripe and star!
With each email I keep trying to figure out if you are going to hug me or slap me when we finally meet and this is all over.  The next week will be telling.
See you soon!
And I have been reading the blog. You’re quite the entertaining writer!
Artist:
What a supreme compliment – “a business woman”! Always my goal to have a superior product AND to sell it well. Otherwise, I’d have to get a job, and I really don’t know how to do anything. Sigh. I can proofread pretty well, but no one cares about typos anymore except me. And with me it is sort of like Tourette’s, except instead of bursting out with obscenities, I shout “TYPO” in  the most inappropriate places. My poor husband just can’t take me anywhere.
But I do love writing and am having a blast with the blog. So glad you are enjoying it!
Microbiologist brought to mind microwave (“How fast can you do this?”), microscope (“What is that little thing right there?”) and micromanage never mind. . . JUST KIDDING!!
Now I don’t know if you will slap me or hug me!
Okay, enough blather. I’ve got some items to fine-tune on an ornament, and all I want to do is read a bunch of blogs while sitting by the wood stove with my 3 cats.

And the Ornament Saga Continues

The conversation between Mr. Communicator (aka The Customer) and The Artist (aka The California Artist) continues: (Please excuse the size jumps – can’t figure that out!)

Mr. Communicator:

I tend to over-communicate, but only to ensure it all gets said.

The Artist:

Quick, tell me if the back is okay! If it isn’t, I can wipe it off with turp before it begins to dry. I abbreviated. My printing looks childish, so it won’t bother me if you nix the back.

And the front has been repaired with the yellow ribbon, pedestal and goose added (and a plant, sort of rough right now). After this layer dries (and it doesn’t seem to need to dry completely as the first layer needed) I can add the American flag. And, I hope to tighten up things a bit more.

Mr. C:

I think the back is fine. It’s definitely needed to complete the ornament.
On the front of the porch, can you add the oval window on the front door?
And can you also add in the 2 white pillars that flank the front steps? I think they need to stand out a bit along with the supporting arches.
Also the sun burst above the top window is actually white. Can you just lighten that up on the next pass?
Artist:
Good, yes, yes and yes.

Mr. C:

One last thing. It appears there’s no roof on the top of the extension to the left. Not sure how to do that because it’s behind the tree, but it does have a brown shingles roof.

Artist:

Yes, I saw that and tried to coast. . . 😎
Artist:
I answered the “good, yes yes and yes” too soon – here is a bit of disclaiming and whining and self-excusing just in case I can’t deliver on all of yesterday’s optimism.

The goose and pedestal look dumb because they are too small for my brushes. Will try again but may have to eliminate.
Didn’t see oval window on front door – hidden behind wreath! I’ll try the oval – if it doesn’t work, I’ll put the wreath.
That sunburst – I didn’t see it as white – only saw the dark spaces between the slats! Will lighten the slats around the dark spaces.
Will work on the porch posts to get them to appear better along with the “arch supports”.
All of this tiny stuff is really too small for my smallest brush, but I will go to Visalia tomorrow and see if I can locate a one-hair-brush. (You’re killing me!!)
Mr. C:

I know it’s a challenge and I’d apologize but I think you’ve already risen to the challenge!
I’ll let you decide about the goose and pedestal since you have the best view. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but you tell me.
This project is basically the antithesis of the big mural you just did!

More Ornament Eavesdropping

The conversation between Mr. Communicator and The Artist (that’s me) about the custom ornament for Christmas continues.

Mr. Communicator:
That’s great news. The hunt for that thing took me forever, so I’m glad it made it. However you decide to paint it is fine by me.  It will have to be able to survive years of being on a Christmas tree.  Maybe there’s a lacquer or coating that can be put on after to give it some strength?
Best of luck on your show tomorrow.
Mr. C:
Thanks for the update.  I can already see the entire scene; it looks great thus far.
I don’t have any objection to you posting this.  I don’t know that Dad and Mom follow your blog, but doubt it since they’re not big blog readers.  It does make me nervous (most likely irrationally so) that it might ruin the surprise.  Is it something you could post after the holiday or is time of the essence?  Otherwise we could post it with a top secret status, just in case someone might recognize the house.
The Artist:
So glad you can recognize the elements – painting at the first stages always messes with my self-confidence.
No worries about the yellow ribbon – it is in the category of microscopic last details.
If I post the progress, I will say it is TOP SECRET and Do Not Utter A Word If You Think You Recognize This House! My blogging experience is that people love love love the posts that show the progression of work.
Mr. C:
Blog away. I think it’s safe to put it up.
The Artist:

This is now hanging from the fireplace mantle drying above the woodstove again.
I’m a little fuzzy on what to do on the left, behind the house. I copied what I saw in one of your photos, but wonder if I’m on the right track here.

More details will come with each successive layer. That is where I’ll straight some of my wobbly or crooked lines. I tried on a couple of these, but it just mushed everything up I touched! (It is weird to paint on glass and on roundness) I think there will be 2 more layers, and the address will happen on the next one. Maybe. Don’t know if I can paint the backside while the front is wet or vice versa!
Mr. C:

Your second pass has filled it in quite a bit. It’s coming together.


On the front of the porch are you able to add the American flag at the top and maybe the pedestal and goose figures at the bottom right of the steps?

Thanks for all the work thus far.  I’ve never been this excited to give a Xmas gift! (usually receiving is better than giving, no matter what they say!)

To be continued. . .