Teaching without a degree

Honeymoon Cabin, pencil, 11×14, unframed, $300

A few years ago I took 1/2 a semester of oil painting at a local junior college. I learned more about painting from only the primary colors, and I learned about layering (called “glazing” in Artspeak). I learned that I need more light to see than a 19 year old, that just because a class is labeled something (“Photorealism”) doesn’t mean it is that class (it was Studio painting), that I have very little tolerance for rap “music” (rhythmic and profane chanting would be a more accurate term for it), and that the teacher was still trying to “stick it to The Man”. Hunh? He also had very little tolerance for my ilk – a wannabe without a Master’s of Fine Arts posing as an artist and an art teacher.

That’s me – a poser of the first degree!  Gotta have a degree in something to teach, I suppose.

So, Mr. Stick-It-To-The-Man, why are you bitterly and loudly complaining about working at a junior college while I am making and selling art? Hmmmm???

In addition, I learned that there is a real contempt out there for those of us who chose to paint from photos. One of the most influential painters and writers in my so-called art career is Jack White, and he says “All realistic artists either work from photos or they lie about it.”

I do teach people how to draw and they learn and they love it. The only ones who don’t learn are the ones who quit too soon!

I quit the painting class. But, I continue to paint, to learn more about painting by reading and practicing, and I sell lots of paintings. Take that, Mr. Stick-it-to-the-man!

But I’m not bitter. 😎

I believe strongly and whole-heartedly that drawing well is the basis for painting well.

Look at this – Shereen learned to draw!

Drawing Lessons

I teach people how to draw. The lessons are probably considered “semi-private” because each student receives one-on-one instruction, but in a small class.

Just the facts: 4 people at one time, one hour each week, each working on her own piece at her own pace. Youngest – 6th grade. Oldest – too polite to ask! Cost – $50 per month.

We meet every Tuesday afternoon at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter, except for July, August and December. We draw from photos, see each other’s progress, learn from doing, learn from watching, learn from one another. (And yes, I am speaking in the royal “we”.) July and August feel like a long time to go without drawing. Often I lose a student or 2 during this break; more often, I gain new students.

Why learn to draw? You can read about the reasons here: Reasons To Learn To Draw (Thank you, Captain Obvious!)

If you are interested in taking drawing lessons, you may call or email me to get on a waiting list. Or, if you would rather learn in private, you can schedule private lessons. This means all my attention, all to, by, and for yourself! Is that a good thing? Ask my drawing students!

Superlatives!

Tulare County is a place of superlatives. Sadly, we rank highest in the nation in being fat, uneducated, diabetic, poor; we make more teenage moms, have terrible unemployment and the dirtiest air. Ready to run away screaming yet? I don’t know all the specific statistics, only that we are either the “best” at those terrible things or close to it.

That’s the bad news. Perhaps it isn’t all that bad if it prevents our population from booming like that of Orange County, but that is a stretch of “glass half full” thinking.

The good news is that we have the largest trees (Sequoia Gigantea), the oldest trees (valley oaks), highest point (Mt. Whitney), smallest operating Post Office (don’t worry, we have normal sized ones too!), produce more dairy than Wisconsin,  we produce prodigious amounts of citrus and we feed the world. No kidding! Tulare County, my home.

Sunny Sequoias IXX, 8×8″, oil on wrapped canvas, $75

Worth It!, oil, sold

Sold (yes, I know this isn’t a Valley Oak, but I haven’t painted one of those yet!)

Kaweah Post Office, sold, another one on the easel, stay tuned!

Oranges 83 – 11×14 on canvas in black wooden frame, $250

List of unrelated thoughts with one semi-related piece of art

  1. I see only one movie in a theater a year. It has to do with the time, the distance, and my pickiness high level of discernment.
  2. This year’s movie was The Help. I would gladly see it again. It is the best movie I’ve seen in longer than I can remember!
  3. The theater was at a mall, and there weren’t many parking spaces. I find that puzzling in this county, in this economy.
  4. 90% of the cars in the mall’s parking lot were newer than mine. That also puzzles me in this county, in this economy.
  5. My new custom orthotics feel good, and I KNOW this stupid plantar fasciitis will be healed soon. Maybe I should sign up for a walking 1/2 marathon so I have a training goal.
  6. Ellen,  the Best Knitter I know, saw my wrist/thumb splint and said, “I have De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis too”. She is left handed with an affected right hand. I’m right handed with an affected left hand. Hmmmm. . .
  7. Such a wild and reckless life I lead – injured from walking and knitting. Good thing I am not a sky diver or skeet shooter!
  8. Three people have asked me about portrait commissions. Portraits are even harder to me than murals. Perhaps that is why I sit at the computer instead of returning those phone calls.
  9. There is a 2″ watermelon in my garden. Grow, baby, grow!
  10. I have begun a Huge HUGE new project. So far it has involved 9 nights away from home, and it is currently covering my dining table in the house and the work table in the studio. In the fullness of time, more will be revealed.  Meanwhile, my lips are sealed.

Daily Painting 13

Hidden Gardens 2, 8×8″, $75

Historic adobe house, lavender farm, fabulous garden, and a view of the fake Comb Rocks. The real Comb Rocks is out the the frame to the left. (It’s a Three Rivers thing, with apologies to those of you who are wondering what I’m going on about.) The number of available views to paint from that one location would seriously cut into my gardening time if I lived there! I do a great deal of gawking while I walk past that particular location.

Daily Painting 12

Hidden Gardens 5, 10×8″, $90

Well, why not? We were on the subject of flowers this week and I haven’t shown you all the Hidden Gardens Tour paintings yet. This is one of the 3 remaining in my possession. I’m thinking about putting them for auction on eBay, seeing if I can raise a little cash for Three Rivers Union School. Just thinking about it.  The Hidden Gardens Tour was very successful in raising cash for our little one school school district. It is a rare community that has a K-8th grade school, and ours is very important to the entire town. Hmmm, might be talking myself into it. More will be revealed. . .

WALKING AGAIN!

Excuse me. Didn’t mean to shout at you with that title. Okay, pants-on-fire, I DID mean to shout! I’m happy!! After receiving a boatload of stuff from a podiatrist, along with the reassurance that walking won’t permanently injure my foot, I’m back on the trail. A little huffy-puffy, but I can work back into it.

The best flowers in Mineral King aren’t usually in Mineral King. They are 4 miles above it, where the trail splits to go to Farewell Gap or Franklin Lake and Pass. This year’s flower season is condensed, due to the late start. These photos are a week old, because I was so into that Daily Painting thing that I delayed showing you.

Michael’s favorite

My favorite

Daily Painting, 11

Sold

“One ton tomata, I ate a one ton tomata, one ton tomata, I ate a one ton tomaaaa- ta.”

(Hint – it’s a song that you hear while eating chips and salsa)

Okay, that’s it, that’s all for these daily painting posts. Too confining to my smart-alecky, free-spirited, non-routine-loving self.

Daily Painting, 10

Sunny Sequoia IXX, 8×8″, oil on wrapped canvas, $75

When I belonged to the Colored Pencil Society of America, there was a tradition. At every annual juried show, there was a piece called “Paper Bag #_____”. The numbers went quite high, the pieces were always well done, they were a little boring, and they ALWAYS made it into the juried show! When the slide show took place at the convention, the paper bag was an anticipated piece, and it ALWAYS caused laughter.

What does that have to do with anything? Series: I learned about painting in series, naming series, numbering, keeping track and making tiny adjustments and corrections as I repeated a subject over and over. Besides, if it is a popular subject and customers ask for it, an artist can hardly say “Nope, it has been done already.” Okay, an artist can say that, but she would be stubborn and missing lots of opportunities. Me? not about to miss the opportunity to keep painting better and better Sequoias, poppies, oranges, whatever is appropriate to Tulare County in particular, California in general. And, whatever is popular! (gotta be honest here!)