Main Gallery!

I’ve joined a new art co-operative called Main Gallery at 209 West Main Street in Visalia! (For you locals, this is in the same block as Brown’s Shoes and Pacific Treasures) Our grand opening is Friday, November 5, 6-8:30 p.m. Have a look as it was being set up on Saturday:

This is where Cross-Horlock used to be.

I don’t remember Cross-Horlock having such a beautiful atrium (not that I even knew the word back when CH was open!)

It is a wonderfully large and well-lit space with room upstairs for workshops.

Customers may enter from Main Street or through the atrium doors.

My work is on screens and is visible from the atrium.

Expatiation:

There is something to be said in favor of working in one’s home town – the convenience, the casualness of getting to work and the familiarity are just a few of the benefits. On the other hand, there are several somethings to be said in favor of working in the largest town in the county, namely Visalia. The expanded population base means increased exposure, increased visitation and increased sales. In addition, there are 22 other artists with whom to interact and from whom to learn. Granted, Sierra Subs is not next door nor is there a river out back. When I feel the loss of those 2 things, I will simply remind myself that I am here to earn a living, not have a mini get-away!

Style

Been thinking about this subject lately.  A month or so ago, I showed a few of my paintings to a gallery owner.  For the first time in my painting career, I was told that my paintings don’t have enough detail, that they look as if done plein air. That is French lingo for on site, which translates into “I’m painting as fast as possible because the light won’t hold still and I can’t possibly be careful at this crazy pace”. Exclamation of Surprise! I LOVE detail! I am a pencil artist, first, last, always! Can’t help it – pencil and the detail possible with that humble instrument have held my attention since 6th grade. So, I don’t have enough detail, eh?  Here is my conclusion: my style is still sort of mushy. I don’t mean my paintings are mushy, but that I haven’t settled on the best way to paint. By “best”, I don’t mean best selling, most award-winning, or if I were in school, the highest grade grabbing style. The evaluation and valuation of art is very subjective, and “best” is defined by the viewer, whether a judge, a gallery owner, the artist, or most importantly to me, a customer. As I achieve greater proficiency with paint, brushes, and canvas, I’m hoping that my true style emerges. It will be defined by several things – the subject matter, the level of detail, the way I use light and color, the texture of the paint. My goal is this: to consistently create the most consistently beautiful paintings . Yes, consistent – constant, regular, uniform, steady, undeviating, dependable, reliable. Why? So that people can always recognize my work as mine!

A look at the process of painting

First, the shapes get blocked in, scribbled, just a first coat of the thin color.

Next, another of paint gets added to the background with more attention paid to the correct colors and textures. This only has the far hills covered – my attention span seems a bit limited here!

Now I am seriously out of order. For some reason, I felt “led” to do the foreground details. It’s my painting and I’ll do it the way I want! Besides, I  intend to detail this particular painting right to the very edge of photographic realism. Do I have the skill?  That remains to be seen, because lately I haven’t pushed a painting to that degree. This brings me to my next subject – style!

Painting, continued

Getting better already, eh? It starts getting rewarding and fun when I get to make all these itty-bitty marks that remind me of drawing with a pencil!

Homesick?

How can one be homesick for a place one hasn’t lived? I dunno, but today I have an almost overwhelming longing to return to Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Thank goodness for the internet – it allowed me to see photos of the place in the fall. On the other hand, that may not have been such a good idea since it exacerbated the desire to see the place again, this time in October instead of August. There was a hint of fall in the leaves the day we we left Blowing Rock.

As a realist, both in life and in art, today I will remember the good things about the beautiful place where I actually do live. Fall color is here too, and there is no reason to be melancholy (so suck it up, Toots!)  Have a look at some recent paintings celebrating the colors of our autumn:

These and other 6×6″ paintings will be available for sale on Saturday, November 6 in front of the studio and gallery Colors in Three Rivers.

Main Gallery

A new art co-operative gallery will open in Visalia on November 1, 2010. The address is 209 W. Main Street and there are 23 very fine artists participating. It is a privilege to be showing with these folks, some of whom I have known for many years. Our plan is to be open in November and December, and then re-evaluate. The space is large, well lit and in the heart of downtown Visalia. (For those of you familiar with Visalia, it is in the same block as Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. and a few doors east of Pacific Treasures and Gourmet, same side of the street.)

A Painting is Happening

Kind of terrible looking with only one layer! Terrible, but with hope.

When all this new background dries, I’ll start on the large sycamore tree.

Peculiar Sights, #10

Yesterday Michael and I took a stroll down to the bridge to see the river. It was peaceful, not too slimy and slow for October.

But wait! What is that??

Someone has been stacking rocks! Now that is a peculiar way to spend one’s time.

Good thing I got the photo yesterday, because this morning all this was under water.

Happy Centennial, Kaweah P.O.!

The party was well attended. Very well attended! Here is one area – isn’t that the cutest little building with the grandest oak tree?

I only brought art with Three Rivers as the subject. Almost everything Kaweah Post Office sold.

The stick is where the mailbag hangs so the horse-riding mail carrier can grab it quickly. There were a couple of demonstrations, but I was selling art and missed both.  (Don’t you just hate that??)

This might be the only photo I got without people wandering past!

This is the Postmistress, Miss Ida Purdy. Can’t remember the years she served but we obviously had a bit of time travel today!