Sometimes when I need to get photos or see stuff, I trespass. Been doing it my whole life, I confess. Forgive me my trespasses. . . Recently I went trespassing up the North Fork of the Kaweah, looking for the site where the Kaweah blacksmith shop sat. I have a photo from 1996, but the flood […]
New Oil Painting With Help
One of the benefits of participating in bazaars, boutiques and festivals is that I meet new people. Sometimes this results in commissions or new drawing students. The Senior League Holiday Bazaar brought me this new oil painting commission. Oh boy, there’s a challenge! When the customer explained that he had taken this photo in the […]
More About Fruit and Nuts
I paint a lot of fruit. I don’t paint very many nuts. I drew walnuts a few years ago (feels like 5 years, probably is 10). Wow. That’s pretty good, if I do say so myself! And I do. I LOVE to draw. However, drawings need frames, and oil paintings sell better than pencil. Sometimes […]
Painting on a Bungee Cord
No, my painting isn’t suspended from a bridge. It just returned to me for a minor detail. Mrs. Customer asked if I would put the tiny white lines in the windows because her husband wanted them there. I sighed, and said, “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice!” Then I told her to smack her […]
Commissioned Pencil Drawing Ready for Color
The commissioned pencil drawing will have a touch of color, but first I have to spray fix it so that the graphite doesn’t smear into the colors. Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Why do I say I work in pencil instead of saying I work in graphite? I don’t say that I paint in “brush” – […]
Commissioned Pencil Drawing Gets Fun
Of course a commissioned pencil drawing is fun for me. I LOVE to draw in pencil. When I draw, there are several steps. First, I choose the size and location on the paper. Second, I lay out all the shapes in a light outline. Third, oh boy, this is the party, I shade. Shading is how […]
Commissioned Pencil Drawing Begun
I began the commissioned pencil drawing for Found Friend of a view out of the window of a chapel at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers. It was pure pleasure to draw in pencil after months of book designing, coloring book drawing in ink and oil painting. I LOVE to draw in pencil, particularly […]
Sketches for Commissioned Pencil Drawing
A commissioned pencil drawing is a drawing someone pays you to draw specifically for her. Found Friend asked me to draw a view out the windows of the small chapel at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers. First, I took photos. Second, I did 2 sketches to see if either one fit her vision. Found […]
A Found Friend Commissions A Pencil Drawing
“Commissioned Pencil Drawing” is a straightforward title for a nice story of friendship and inspiration. I have a friend from summer camp when we were in grade school. We cannot remember the summer we met. We lost touch. She and my older sister became friends as adults. Last summer I was reading one of my […]
More Paintings in Place
“Painting” singular, in place, is more accurate. Yesterday I showed you paintings hanging in friends’ homes, friends who collect my art specifically, or collect the art of local artists in general. Some buy it because they love my work and then they become friends, some buy it because they love me. It’s nice to be […]