Finishing the Sequoia Panel

The first day of painting on the sequoia panel was way too hot, with the sun pounding on me and drying out my palette. The second day of painting took place inside the workshop with the doors closed and the swamp cooler roaring. I didn’t think there would be enough light, so I set up the ott light floor lamp. Maybe it will all look wrong when it is seen in pure daylight. . .

The sky needed a second coat, and while working on it, OF COURSE I slopped paint over onto the tree and all the foliage.

Next I reworked the ground. The paint didn’t dry nearly as fast as when the bright sun shone on it. (duh)

The lower left greenery in the background came next, then foliage on the big tree, the lower right greenery, and finally, the wood on the tree.

Finished, photographed in low light.

Finished, photographed with the doors opened.

This is approximately 54-1/2 X 23-3/4”. It’s kind of heavy, and it has hanging wire on the back.

Do you think that $450 is a good price for this? The smaller ones sold for $250. I didn’t measure them, but am guessing they were in the neighborhood of 18 X 36”.

Someone needs a business manager around here. . . perhaps an administrative assistant. . . then this would need to be priced at $900 in order to pay him.

NOPE, NOT SHIPPING IT, SO DON’T ASK!

Drawing an Iconic Business in Three Rivers

Reimer’s Candies and Ice Cream is a destination and a landmark in Three Rivers, California. It is now on its fourth owner in my lifetime, and it is just as busy as ever, just as popular, just as magnetic.

I drew it for the second owners, people with the name of Reimer, who bought it from the Huffakers, the folks who started the business. The Reimers commissioned me and then used my drawing on a thank you card to include in every box of candy that they shipped out. Owners #3 did the same.

By the time owner #4 came along, the drawing was too many generations away from the original to look good any more, and the printer I used to use is most likely out of business.

We tried to foof it up, to make it good enough to use, but alas, not even Photoshop was up to the pixelation and moray patterns that resulted in printing from a print that had been printed from a print. . .

When owner #4 asked me how to get more cards printed, I suggested that he hire me to draw it again. He agreed, saying that some changes have been made to the property, so I took photos from as many angles as I could manage, trying to arrive when the light was decent but before the crowds.

After studying the photos, I decided a new angle would give it a new look, and did this sketch.

The owner understood that it was just a rough sketch and knows that I can actually draw, so once he approved the sketch, I began.

First, I figured out the main dimensions, which is lots of math and measuring.

Then I moved into getting it laid out on the paper. (This is 14×17”.)

Finally, I began shading in the upper left hand corner so that my hand won’t drag the graphite all over the paper.

Then I schlepped my self back to the house to collapse in a chair and wait for the most totally excellent husband, AKA Trail Guy, to tell me that dinner was ready. As is often the case, I spent the evening questioning my ability to accomplish this drawing, to capture all the detail, to do as good a job as when I could see without a magnifying glass over the table.

As is often the case, I also questioned my pricing, but this is Tulare County, and I’m not about to “gouge” my customers! What constitutes gouging? I dunno. Locals say my prices are high; people from far away say they are low.

Maybe owner #4 will provide some dark chocolate with the final payment.

Painting Another Sequoia Panel (+ an Infomercial)

The panel isn’t made out of sequoia wood; the panel is made out of ?? wood, and I am painting a sequoia tree on it. Sequoia gigantea is the official name for the redwood trees in Sequoia National Park, not the redwoods of northern California, called Sequoia sempervirens. Those are tall; ours are thick.

Two wooden panels with sequoia trees sold quickly this summer. I poked around in the garage and found a larger panel with a sky blue background already painted on it. It seemed too big, but then I figured, “Why not?” After inquiring with the manager of the Silver City Store whether or not she had room, she said to paint it and bring it up the hill.

I opened the big doors to the painting workshop and propped the panel against my two easels. This was great in theory, but the morning sun is very strong and very hot on this area. Oh well, I’ve soldiered through heat many times in my life in Central California, AKA The Central Valley, AKA the San Joaquin Valley. Let’s just git-‘er-dun!

Here is the sloppy beginning.

Shade is creeping down the top of the panel, providing hope that perhaps I didn’t begin too early in the day.

Never mind. I was hotting to death out there, so I went back to the house for some cold water and a cooling break. Even the deer were smart enough to be in the shade, and I was too hot to yell, “GET OFF MY LAWN!” (Yes, that is my lawn, which is more like a meadow since, per my request, it doesn’t get mowed all summer in the hopes that it will become thicker; it might be working, now in year 5 of this unconventional landscaping approach.)

Slightly refreshed, I returned to the job and painted until I couldn’t stand the heat anymore. Besides, I had a lunch date with 3 friends in Three Rivers, which is a bit of a big deal to me. Eating out isn’t a regular part of my life.

Infomercial

My friends chose the River View. It has been about 7 or 8 years since I was there, and it is now on owner #3 since then. It always puzzles me to see how crowded it is, with cars lining the road, more cars than it seems they will have tables and chairs for. A driver needs to creep very very slowly past that place, because of the great crowds. Well, River View AND Reimer’s Candies. . . almost next door to one another.

We ate outside, where there were misters, fans, and shade. It was noisy (the fans). The food was fine, but it wasn’t Sierra Subs or Tony’s Taverna. The service was good. And I was shocked by how expensive lunch was—I spent $26 just for me. A turkey melt (I ended up pulling off the non-descript white bread and setting it aside) with sweet potato fries, the only fried food I like. Had to really load up on vegetables later that day.

Yikes. No wonder I don’t eat out much. (Sierra Subs is my go-to choice in case you were wondering.)

Thus we conclude this infomercial for eateries in Three Rivers.

A Beary Odd Job

From time to time, I get asked to do an odd job, something that requires a bit of paint, a bit of skill*, and the willingness to try.

Remember this? A Welcome Bear

Or this one? Little Bucky 1, Little Bucky 2

Here is the latest one in my collection of unusual jobs. This bear’s job is to hold up a round glass table; mine was to paint him.

*Actually, I think it requires confidence working with paint and paint brushes, but probably not a lot of skill.

Four Reasons that Selling Art Makes Me Happy

  • It gives me confidence to continue.
  • It clears out inventory to make room for new art.
  • It affirms that I am not wasting my life making things that no one needs or wants.
  • It provides an income, because life costs money.

Now let’s look at the pieces that have sold in the last several months, at Kaweah Arts, Stem & Stone, Exeter’s Mural Gallery, the Silver City Store, and through my website and people I know.

Three disclaimers:

  • Had I owned the new scanner when many of these were completed, they would look better here on your screen.
  • All paintings look better in person.
  • You have seen some of these already, since I often show you them in progress.

Thank you for sharing in my happiness, and remember:

USING PENCILS, OIL PAINT, AND MURALS, I MAKE ART YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, OF PLACES AND THINGS YOU LOVE, FOR PRICES THAT WON’T SCARE YOU.

P.S. Excuse me for shouting. Sometimes I get a little over-excited.

Two in the Wild

A faraway friend got a thrill and texted me about it.

She was in the downtown area of her town, went into a gift shop, and was floored to see two pencil drawings of Mineral King. Upon recognizing them, she took some photos and texted me.

These were reproduction prints which used to be my “bread and butter” type art. It was almost automatic when I finished a new drawing to get it printed, sign, number, package, and sell it.

I guess someone who lives 700 miles away got tired of these two drawings and somehow they ended up in this gift shop.

This is Beulah, which was the historic name of Mineral King. The collage was done using historic photos, and these prints didn’t sell nearly as well as drawings of current scenes. It is priced at $295!!

That’s okay. I get tired of the art hanging on my walls and rotate it out. Unless it is my own painting. Wait, I do pull those off the walls if they seem appropriate for a particular show or a potential customer has expressed an interest.

This is my first version of Farewell Gap with the Crowley Family cabin. I’ve drawn it many times since, and if you look at the drawings in chronological order, the growth is evident. (The growth of the artist’s skill, not those trees, one of which is now history.) This is priced at $150 or maybe $195—my spy was so excited that she forgot the amount!

The shop owner was quite thrilled; having someone recognize the subject and the artist validated her selection of merchandise.

Thank you, ‘70s Ranger Daughter Mari for discovering this “vintage cabin art”!! And thank you for getting in touch to tell me the story and sharing your photos!

Honesty, Diplomacy, and Wisdom

I have a wise friend who is both diplomatic and honest. She told me that a few of my paintings didn’t reflect my usual care, or perhaps she said they weren’t up to my usual standards— “lacking in detail and clarity”. (There were a couple of paragraphs so I’m summarizing here.)

I blamed the old scanner, but then decided to retouch the paintings after studying them in person. I can always add more detail to a painting! The difficulty is in knowing when to stop. Most painters say that they don’t stop soon enough; I say most painters need to keep going.

Sawtooth #68

Here are the old scanner and new scanner versions, both before retouching.

The scan was poor, and the painting could use more detail. Some people paint blurry, but I’m not in that club. Not on purpose, anyway.

Here is the do-over and the scan on the new scanner. Still doesn’t look as good as it does in person. You’ll have to trust me on this.

Maybe it’s more evident if I put old and new side-by-side.

The color and detail still aren’t accurate, but it is better.

Sawtooth #69

It was definitely time to replace the old scanner.

Three progress photos for you.

Let’s do a side-by-side before-and-after of this one. And again, the color isn’t coming through very well, so trust on your part is required here.

Thank you, my honest, diplomatic, and wise friend!

Beach Birds or Shore Birds?

I got to know someone from New Jersey when I attended college in San Diego. Most of us said “beach”, but our New Jersey suite mate said “shore”. Actually I think she said “sho-ah”.

The owners of my pier drawing asked me to draw some “shore birds”, but I think they are both native Californians. That’s okay, I knew what they meant.

I got ahead of myself, and stopped drawing to ask this question: “Do you want me to make them exactly the same as in the one you saw on my blog, or may I have freedom to move the birds around and add some more?”

The answer came back thus: “I didn’t save the picture from the blog, so I can’t answer you precisely- however I think the artist’s choice would be most satisfactory. Just not too busy – the wave action in the pier drawing is kind of serene, so the shore birds might reflect the same.”

So, I changed my drawing a bit by erasing a few birds from this first version:

Then I darkened a few things, added some rocks, and finished the wet sand.

This will look excellent with the pier. Let me demonstrate here for you to admire.

I sure have a hankering to go to the beach. Or the shore. Even the sho-ah would be amazing.

July is Here!

I don’t remember what pier this is. It is somewhere on the Central California coast.

I might be at jury duty today. After I got the summons, I sent in the excuse form which said that I am unavailable most months of the year except July, August, and December, when I am not teaching drawing lessons.

The county immediately sent me a summons for July 1. Oh boy.

Eager to Draw

Last year some fine folks of impeccable taste bought this pencil drawing. A few months later, they saw this drawing on my blog and decided it would be a nice companion to the pier.

It would, but whoever owns it would likely disagree. Fortunately for these fine folks of impeccable taste, I accept commissions; fortunately for me, they would like a new drawing, this time in the same shape and size as the pier.

They sent the dimensions, said “no rush”, and I started immediately. I love the beach and by drawing this, it feels somewhat as if I am spending time there. Besides, another two commissions are stuck in Waiting Customer Approval or Waiting for a Deposit mode.

I laid out the size, and determined where the horizon belongs. I think that the 2 photos on the left were what I worked from last time. Those were taken with a film camera, so it’s been awhile…

I now have many more and better quality beach bird photos, so i started experimenting with placement and sizes. This time I carried it outside into the hot bright sun to photograph.

Unsure of bird placement other than that one Jonathan Livingston, I jumped to the sky and water. S’posed to be working top to bottom, left to right so I don’t smear, so shading the birds would have been premature.

It was too hot outside, so now the photos will be a little crummier for you.

Quite an assortment of birds.

That drawing is a lousy print of a lousy photograph of the earlier drawing. You can see I’ve got quite a stack of photos to refer to

Suddenly I got nervous. I forgot to ask my customers a very important question before beginning: Do you want the same birds as in the previous drawing, or can I do a new assortment?

Hmmm, I might end up with a beach bird drawing to store in my flat files and then need to start over.

Every single custom job I do has all sorts of ways I can mess up. You’d think that after this many years, I’d know of all the possible ways to avoid this sort of hazardous situation. You might need to have another think.

I really like the assortment, the big crashing waves, the flock in the sky. If it doesn’t suit my customers, maybe I’ll frame it and keep it anyway. I miss the pier drawing, because it hung by my drawing table for several years before I finally took it to the gallery where it sold.