Those of you who have shared your eddress with me received an email with the subject line reading “Have you seen the elephant?” If you live in Three Rivers, you know of him. If not, here are a few paintings in which he is sort of visible on the side of Alta Peak in snow. Have fun!
The Road to Alta Peak – 8×10″ – oil on wrapped canvas – $90
Lake View VII – 16×20″ – oil on canvas in rustic wooden frame – $350
(sold)
(sold)
Tulare County Fire Station #14 at Sierra Drive and South Fork Drive
Here is a look at the building and some of the vendors and merchandise:
my space
some of Ginny Wilson’s photography (it will make you want to travel!)
Sam McKinney’s Gourd Art (you should see her miniature ornaments!)
We pierced women can always use another pair of earrings from Tina!
The painting of the wreath sold but there are plenty of other items from which to choose!
2 comments I hear from people over and over are “I’m out of wall space” and “I’m trying to be careful with money”. Here are my responses to the first: “You can rotate your art” or “Look! Small paintings on little easels look nice on a bookshelf, lamp table or fireplace mantel!” To the second, “Look at these little bitty paintings, hand-painted ornaments and packages of cards – all $20 or less!”
Here are a few more 4×6 oranges in progress – they sit on easels and are $30 each
And these little bitty paintings are $15 each:
So are these ornaments:
Not really. It sort of feels like it, but instead it is my first day working at Main Gallery. I don’t even know if it is called “Main Gallery” or “The Main Gallery”. There is no phone to answer, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’ve worked in more retail positions than I can list but never had my first day at a job without supervision! Guess I’ll put on my big girl pants and go after it. . . sometimes I love being a grown-up and other times I’d like to just let someone else step into that position. Today, the verdict is not in as to which attitude fits. Maybe if someone else would do the grocery shopping then I’d like the other parts of being a grownup. The best part of being a grown-up is doing whatever I want, which is sort of what happens while working in (the) Main Gallery. You know how at “real” jobs you have to act busy even when you aren’t? This “job” allows me to knit in between customers or work on my ‘puter or just sit. Maybe I do really like being a grownup today!
Today I added a bit more to this painting:
Can you see any difference?? (last shown on October 29)
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!
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!
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!
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.
That would be the workshop where I paint. October may be the busiest month, or perhaps it is November. There are a handful of shows/sales coming up, along with something else big and new. This means it is imperative that I produce as much a possible. Every year I am puzzled as to how I got into this squeeze – it isn’t as if the Fall shows are a surprise! Have a look at all the pieces hanging around in various stages of drying.
There was a small difficulty today – every time I returned to my chair, it was occupied by this creature:
Kaweah Kitty has brilliant green eyes, but she is not willing to pose (or to move!)
