Mineral King | Cabin Art

One More Mineral King Oil Painting?

These Mineral King oil paintings seem to be reproducing while I have my back turned. Maybe I should have left the light on, or maybe I should not have taken that road trip.

Ha. Don’t I wish they just reproduced on their own.

This is the one that was on my easel when I started the series about the most popular scene in Mineral King.

Farewell Gap #24, 11x14, oil on wrapped canvas, $250 — Farewell Gap #24, 11×14, oil on wrapped canvas, sold

Yes, I realize there is a numbering problem. How can this be #24 when I have shown you 32 other versions?

Life’s full of unknowns, unsolved mysteries, and other conundrums.

If the plural of medium is media, shouldn’t the plural of conundrum be “conundra”? English is weird, but I still prefer it to Artspeak.

Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

The Last Oil Paintings in Mineral King

“Last” is one of those many faceted English words. Here it means the most recent Farewell Gap, Mineral King oil paintings.

4x4" - wow that was tiny! — 4×4″ – wow that was tiny!

Farewell Gap XIX - wait, does this mean #19? Are there 2 of this number?? — Farewell Gap XIX – wait, does this mean #19? Are there 2 of this number??

Another unnumbered Farewell Gap painting

Farewell Gap XVIII - notice the red fir on the left has shrunk. — Farewell Gap XVIII – notice the red fir on the left has shrunk.

Farewell Gap IXX - does this mean #19?? — Farewell Gap IXX – does this mean #19??

Farewell Gap XX - hmmm, haven't we had that number already? And how did the fir tree grow back? — Farewell Gap XX – hmmm, haven’t we had that number already? And how did the fir tree grow back?

Farewell Gap XXIII, and the fir is tall because I like it that way, so there.

There are more depictions of Farewell Gap, on murals, in pencil and in 2 coloring books (drawn in ink). However, in the interest of relieving monotony, I won’t continue this theme in other media. (Did you know that “media” is the plural of “medium”? “Medium” when it means material used for making art, not the size of my clothing.)

End of Summer in Mineral King

I know, I keep saying it is the end of summer in Mineral King. The weekend after Labor Day was very warm, and it was a fun time with some friends who rented a fancy-pants cabin (a “chalet”) in Silver City.

Trail Guy throwing rocks at Soda Springs

Black Wolf mining tunnel doesn't seem creepy with a strong flashlight. — Black Wolf mining tunnel doesn’t seem creepy with a strong flashlight.

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And Yet More Mineral King Oil Paintings

4x4" Farewell Gap 2014 — 4×4″ Farewell Gap 2014

Farewell Gap XVIII, 2015 (This is my favorite.) Short fir tree on the left!

Farewell Gap IXX, 2015 Short fir on the left.

Farewell Gap XX, 2015 Double short firs.

Tomorrow we will take a final look at the Farewell Gap paintings.

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Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

Still Oil Painting in Mineral King

Not really oil painting in Mineral King – oil paintings of Mineral King, painted in Three Rivers.

As a studio artist, I work from my photos. The variations are based on size and shape of painting (square, rectangular, really rectangular – and never horizontal for this scene, although that is an interesting idea). The variations also happen with time of day and time of year and type of snowfall and flow of water AND where I stood to take the photo. Plus, sometimes I juice up the colors a little more than natural. Sometimes I work at tight realism, and other times I try to loosen up. That isn’t natural to me, but is certainly faster.

These all look sort of dark, but I think it was the way I photographed them, not the paintings themselves. 2014 wasn’t a dark year. 2015 was a dark year, but we’ll have to see if that sadness was reflected in my paintings tomorrow.

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More Farewell Gap, Mineral King Oil Paintings

Happy Birthday, Diana Banana!!

Since I have about 32 oil paintings of Farewell Gap with the Crowley family cabin in Mineral King, let’s keep going. You can evaluate my progress (or lack thereof).

I painted it often in 2012.

Farewell Gap X, 2012 (this one seems particularly realistic)

Farewell Gap, XI, 2012 (this one is also very realistic)

The Roman numeral numbering system isn’t consistent here. Sometimes I called a small version simply “Mineral King”, sometimes I included it in the consecutive numbering.

Come back on Monday to see how I painted the scene in 2013.

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Mineral King oil paintings oil paintings

The Last Weekend of Summer in Mineral King

Why do we think that Labor Day is the last weekend in summer? Doesn’t summer go until around the 21st of September? Tell the weather that – it ALWAYS is cooler on Labor day weekend in Mineral King.

It was a difficult weekend (see Tuesday’s post). It was also full of friendship and a tiny bit of getting out and about.

Not much to say, so have a look. The first 4 photos are Trail Guy’s from the days leading up to Labor Day weekend.

Bigelow's Sneezeweed — Bigelow’s Sneezeweed

Michael's little friends — Michael’s little friends

Mineral King Mineral King photography

The Same Mineral King Scene

I paint the same Mineral King scenes over and over. One in particular sells very well. It is the classic Mineral King scene, the view from the bridge at the end of the road. Farewell Gap, the East Fork of the Kaweah River and the Crowley family cabin.

Let’s look at these in order of painting. There are variations in time of year, color of light, amount of snow on the peaks, amount of water in the stream, size of the fir tree on the left, arrangement on the canvas, and skill level of the artist. (Don’t mention this to my boss – she’ll get worried that I might ask for a raise.)

There are 32 of these in my iPhoto, but I don’t think that corresponds with the way I’ve titled them. Sometimes I can’t count very well. (Oh great, there goes my raise.)

And no, I won’t put all 32 in this post. They also might not be in order of getting painted. (There goes my raise for sure.)

Now there is a gap in time. Either I numbered the paintings wrong, or I took a big break from painting Farewell Gap. I think I spent a few years painting nothing but oranges, trying to get more comfortable with oil painting.

This might have been a repaint to the 2nd one above. Oh man, don’t tell my boss. She would be shocked, dismayed and disappointed at my shoddy record keeping.

Stop by again tomorrow for more Farewell Gap Mineral King oil paintings.

Mineral King oil paintings

Mineral King Friendships

It is an interesting phenomenon of a seasonal community like Mineral King that friendships can be formed on the basis of a few days a year over the course of many years.

A prime example is our relationship with the Sawtooth Six, our neighbors for 4 days a year over the last 30-something years.

It took me quite a few years to learn their names. We used to find out when they were visiting and plan to be gone that weekend. Now everyone has grown up, and we anticipate the Sawtooth Six’s visit with pleasure.

Kurt and Scott are fascinated by the repartee of their host, AKA Cabin Owner

Jon gathers hiking wisdom from Trail Guy.

Scott defends the “or derves” (nope, not spelling that word) from the voracious meat bees, always a threat in August.

Ted wonders how he got mixed up with such a motley crew.

The gracious and kind Cabin Owner is a wonderful neighbor and friend.

Hey Jon, I know you are reading this! Thanks for cooperating for this very cute photo.

A professor wears his clean socks in the dirt and no one knows why. Eccentric, perhaps? Provocative? Hard to say with this one.

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Trail Guy Gets Social

Trail Guy is an introvert. However, sometimes he mingles and socializes with animals.

Hey, Spot!

Sometimes he socializes with people.

This is Craig. He is at the East Fork of the Kaweah River, below Atwell Mill. Reminds me of an oil painting, appropriately titled “Below Atwell”. 1501 atwell

This is Blair. He is very social, and while talking to someone on the trail, that someone told Blair, “You look a lot like Robert Redford!” (He does.) Trail Guy was waiting patiently on the trail above until he got tired of waiting. Then he yelled, “Come on, Robert! Let’s Go!” (I have it from a reliable source that Redford’s friends call him “Bob”. I’ve let Trail Guy know in case he needs that info in the future.)

What? No people? Trail Guy, where are your peeps?? (Not telling where this is, nope, gotta keep the people out of some of the really special places. Except now Blair knows.)