Category: Mineral King

Mineral King, Real and Painted

Time for some Mineral King, because I had a rough painting week with all those “Little Bit Too Hards”.

I can paint Mineral King! Yes I can!!

mineral king oil painting

This is the first time I am painting Farewell Gap with that giant red fir on the left gone. GONE. Cut down. Bye-bye, big fir. Hello little red fir behind it that always made the front one look messy.

1529 FG XVIII

Farewell Gap XVIII, 8×10″, oil paint on wrapped canvas, $100

Now, for a look at some Mineral King photos, taken by Trail Guy, because Fridays are for Mineral King.

Sierra Columbine

Penstemmon, AKA “Pride of the Mountains

View from a mining tunnel on Empire Mt.

Mariposa Lily

P.S. We have had some great times with different groups in Mineral King. A class from Western Michigan University about Walt Disney came up to Mineral King and we got to show them where Disney had dreamed of a ski resort. A family from Chicago visited and we got to hike with them (“we” mostly being Trail Guy, since I headed back down the hill to paint things that are a little too hard for me). I choose to not take photos of people for posting in the blog – feels as if it is a violation of their privacy.

And More New Mineral King Oil Paintings

As promised in yesterday’s blog post, here are more new (and 2 refreshed) oil paintings of Mineral King, a regular source of inspiration for this Central California artist, also known as “A Regionalist from Quaintsville”. However, when thinking of Mineral King, “Gorgeousville” is a better name!

005 MK Valley 010 Mineral King a.m. 1527 Saw XV 1532 Vandever, MK

From top to bottom: Mineral King Valley, 12×16, $200; Mineral King Morning, 11×14, $175; Sawtooth XV, 6×6″, $55; Vandever, Mineral King, 6×6″, 55.

The titles aren’t clever, but they are accurate. I went ninja crazy (WHAT does this mean??) on the painting end of things, but stayed normal (non-ninja?) on the titles.

New Mineral King Oil Paintings

Mineral King is a continual source of inspiration for this Central California artist. I believe it is one of the best places in Tulare County and probably in all of Central California.

Two weeks ago I went on a focused Mineral King oil painting binge. Might even have been ninja crazy, although I still don’t know what that means. (just like the sound of it)

Here are a few of the results:

1528 Saw XIV 1533 MK Stream 1534 Bear 1535 Marmot

From top to bottom: Sawtooth XIV, 8×10″, $100; Mineral King Stream, 8×8″, $90; Bear, 6×6″, $55; Marmot, 6×6″, $55.

All are oil on wrapped canvas, ready for hanging. They are currently at the Silver City Resort, 4 miles below Mineral King (unless they have already been bought and taken home with people of disposable income and excellent taste.)

There will be more – stay tuned for more new and refreshed Mineral King oil paintings tomorrow!

Mineral King Summer Storm

The summer storms continue in Mineral King.

This is how things looked on Thursday, July 2, 2015.

Trail Guy went hiking the next day to check out the effects of the flood. Trail erosion, high water marks, usually empty sink holes now full – none of that makes for good photos. So, have a look at White Chief with water flowing!

Dragon flies – can you see them?

Painting Mineral King

My oil paintings of Mineral King are selling steadily. This means I’d better get those paint brushes moving. Now that there are no drawing lessons, I have an extra day each week for painting.

There is a method. I don’t just paint whatever floats my boat. Instead, I take inventory. Hmmm, how many Farewell Gaps of what size? Is there anything else with water? How many Sawtooths of which sizes? Haven’t done any animals lately. . .

And while I’m on the subject, there are a couple of Mineral King paintings in the “I Paint Better Now” category. Might as well freshen them up.

First pass, hanging to dry.

Will these 2 Sawtooth paintings dry in time to scan before I take them to the Silver City Store, 4 miles below Mineral King? Better hang them outside in the summer heat.

A bear and a marmot! Trail Guy is getting great photos for me. The bottom 2 are the I Paint Better Nows.

This scene is so classic. 2 sizes, 2 different times of summer.

P.S. Call me “Butter” because I’m on a roll!

A Business Trip to Mineral King

The last time I was in Mineral King, I did almost nothing. Accomplished quite a bit of knitting, but went nowhere and did nothing else. Read a little. But went nowhere.

The shadow beneath the bridge was nice. This photo has been enhanced, because the reality is that there is mostly brown, brownish gray, and brownish green in the scene. California is very brown, including the governor. Brown, brown, brown.

Sawtooth looked quite fetching on the way up the hill. (It is gray, not brown.)

There is some subtle color (enhanced browns?) on Vandever, which is the right half of Farewell Gap.

Each of these photos will make a decent painting, particularly if I juice up the colors.

Hey! I did do something. Gathering photos for future paintings is something. In fact, I think it must have been a business trip!

Mineral King in Summer

Despite the relentless heat and lack of water in Central California, it is green in Mineral King in the summer.

Here are some recent photos taken by my husband, AKA Trail Guy.

Can you see the pika? (Pronounced “PEE-kuh”)

Upper Cobalt Lake.

Wet Spring in Mineral King

The drive up the hill was sunny, clear and hot. I stopped at my favorite bridge to contemplate some rock formations that confound me each time I paint the scene. I’m not sure these photos will add any clarity.

A few hours later, it was HAILING in Mineral King. It hailed for about 3 hours.

Look at the back steps of the cabin!!

Look out the front windows. What a hardy (dumb?) bird!

When it was over, it was over. No more precipitation, no more clouds.

But look how deep the hail is on the ground!

The water was really flowing, like it does in a normal spring after a normal winter. Wait. Is normal wet, or is normal dry? The recent normal has been dry. So, I am very very thankful for all the rain and hail we have gotten so far this spring in Mineral King. VERY. VERY.

The hail turned the corn lily into shredded wheat.

Monarch Falls was charging full! It was running like chocolate milk for a little while.

The side of West Florence reflected nicely in this puddle on the road.

The following day we walked up to Crystal Creek. These are mud flows across the trail. It was a mess.

And Crystal Creek was running at a much higher volume than over Memorial Day weekend. We didn’t measure the precipitation from those storms, but this one told our rain gauge FOUR AND ONE QUARTER INCHES!!

Hail and Quail in Mineral King

Because it was almost a non-winter, we had early access to Mineral King this year. However, it didn’t act very summerish in those early weeks. (You may recall our cold, gray, overcast, foggy and rainy Memorial Weekend.)

Two weeks later I was back, and had an exciting afternoon in the cabin.

Is this hail??

It is, but the mountain quail doesn’t mind. Wow, it really piled up out there!

It cleared up for an evening stroll, so we got to see the alpen-glow on Empire (this is the rock outcropping, not the highest part of the mountain.)

Despite our lack of precipitation during the so-called “winter” of last season, these spring storms are providing water, for which we are very grateful.

Hail remained on Sawtooth for much of the next day.

If a bit of judicious pruning was done, the point of Sawtooth would be visible in this view. I have made it visible with pencils several times (all sold, no records, sigh.) I think of this as Tim and Judy’s view, because they were married close by 19 years ago. (or was it 21 years??) We’ve lost touch with several moves and 3 adopted children later, but they will remain forever in my heart.

Maybe it is time to paint this scene. Mineral King provides an endless source of inspiration.

Related link:

Mineral King opening weekend

Hiking in Mineral King

While I was painting diligently at home in Three Rivers, Trail Guy, who is retired, was hiking in Mineral King. He now has possession of the little camera that I used to carry around, so he documents his hikes for me to share with you. Or maybe he does it simply to share with me? Whatevs. Here are some photos from a couple of forays in the earlier spring months.

Trail Guy met a couple of guys from Germany. If he told me their names, I forgot. How about Gunther and Rolf? This was on the way up toward Farewell Gap.

Isn’t it cold and gray here? Brrrr.

It is actually a great time of year to see stuff when all the growth is low and the bears are out.

Hi, Bear.

Pussy Paws! (and some sunshine)

Marmot!

Evidence of human habitation, back in the mining era of Mineral King

A splendiforous view from the Timber Gap trail. Trail Guy has a couple of loop hikes that he repeats several times over the course of a summer. This one is the Empire loop.

And this is the view I used on my first big mural in Exeter, called “Mineral King: In Our Backyard” (named by Trail Guy, of course!)

Related Links:

Mineral King: In Our Backyard

Empire Hike