Tulare County Beauty

As a Central California artist in Tulare County, it is my mission, goal and duty to portray the beauty of this place I live.

Yesterday I showed you oil paintings as examples of the various subjects I paint that fall into a category I call “Because People Like It”.

However, I didn’t show you my latest paintings in several of those categories.

Let’s try this again:

  1. Sequoia (this painting is still in progress – I wasn’t kidding when I said “latest”.)IMG_0953
  2. Mineral King: (top painting – 6×6″, bottom painting 8×8″)1512 Honeymoon XX1513 Honeymoon XX
  3. Citrus 1444 Blmng Orngs III
  4. Poppies IMG_1110
  5. Three Rivers NFKaweah IX 1412

Most of these paintings are available through this page of my website. Excuse me for sounding sellsy. (It is a part of the way I earn my living.)

Painting Subjects That Sell in Tulare County

If you want to earn your living as an artist, it is important to paint things that people want to buy. I think of these subjects as Because People Like It. In Tulare County, there are some stand-outs, and I try to keep them on hand in various sizes.

  1. Sequoia – the Big Trees, park attractions like Tunnel Log, Moro Rock, Crescent Meadow and Tharp’s Log Sunny Sequoias XXV
  2. Mineral King – Farewell Gap, the Honeymoon Cabin, the Crowley Cabin, and Sawtooth. There are some other Mineral King subjects that sell occasionally and I add them in for variety – Timber Gap, a foot bridge or two, trails, Vandever, views around the valley.Farewell Gap XVII
  3. Citrus – oranges off or on the tree, orange blossoms, and the occasional lemon or tangerine/clementine/mandarin1439 Blooming Oranges 2
  4. Poppies – in fields, by themselves, in groups, against a blue sky, against a green background, lots and lots of California’s state flower.poppy IV
  5. Three Rivers – the Kaweah Post Office, the river (any fork will do), views of Kaweah Lake, views of Alta Peak with Moro Rock, and the Oak Grove Bridge (this might be due to my biased view of this Tulare County Treasure).1448 KaweahR VIII

Sold Sunflowers

Remember I talked about painting things just because I love them? That is a different category than painting something because it sells.

Sometimes, the things I paint for myself sell quickly. This is a mixed blessing – WAIT! I wanted that one! Oh. That’s right. I paint to sell things. It beats getting a job.

A friend/customer stopped by one afternoon and fell in love with the sunflowers.

This is how they looked at the time of her visit:

sunflower oil paintings

Together we evaluated them. We agreed that the yellow one is brilliant, and that the orange one doesn’t quite have the pizzazz.

It didn’t matter to my friend because she wants to buy them both. I told her I’d study up on the orange one – probably just needs more color and contrast, the usual things. (Other common things that are lacking are sharp and fuzzy edges or needing more detail – it isn’t all color and contrast).

Her husband called me to say he wants to buy them for her for their anniversary. I delivered the yellow one wrapped, and when the orange one is dry, it will join its brother.

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First, let’s get that hanger problem fixed. The mini green sunflower belongs at the bottom edge of the painting, not on the side. Since I paint these 6×6″ oils while holding them in my hand and rotating them around and around, sometimes they get sideways. I reattached the hanger, painted out and repainted my signature.

Done yet? After a few more layers of a brighter yellow, I think I will stop now.

 

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Okay, now I think this one is worthy of joining the yellow sunflower!

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Sunflower Paintings

Today, let’s review sunflower oil paintings.

sunflower paintings in progress

I am painting them because they look happy. The category is Because I Want To.

sunflower paintings in progress

Painting happens in stages.

sunflower oil paintings

These may now be finished, or may need a couple of touch ups before letting go.

Go ahead, admit it – they make you feel ever so slightly happy when you see them!

P.S. I have little bitty sunflower plants in my garden and am hoping they survive deer, drought, pill bugs and gophers so they can bloom and bring happiness.

One Bridge, Two Paintings

1521 Paradise bridge

Buckeye Bridge 3

After finishing the 6×6″ painting of the Buckeye Bridge AKA the Paradise Bridge, I studied it along with the 12×16″ version. Why was the 6×6″ more appealing?

More contrast. Brighter colors. These are the usual reasons.

Now, the larger painting has brighter colors. When it is dry, I’ll rescan it and then we can compare apples to apples, or bigger paintings to bigger paintings, to be literal about it. (This is just photographed while wet on the wall rather than wreck my scanner by putting oil paint on the glass. I’m just cautious like that.) When it is dry, I’ll scan it so we can truly compare the before and after.

buckeye bridge

 

One Bridge, Two Friends, Two Paintings

A few years ago, I was hiking with a friend. She wasn’t familiar with the foothills of Sequoia National Park, so I took her to see the Buckeye Bridge. She exclaimed, “Oh my, that is so beautiful! If you paint it, I will buy it!”

Being a realist (both as an artist and in life), I recognized the exclamation as an emotional reaction to beauty, a momentary response rather than a commission to paint.

I also recognized the scene as a potential subject, so I painted it.

Buckeye Bridge 3

Buckeye Bridge, 12×16″, oil on wrapped canvas, $225

When my friend saw the 12×16″ oil painting, she asked how much. I told her the price of $225, and she got all quiet. Then she said, “Oh. I thought it might be around $75.”

Ahem.

Doesn’t matter. I used the painting in my 2015 calendar of paintings called “Beautiful Tulare County”. Another friend who shares my love of art and this area, got all excited when she turned to the May page of her calendar. Her friend’s dad helped to build that bridge, and she commissioned me to paint it 6×6″ as a gift for that friend.

buckeye bridge painting

It is almost finished – maybe a few more little touches and then a signature.

I paint better now. The original painting will get moved into the category of “Do Over”, AKA “I Paint Better Now”. Or, perhaps I photograph better now?

More Better Than Before

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First, I get an idea. . . sunflowers!

Second, I look through my photos. . . sunflowers, where are they, I know I have some good ones, AHA, right under the category of florals.

Third, I attach a hanger, write a name and inventory number on the back, list it on the inventory list. . . Sunflower, Orange Sunflower (clever, eh?)

Fourth, I start painting. . . oh boy, this is sort of complex. Does it matter if I actually include every single petal?

Fifth, I paint again. . . okay, this is starting to look possible.

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Now it is better than before. And it will continue to improve.

Improvement in my book means more detail, greater contrast, more accuracy.

Better Than Before

Better Than Before is the title of a book I want to read by Gretchen Rubin. It is about how to develop good habits. She is the author of The Happiness Project and Happier At Home. She is an excellent researcher, but more importantly, she has a gift for summarizing her research in a simple, helpful and entertaining way. Her writing is full of personal examples and stories, and I follow her blog and podcast because if I lived in New York, I’d hang out with her!

The reason I called this post “Better Than Before” is because I have paintings in progress and can show you how they looked at the beginning of a work day and at the end.

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The two paintings of the Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King weren’t on that day’s schedule. Or, maybe they were, but I got too involved with the other three paintings. They were dry-ish enough to take to the Redbud Festival.

(I’ll tell you about the Redbud Festival later this week.)

Meanwhile, here are Gretchen’s books and links to her podcast and blog.

The Happiness Project

Happier At Home

Better Than Before

My Favorite Bridge #11

The Oak Grove Bridge, 6.5 miles up the Mineral King Road, is my favorite bridge and favorite subject to draw and to paint. This is the 11th time I’ve painted it in oil, and although this is only partway to being finished, you may see it now.

OGB XI

As I did last time, I am exaggerating the colors. Why? Because I like it that way!

Do you like it brighter than the colors of real life?

An Attempt to Lighten Up

Sometimes when life is hard, it helps to focus on lighter things. (Life has gobsmacked my family – you can read about my brother-in-law here.)

So, these 2 little gems are in progress.

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Doesn’t look like I know how to paint at this stage, although I’ve seen paintings of this caliber sold for big money.

I wonder if those artists are laughing all the way to the bank or if they actually did their best?

None of my beeswax. . . it is my job to do my very best for my customers.

Don’t you just wonder sometimes about lots of stuff? Nah, you prolly just watch teevee and have another beer. I’m sure that must be the demographic that reads my blog.

Just kidding! Trying to keep things light here. Buffoonery is a method of coping.