Big Tree, Again

The 6×18″ oil painting of a giant Sequoia, AKA Big Tree, sold at Kaweah Arts, an art consignment shop. When Nancy, the proprietor, let me know, I asked if it was bought by a friend or relative who felt sorry for me. She said that it went home to Wisconsin with a woman who always buys art to commemorate her travels. 

Alrightythen! Looks like a winner of a subject for this store, so I’d better get cracking on another one.

I chose the photo with a more extreme angle of peering upward into the tree, but then just started making up things. After painting too many redwood trees to count, I feel fairly confident just winging it.*

It isn’t finished. More sky should be showing among the upper foliage, the ground is not right, the grasses along the bottom are too even, and the tree itself needs more detail and contrast.

*Apparently this rogue knitter and rogue baker is becoming a rogue oil painter too.

Big Trees in Order

After posting about Seven Big Tree Oil Paintings, it seemed like a good idea to figure out when I painted which one so I could see them in order and decide if I am improving or going the other direction. So, here they are in order.

2012
2012, a little later
2013
2013, a little later 
2017 (a gap of 4 years?!)
2018
2021 (a 3 year gap?!)

Interesting – I think the 2 best are the first and the last. So much depends on the quality of the photo, and I don’t have very many to choose from that show the entire tree. But there is also the color variance from photo to photo and tree to tree. As I gain confidence, which happens with experience, I am able to just figure out what colors please me rather than feeling bound to the photo.

If you want a tree like this, the size is 6×18″, the price $165 (plus tax if you live in California). Of course there are larger canvas sizes available (smaller too, but those are for younger eyes and fingers more agile than mine at manipulating paintbrushes). Remember, 

I make art you can understand, of places and things you love, for prices that won’t scare you.

(I hope $165 isn’t scary).

Seven Big Tree Oil Paintings

Sequoias, Big Trees, Redwoods. Since discovering the 6×18″ canvas size, I have painted redwoods on them seven times.

You can see that sometimes I used the same photo. I don’t know if these are shown here in the order painted, but I know for sure the last one is the most recent (and still quite wet at the time of this writing). I happen to like it best, which is a good sign that my skills have improved.

P.S. These trees are in Tulare County, right here in California’s flyover country. They are something about which we can feel good. There are many things about which we can feel good here, but if you know someone who wants to move here, go ahead and remind them that we are fat, uneducated, and poor. Oh, and there is high unemployment, bad air, and no Trader Joe’s either.

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

Growing a Big Tree

The Big Trees, AKA Redwoods, AKA Sequoia Gigantea, take centuries to achieve their height and girth. Nay, millennia! In my painting workshop, they take about 2 days to 2 months, depending on the size of the canvas. 

Orange groves were holding my interest more than Big Trees for awhile. But, this is an art BUSINESS, and it is prudent to paint what people want to buy. So, I returned to this painting. Here are the steps of growth.

The tree is unnamed, based on a photo of a named tree, but not followed exactly. Why not? Because the colors were a bit dull and the details were obscured either by poor light or branches. Exactness is required in architecture, portraiture, and some landscapture. 

I made that last word up so it would match.

Big Tree, 6×18″, oil on wrapped canvas, $165 plus the dreaded state sales tax (which most likely will be wasted but it is one of the prices we pay for living in the Golden State.)

Usual disclaimer that all my paintings look better in person.

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

Distracted and Dabbling

The sold paintings and drawings are delivered, and the rest are back in my studio and workshop. The paintings I hope to sell at the Silver City Store are all ready to go, but it isn’t quite time to deliver. The only commission I had is completed and delivered. There are a couple of phone calls I could make to shake up some work, but I am distracted by other things in life.

I had a reunion with a friend from 6th or 7th grade. We met at Hartland Camp, and reunited about 5 years ago, now getting together when we can figure out a way.

Then. Scary.
Now. Possibly scarier.

Do deer eat rhododendrons? They appeared on a Deer Resistant List, so I planted one. I hope our deer read that list.

Meanwhile, I fixed the arch on the painting of the Oak Grove Bridge that has hung in a County administration building for a couple of years, and then at Arts Visalia, where I noticed that the arch wasn’t all it could be. The problem was noticed by one of my drawing students and I at the same time. She wanted to know why I was so hard on her as she drew an arched bridge but then I was casual in my own approach. (My students and I are very honest with each other because this is the best way to learn; if you want compliments on your art, show your mom.)

And I fiddled around with my giant painting that combines scenes from both Orange Cove and Lemon Cove – to be titled “Citrus Cove”, perhaps. For some reason, this feels too hard, so I am just jumping all over the canvas. (No, not literally.)

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

Citrus Against the Sierra

Nope, not a sports event, but the subject that I like painting the most right now.

Citrus Sunset, 6×12″, oil on wrapped canvas, $125 plus that annoying California sales tax.

This one is 18×36″ and it is NFS. Do you know what that means? That is an old fashioned acronym, before “acronym” was a common word.

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

More Citrus Paintings

This 6×12″ oil painting. . .

. . .held my interest more strongly than the 6×18″ of a Sequoia tree. I am having a thing for these pictures of citrus against the hills. 

It is now drying, so I started another one, this time 18×36″.

Yeppers, upside down. This one feels huge, there is no deadline, and I really think it will look excellent in my dining room. Dining area — it is just an area, not a separate room.

What is it about these scenes that floats my boat? They are truly a source of inspiration to me right now. But, as a nod to a popular piece of advice, I’m not going to overthink* it. I’d rather paint.

*Have you noticed the popularity of this? The word “overthink” keeps appearing in book titles and songs, and now of course, in people’s speech patterns (along with “literally” when “figuratively” is meant, and “at the end of the day”). Who starts these fads??

P.S. It costs a fortune to have a transplant, and while insurance covers much, there is much more that it does not cover. If you feel generous and inclined to help my friend, Rachelle, this is the best way to do so: HelpHopeLive.Org

4 Kaweahs and 1 Dream Cabin

South Fork of the Kaweah, Kaweah Post Office, Middle Fork of the Kaweah, The Kaweah River, and Forrest’s Dream Cabin, all finished. Maybe.

“Kaweah” – “kuh – WEE – uh” is the name of the river (all 5 forks) flowing through the town of Three Rivers. South Fork, Middle Fork, North Fork, East Fork, and Marble Fork – whoo-eeee, we are a 5 fork place! (But ties are never required.)

P.S. These paintings are 8×8″, 8×8″, 10×10″, 8×10″, and 20×30″. I left the Dream Cabin painting in Forrest’s office, and then didn’t hear a peep from him for 2 days. I finally emailed him with the subject line “Nervous”. He called, said, “How are you?” and I replied, “Nervous”! He was just very busy, only saw the painting late the next night, and said that it looks exactly as he was hoping and definitely better in person. Phew.

Two New Paintings Begun

With several paintings sold through Arts Visalia and Mineral King summer paintings finished, it is time to review my inventory. This is simply part of the business of art. Some artists paint what they love, others paint what sells, and the lucky ones get to do both. I move freely among all three categories.

Subjects that I always need to have on hand are: Kaweah Post Office, Kaweah River, Alta Peak/Moro Rock, Sequoia trees, oranges, poppies, citrus groves, and of course, the basics of Mineral King such as Farewell Gap with the Crowley Cabin, Sawtooth, the Oak Grove Bridge, and the Honeymoon Cabin.

This is not as boring and repetitious as one might think. It is a challenge to continue to paint the same subjects, finding different sizes, types of light, and angles, all while trying to paint better and better. After all, I want to be an artist, not just a painter.

Here are 2 new ones on the easels to beef up my inventory, or in ArtSpeak, “body of work”.

Upside down forces me to see the shapes more accurately.

Right side up helps me enjoy the process a bit more.

When I get to this stage, I am eager to start drawing with my paintbrush.

If that new retail establishment comes to fruition here in Three Rivers, I imagine I will be knocking out quite a few of these big trees in this format. 

P.S. My friend who has been waiting for new lungs GOT THEM ON SATURDAY!!

Paint On, O Painter

Am I a painter? Or am I an artist? I recently listened to a podcast by a very fine painter as he interviewed a gallery owner, and they both agreed that anyone can be a painter but not just anyone can be an artist. Today, let’s just settle for painter as I show you what is on the easels.

Here are stages on the current Kaweah River painting:

 

It is almost finished, with these tasks remaining. (1) The potato in the foreground needs to be turned into a rock (never mind how it looks in the photo or real life, because here it appears as if it could make some fine French fries). (2) Foreground grasses can be added when the painting is dry.

I love drawing with my paintbrush. I wonder if this prevents me from being a real artist, or if it actually propels me into that stratosphere. Rather than waste any more mental energy on the mystery of what makes a good artist, I will continue to make each painting the best I know how at the time — “best” being a term whose meaning is also hard to pin down. Good Grief Charlie Brown, could I just paint and stop thinking already??

My show “Still Here” is still there, at Arts Visalia, until 5 p.m. TODAY. If you would like to see me with the show, I will be there from noon until 5 (Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise.)The phone # to make an appointment to see it is 559-739-0905.