The Story Behind a Painting

Sequoia trees are one of my biggest subjects to paint. Well, duh, they are the biggest trees in the world. But that’s not what I mean – I paint Sequoias over and over and over.

A few weeks ago a girl whom I will call SS called to say she found a Sequoia oil painting by me at an antique store. (Here in Tulare County, “antique store” can sometimes be a euphemism for “junk store”, or if you are a bit more refined, a “thrift shop”; only the truly hip think of “repurposing outlet”, and probably no one in Tulare County.) SS just wanted to know if it truly was mine, if it had been altered in any way, and what I thought.

She read me the inventory # on the back, and I found it in my extensive files of oil painting photos.

Sunny Sequoias IXX, 8×10″, sold

First thought: ‘How embarrassing!” Second thought: “I paint better now, so may I borrow it back and improve it?”

I spent too much time trying to find the photo I used to paint this, but it has vanished. Why?? Where?? Who knows?

As I was composing this blog post, I discovered that in my extensive photo records, I have the wrong title on the photo. The painting is this one:

Sunny Sequoias XI, 8×10″, sold (twice)

Or is it??

This is what SS brought to me:

It’s not the same either! When did I paint this? Where is the photo? Did I decide that after using it 3 times, it was time to retire the photo? Did I lend it to someone? What happened to the photo of the painting?

The inventory # on the back does not match the inventory # in the files of photos! And, it was a paint-over from another oil painting that did not meet my standards. The edges were not painted because I framed it. I never frame them any more and haven’t for years.

“Years”, she says, as if she’s been painting for decades instead of since March 8, 2006.

The saga continues. . .

 

On the Table and the Easels

In progress on my drawing table and on the easels:

This is a little tedious to draw because all the background foliage is just organized scribbling with lots of layers. I’ve been listening to things on the internet to keep myself from falling asleep.
There’s a story here. . . I’ll tell you later when I figure out the ending.
Oil paintings of 4×6″ pomegranate and 6×18″ Sequoia Gigantea/Redwood/Big Tree are now begun. What a mess, but each layer will bring improvement and renewed confidence in my skill. (I don’t paint well when it is hot out, and it was when I began these.)
Ever draw a gas pump? (Ever use one??) After the customer approves the pencil (graphite) part, I’ll spray fix it and then use some red colored pencils. The proportions were wrong – was I sleep-drawing? No worries – I corrected things and the finished product will be fine.
And on the chair behind me were these little hooligans, resting from their shenanigans.

Turned on the Swamp Cooler

What sort of stupid-sounding blog post title is that?

An honest one. I paint better when I am not overheated, and in spite of the calendar having turned to autumn, the swamp cooler in the painting workshop is still in use. I painted better this session than the last one because I was more comfortable.

Yuck, it is hot in here.
Much better, thanks, and yourself?

Several of these still need a signature. That is easier when the paint is dry.

 

In Progress, Pencil and Oil

It was still hot last week. I painted awhile in the workshop but didn’t turn on the swamp cooler. Probably should have. Painted slowly, quit early.

Layering the background.
More layers on the store and foreground.
The camellia is coming along nicely, and when this layer is dry, I’ll add the tiny details.

The lemons might be finished.

I retreated to the studio and turned on the air conditioner. While listening to interviews with the very smart and entertaining Mike Rowe, I began this pencil commission.

I love to draw.

Drawing #1 of the Silver City gas pump is now under way.

Painting With Distractions

There are a few small fall shows coming up beginning in October, and I don’t have any small paintings for these venues. I have large Mineral King paintings, but this is not what typical customers are seeking at boutiques, festivals and fairs.

Hence, I pulled out some photos and began planning new small oil paintings. There will be 3 on 5×7″ boards which sit on miniature easels, 3 4×6″ and 3 6×6″ oils on wrapped canvas. All will be citrus. For now. Let’s see how things go here. . . if I finish these, I might do a few pomegranates too.

Then I heard one of my favorite sounds.

Oh boy! My new walking shoes are here! I took them into the house, thought about trying them on, reminded myself that I was supposed to be working, so I had to parent myself: “Try them on when you are finished painting and go back to work NOW”.

Because these tiny paintings don’t sit on my easels, I hold them in my left hand to paint. Or I lay them flat on my rolling thing (it has an art name but I can’t remember what it is).

However, there was another distraction.Tucker was very needy, but willing to sit still on my lap so I worked around him.

More rough beginnings, but that’s okay. It is hard to concentrate when there are new shoes and kitties who need me. Besides, I was tired from getting up early to walk fast and far in the dark in worn out shoes. (A goathead went right through the bottom last week!)

I came into the studio to get some work done, to post to the blog, to cross things off my inventory list that have sold recently, to sketch a little. . . you know, just the normal art business tasks.

This time Scout was very needy. She will not sit still, licks my hand and arm and bites my watch, steps on the computer, and changes position every few seconds. 

I had to smash her down with my hand so the laptop could photograph her. (Wow, my hand is scary looking. Someone please tell me that it is the Photo Booth application or I might go into shock.)

Another Oil Commission Begun

A friend of Trail Guy’s family has been in touch with me via email, and we have been enjoying our correspondence. She recently decided to commission me for an oil painting and 2 pencil drawings, all related to the Silver City Store*. After a great deal of communicating, sending photos, clarifying, and just discussing things, it was time to begin.

First, the oil painting. The oldest photo we could find was from 1985. It is later than her time there, but certainly closer in appearance than how it looks today.

Good thing that she knows I can paint, because the beginning always looks very rough. This will take many layers because of the vast amount of detail.

*The Silver City Store is 4 miles below the Mineral King valley. People stay in nice chalets, smaller store cabins, or in private cabins, and they stop there for burgers, pie and (we hope) for oil paintings.

New Beginning

Isn’t that title redundant? Probably. Every time I begin, it is on a new project.

A thoughtful mom bought a painting of an iris for her daughter named Iris.

She has another daughter named Camille and requested a camellia for her. Luckily, I have a good photo of a camellia in bloom, remembered the month it blooms, and only had to look through the February photos of 10 years to find it. Maybe it is even more lucky that Customer Mom liked the color and lighting and angle!

This will dry and then I’ll be able to detail it, my favorite part.

A Little Painting Session

English is a weird and confusing language. Does the title of this post mean that my painting is little, or that my painting session is little?

Yes.

The hot weather eased up a bit, so I spent some time working on a painting.

What the weather has to do with painting is that I paint in a room without air conditioning. It has a swamp cooler, which is adequate for days as hot as about 95, if it isn’t humid.

Two canvases awaited me, along with Scout and Tucker.

Neither of these paintings will be for sale – they are slated for bigger things than filthy lucre. This may be the only time I show them to you, until more is revealed in the fullness of time. You’ll just have to hold your camels, as I learned to say when in Israel 2 years ago.

One blank, one with its scribbly beginnings
Onto the larger canvas goes a layer of the mafungo* that comes from the bottom of the turp jar, more formally known as “toning the canvas”.
Painting from back to front, the sky and clouds go on first. It doesn’t matter if I splodge some sky things over the foliage because it will all be redone.
Tucker is getting friendlier, hanging around while I paint; the normally friendly Scout is off chasing a fake mouse.
New color goes in the background mountains and trees.
Putting the twisted multicolored bark and branches on the juniper is fun. . . drawing with my paintbrush is always my favorite part.

 

*I stole “mafungo” from Chris Daniel, on Fresno’s KMJ 580 AM from 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Four New Mineral King Oil Paintings

These Mineral King oil paintings began as four little messes. After the second pass over the canvas, they dried outside in the sun for 24 hours. That was all it took for them to be ready to scan and move up the hill to the Silver City Store for sale.

They NEVER look as good on the screen as in person. (Feel like taking a drive up a long and winding road?)

Mineral King XII
Juniper II
Mineral King Stream II
Honeymoon Cabin #35

Each one is 4×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, ready to hang without a frame or to set on a shelf, $54 includes California sales tax.

Sold Mineral King Oil Paintings

Mineral King oil paintings have been selling steadily this summer at the Silver City Store/Resort.

The popularity of subjects has changed a bit. The Honeymoon Cabin is this year’s favorite, the Crowley cabin/Farewell Gap (view from the bridge at the end of the road) is second, and only one Sawtooth painting has sold. All the other paintings are in the category of Everything Else, which includes back country, trails, streams, and general scenery of the area.

The most popular size remains 6×6″ (perhaps because I paint more of that size than any other) with the second most popular size 4×6″. The large paintings look good in the store, but most people just want a bargain.

There are a couple more on the list of solds, but I didn’t keep close enough track and can’t find the scans of those paintings. (There are drawbacks to living in 2 places, one of them without the internet, but I bravely soldier on.)

Maybe for next year I should just do 6×6″ Honeymoon Cabin oil paintings. Wait, that won’t work because the market for those may be saturated. But wait. . . are the customers one-time visitors, repeat guests, or cabin community members?

The business of art is full of by-guess-and-by-golly. There is so much more to being an artist than just painting. . . all the thinking and planning in the world is still just an intuitive guess.