More Mineral King Painting Factory

Are you just bowled over by the clever titles to my blog posts? Some days I just about put myself to sleep with the repetition in titles, but there is always something new to post for you to see and read.

This one only had a tiny mark on it during the last painting session. It will need aspen branches and leaves in the foreground to make it more identifiable as the upper end of The Nature Trail in Mineral King.
These 2 blank canvases were waiting for me; I forgot to start them on the day when I began the other 9 paintings. Forgot! Right there on the table and I FORGOT??
Surprahz, surprahz, surprahz, as Gomer Pyle used to say. This is Farewell Gap with the Crowley cabin.
Now here’s a real surprise – Piper is becoming comfortable. The tuxedoed brother was still in hiding at the time I wrote this post. (Update on tuxedoed brother cat: he ran away.)
He looks both scrawny and confident.
This is an entirely new format for a Honeymoon Cabin painting.
I add the next layer with better attention to color and detail, working from back to front and left to right.
At the end of the painting day (and decent light), Piper was still hanging out with me. And you can see that the color of light is distinctly different at this time than when I began.

Three California Poppy Oil Paintings

It has been ten years since we had that spectacular poppy season in Three Rivers. I still find them when I walk and in in my yard, but never since have we had them in such abundance.

While I was conducting the private oil painting workshop, I painted two poppy paintings. It is good to be available to the students, but no good to just hover.

I was pleased with them until I saw them in better light in the workshop. Then I saw that they needed another layer or two, and the shapes weren’t quite right. Since I had the colors mixed and another canvas ready to go, I decided to throw in a third poppy.

When they were finished, I realized they still needed reshaping. 

When that was finished and dry, I scanned them and realized they still needed another layer on the reshaped edges.

Easy little paintings, no trouble at all, just slam them out, piece of cake, no problem.

Fall down laughing. 

FINALLY, they are finished. I think.

Poppy #51, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100 plus tax
Poppy #52, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100 plus tax
Poppy #53, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100 plus tax

The More I Paint. . .

 . . . the more paintings sell.

One Sawtooth, one Honeymoon Cabin, one White Chief, three of the most popular scene of Farewell Gap with the Crowley cabin, and one of just Farewell Gap minus the Crowley cabin. 6×6″ is the most popular size.  

Keep painting, Central California Artist Who Specializes in Mineral King.

Back to Mineral King Painting Factory

I am back to Mineral King, figuratively speaking, not literally. There is finally some snow up there, and I’m happy to be here in the painting studio, painting summer scenes of Mineral King.

First, look who showed up! Piper and his brother arrived on a Friday, and Piper decided to get acquainted with us on Sunday. He spent most of Monday in hiding with his brother, and when I was finished painting, he came out.

Piper is the name he arrived with. We’ll probably keep it. (the name and the boy cat).

My initial goal was to begin 9 paintings, but then 2 more sold, so I increased it to 11. It feels daunting, so the plan is simply to begin each painting. Then when I paint next, I can choose whichever one rings my bell to focus on. Just need to get some momentum started. . .

Leaving Monarch, 8×10″
Timber Gap, 8×10″

What is this?
Oh! It is White Chief., 11×14″

Skies only on three 6×6″
Another sky on a 6×18″, a popular size
Mountain ridge underneath the sky. The squared-off peak is White Chief.
This 6×18″ of the Honeymoon Cabin feels very experimental. I’m making up the missing parts so that it fills the canvas. (The pink line is a strange computer action, courtesy of the Mac photo program. . .?)
End of the painting session, part one.
End of the painting session, part two.
Inspector Piper wants to know what happened here today.

P.S. I typed this blog post with Piper on my lap. This is good, but where is his brother??

Random Roundup

  1. We got rain and snow and clear bright days.
    Three Rivers, as it looks in my neighborhood.

  2. I painted 3 poppies, thinking they would be quick and easy. Fall down laughing. I have had to reshape and reshape and relayer and wait and relayer yet again and on and on and on. . . this is just one of the three poppies that will not cooperate.
  3. I started painting a bear. During our Bear Autumn of 2015, I got a few photos. This is probably the dude who tore battens off the side of my studio while seeking acorns.
  4. After much calculation, I figured out how many more Mineral King paintings are needed, which subjects and which sizes. This is based on numbers sold in previous summers, popularity of subjects, and women’s intuition. Time will tell if I have chosen correctly. (I can always paint roosters over the tops of the ones that don’t sell.)I chose the sizes, paired the canvases with the photos, assigned inventory numbers, titled the pieces, attached the hanging hardware to the backs, and primed the canvases. 
  5. The web designer said there is progress being made. Sounds as if I have hours and hours of computer work ahead as I load up all my art (NOT paying someone else to do this!)
  6. March First Saturday in Three Rivers at Anne Lang’s was better than both January and February combined. Some fine folks were waiting for me to arrive (Hi D & B & R & A!!), a friend bought my lunch (T/U, GE!!), and a friend stopped by for a long overdue visit (Hi CHO!). Of course, sales made the day particularly happy, and I did more coloring in the Heart of Ag coloring book, along with lots of explaining to people how to layer with a minimalist box of Black Wing Colors.

And thus we conclude a random roundup of the business of art, as defined by me. I wonder how other artists go about their business? On artists blogs, they all sound so professionally successful, discussing plein air outings (oh shut up, that is so hard and I don’t know how and I am a studio artist and if I am outside it will be to hike, walk, prune or pull weeds), or packaging up things to deliver to galleries (galleries, schmalleries – this is Tulare County), or showing off big deal sales to a local hospital or courthouse or university (Hunh? those places spend money on art, big money on originals?? Not in Tulare County), or fancy commissions (I paint wooden geese and or draw barns), or shows in nice places (I do them in Art Centers without plumbing, the local Remorial Building, or in people’s stores or backyards).

HaHa. I live in Tulare County and they don’t. 

Oops. Sold two more Mineral King paintings recently so I may need to recalculate! Customers keep depleting my inventory. . . what’s an artist to do except keep painting??

Birdland, Third Day

Who knew that birds would show up in such numbers in my art business??

My friend’s husband, Tony, asked if I could paint a wooden goose for him. A what, Tony? A goose! He didn’t specify type, so I had to consult The Google for ideas. I told him it will be a Canada Goose (yes, it is Canada Goose, not “Canadian Goose”) and that I hope it will look so realistic that someone might try to shoot it. This could fall into the category of Odd Jobs, and when I show you how it is coming along, that’s how I’ll classify it.

Meanwhile, the birds go on. . .

4 new chickens, a bear and a reflection scene
The great blue heron and the rooster are drying together in peace, no one flapping or crowing.
The quail and hen are drying together too, but they are all crooked so you’ll have to wait until they are dry enough to be scanned in order to have a proper view and full appreciation of their beauty.
This rooster and another hen as they appeared after layer #2.

Meanwhile, I am sorely lacking in quail photos. Those little guys are shy and busy. They show up outside the windows when the light is low, so it takes about a dozen photos to find one that might be paintable.

Birdland, Second Day

I haven’t returned to Mineral King yet, either metaphorically or literally. (And unlike many people today, I use the word “literally” to mean literally, actually, for real.)

Instead, I stayed in Birdland, working on chickens and a great blue heron. 

Building a flock, from left to right.
Beautiful bird, this oil painting is named “Rusty Fowl” because I don’t know if it is a hen or a rooster. That’s a little embarrassing, but why should I know this? I used to think all birds with combs were roosters, but learned they are not. And now I don’t even know whose bird this is so that I can ask!
Rusty Fowl and a poppy are drying together on the little shelf in front of the heater. There are 3 poppy paintings there, but I haven’t told you about those yet.
Scooting along the flock, from left to right; this keeps me from dragging my hand through wet paint. I may be right handed, but lest you think that prevents me from realizing my true artistic potential, I am LEFT-EYED! So there, you right-brainiacs.
This great blue heron will need another layer because I wasn’t skilled enough to keep the brightest color clean while working wet into wet.

Busy Flock, oil paint on wrapped canvas, 6×18″, $150

Meanwhile, there is a quail wondering when it will receive its additional feathers layers, and 4 6×6″ canvases waiting for their wings. Or are they waiting in the wings. . .?

Private Oil Painting Lesson

If you have read my blog for awhile, you may remember seeing occasional references to a friend whom I call “The Captain”. She is exploring oil painting as a new hobby, and she requested my assistance. Naturally, I said YES!

I traveled the 2 hours and 7 minutes to her house (could have been shorter and more stressful but I chose the rural roads instead of the freeways) so that we could spend time painting together. The plan was for 4 people in a 2 day workshop but the other 3 bailed. (What?? Am I a scary teacher?)  The Captain and I were able to concentrate and learn and catch up on life, and in the end, she had a wonderful 8×8″ oil painting of a pomegranate.

First, we worked on mixing colors. Mushroom wanted to help.
Then, The Captain drew the pomegranate shape on the canvas and began the background.
We had to take a break to feed a baby. . .
. . .and to greet the most beautiful color combination on a horse I’ve ever seen – this is Ernie, a “halflinger”.
Time to work on the pomegranate with its various reds and textures.
Mr. Mittens wants to know what we are doing.
The blossom end of the pomegranate required tremendous concentration.
Isn’t this fantastic?? Captain, I am proud of you!

 

Birdland

I’ve left Mineral King and have now entered Birdland.

(If you grew up in Visalia, you may remember an area on the north side of town called “Birdland”. This was because the streets were named things like Dove and Robin. Birdland might still be in Visalia, but the name is seldom used, now that the town is 125,000 instead of 35,000.)

What in the world am I referring to when I say I have entered Birdland?

So glad you asked. Here, have a look and see for yourself. 

By now you may be accustomed to how terrible my paintings look during the first layer. If you are new to this blog, rest easy. The paintings improve with time and layers.

Squeezing in Citrus

Do you like the title? I feel quite pleased with it.

Last month this painting sold:

Oranges #135, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″

The happy customer asked if I had a matching lemon painting, to which I replied, “No, but I can paint one for you”. Then I couldn’t find the photos, so I went to the 26,000 photos on my computer and found just what I needed.

I wasn’t focused on tight detail that day, because I was doing big picture thinking about large quantities of small Mineral King paintings. But, the citrus needs to be squeezed in. Squoze in. Something.

And since I am working on citrus and have run out of orange paintings, it was a good time to begin two more orange oil paintings.

There you have it. Three new citrus oil paintings, squoze right in among all the Mineral King oil paintings. I kept them on another wall for drying. Didn’t want any orange juice to drip on Mineral King.

P.S. Two days later, they were all finished and drying.