Category: Sources of inspiration

What is Inspiration?

Two blogs I read regularly addressed the subject of inspiration, and I realized that I am confused between inspiration and motivation.

Today I will tackle inspiration. People often ask artists what inspires them, and it is good to have an answer at the ready. (That’s a weird way to say it!)

Time for a dictionary. (Don’t you love dictionaries? online and on computer and big heavy paper ones? And do you remember how annoying it was to be told to “look it up” when you asked how to spell words? How can I do that if I don’t know how to spell it? It forced us to dig around and accidentally discover new words, which was the primitive version of surfing the web.)

Inspiration: mental stimulation to do something creative (this is my condensed version of the long dictionary definition.)

I am inspired by beauty. The right light makes almost anything beautiful. Color, shape, textures, subjects I love – everything nice is so much more beautiful when it has the right light. It makes me want to draw and paint.

Here are two examples, just what you’d expect a California artist to use!

This Sequoia tree has nice light. There is no question that it is a beautiful object. I could paint this. I might have already done so!

The light on these two Sequoias below is more than so-so – it is inspirational to me.

I want to paint and draw these. Why do I find these inspirational? Taste is an individual matter, or as my Dad was fond of saying , “Degustibus non est disputandem”.

Isn’t Latin fun?

California Artist Sequoia

An Afternoon and Evening at The Lake

Growing up in Tulare County we simply referred to Lake Kaweah, created by Terminus Dam, as “The Lake”.

(and there is still a stupid dark spot on the lens.)

Now that I’ve lived in Lemon Cove (at the base of the dam) and Three Rivers (on the rivers that flow to The Lake), I’ve learned that it is The Lake. Not “Kaweah Lake”, (pronounced “Kuh-WEE-uh”, not the River Kwai!) but The Lake.

At this time of year, there is a lot of real estate at The Lake bottom for camping, walking, biking, and horseback riding.

Our very dear friends, whom I shall call “Cowboy Bert and The Captain”, have horses. They brought them to The Lake and camped and rode for several days. I’d show you a photo but the only one I have shows The Captain bending over to inspect Blue Doc’s feet, and I don’t show photos of friends bending over. Makes you want to be friends with me, hunh?

We joined them for dinner on 2 evenings – we really know how to whoop it up on New Year’s Eve! Ummmm, not.

Going places, even in my own town of Three Rivers, provides inspiration. IF I were painting these days, which I am not unless it is a commissioned piece, I’d probably paint one of the top 2 scenes (minus the weird spot on the lens).

Which is your favorite photo? (and please disregard the weird spot)

Kaweah Lake Three Rivers

A California Artist Visits a Santa Barbara Beach

Yesterday I began talking about California beaches and ended up showing a little bit of the Santa Barbara Mission, one of 21 missions in California.

Today I will show you a few photos I took at a Santa Barbara beach. Wow, it was beautiful! (Thank you, Captain Obvious) I took a pile of photos that I really really want to paint! But, I will only show you 3 photos, because you are probably skimming this quickly when you are supposed to be doing something else. (Isn’t everyone supposed to be very busy this time of year? I’m not that busy, but I’m a bit of an odd duck. Thanks for being polite about that.)

Is this not just stunning? Holy cow, this California artist who lives near and in the mountains is sort of experiencing a bit of beach envy.

We walked about 1 mile, probably less. HEY! Where do those stairs go?? Ummm, that would be up? Gotta see!

We climbed to the top of this very long staircase and read the sign “One Thousand Steps”. Really? I counted them on the way back down. Anyone want to guess?

Oh yeah, this is a source of inspiration for me. I feel so inspired that I might just go draw another cabin.

Thanksgiving in Mineral King

Yup. We had cheese and crackers and apple and dark chocolate for Thanksgiving dinner. This was our view:

Is there snow in Mineral King?

Some in the shade and on the north facing slopes.

P.S. Michael smoked a turkey the next day. We had leftovers of almost all the good stuff except pumpkin pie. Feel free to send some over if you are tired of yours.

Mineral King

Some Studio Artists Paint from Photos

Did you know that some studio artists paint from photos?

I paint from photos. They provide ideas, inspiration, visual guidance and instruction.

I paint from photos that I take. Sometimes I adjust them on my computer. Sometimes I have other people shade my lens, hold branches out of the way or manipulate the scene in other manners. Sometimes I arrange things and rearrange them and move them around to other locations.

My friend Jimmy brought me the most beautiful pomegranates he could find. It was at a busy time as I was preparing for 2 different shows. I knew they would shrivel before I could paint them. No problem. I have a camera and am not afraid to use it.

Perhaps this is just the practical side of being a California artist in rural Tulare County.

California Artist Tulare County artist

Thankful

Central California.

Salvation.

Life as an artist.

A good husband.

Perkins, my last cat.

Family.

Friends.

Health.

Safety.

Knitting.

My blog and blog readers.

Color.

Photography.

Sunlight.

Dark chocolate.

Good books.

THANKFUL!

Mineral King in Fall, Part 4

I wonder if I can keep going into December with this? Don’t tempt me – I might have to change my blog description from a California Artist to an Autumnal Photographer.

Mineral King Multi-colored Slope

(Do you know where this is?)

Farewell Gap with Yellow Foreground (my titles are wearing out!)

Red Firs and Yellow Aspens (no, they don’t look very red, but that is the name of these fir trees)

Along the Mineral King Road (No, I will not call it “Take Me Home, Country Roads”!)

Fall on the Nature Trail (but don’t hurt yourself!)

Sawtooth and the Monarch Drainage

To be continued next Friday, because Fridays are for Mineral King on this California artist’s blog!

Mineral King Mineral King photography

A Love-Letter to my Blog Readers

Dear Gentle Blog Reader,

You know I love writing my blog, right?

Did you know that I have more ideas than there are days in the week? Did you know that I love telling you about my life as a California artists in li’l ol’ Tulare County (AKA Quaintsville)?

Did you know that I love getting emails and comments from you?

I love words, putting them together, playing with them, learning new ones, finding great expressions from other people and ~~stealing~~ borrowing them.

I love photos, places around here that are beautiful, and showing them to you. And in spite of being a Regionalist, I love finding new beautiful places.

I love detail, realism, authenticity, learning to paint better, mixing colors from the primaries, and drawing.

I love teaching people to draw.

Thanks for letting me share the love,

Jana, the Regionalist from Quaintsville

Mineral King in Fall

The weekend of October 19-21 was a glorious time of clear weather and stunning color in Mineral King. It seems as if has been many years since the color was that good up there. Perhaps it has been that good, but I wasn’t there. In my memory, there were no reds, and the yellows sometimes blew off before hitting peak color. But, I don’t keep a journal other than my photos and this blog, so I could have missed it.

This is a source of inspiration to this California Artist. Hope it inspires you to think great thoughts, create something, stimulate the economy, or just be nice.

Farewell Gap in Fall

Mineral King Aspens

Timber Gap in Fall

A wise friend (actually, several of them) suggested I remind my Gentle Blog Readers that my photos are available for purchase.

5×7 – $10, 8×10 – $20. Any larger than that? I don’t fully trust my pixels.

How to buy? email me at cabinart at cabinart dot net (several someones wiser than me have advised that is the best way to put eddresses into blog posts – I think you’ll figure it out!)

To be continued next Friday, because Fridays are for Mineral King on this blog.

California Artist Mineral King

A Thing for Old Architecture

Perhaps the reason I like cabins is more than just the fact that they are simple rustic structures, usually in the mountains. I like all old architecture, in particular the designs, materials and details from the early 1900s. They inspire me and I want to draw them. Sometimes I want to paint them (pictures of them, not cover them in house-paint!) Sometimes I even want to live in them. (Repeat until you believe it – “Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet”)

There is a place along the shores of Lake Tahoe that just rings my architectural bell. Usually when people think of Tahoe, they think of a big lake, or skiing, or perhaps a fancy-pants giant home, maybe some gambling, or even a marathon (or in my case, a 1/2, which I don’t think about any more, thanks for nothing, Stoopid Plantar Fasciitis).

What place? you ask. (I can hear you thinking.)

Tallac Historic Site is a series of 3 lakefront estates, all maintained, one converted to a museum. It is under the management of the U.S. Forest Service (Dept. of Ag). I’d link to the site for you, but it really isn’t very informative or pretty, and my photos tell more than their site.

I’ve never been there between June and September when the buildings are open for tours (except when walking that 1/2 marathon but I was too occupied to stop; afterward I had blisters and didn’t care).

Instead, I walk all around them and gawk and wonder in amazed admiration.

I even like them when they are boarded up for the season.

The attention to detail must have employed many people, along with all the needs and wants of the owners while in residence.

Too late to tour the buildings, too early for real fall color. On the other hand, it wasn’t crowded and we could take our time ogling, oohing, and ahhing.

Oh please, Trail Guy, now that you are retired, could we build a pond like this? (never mind about the water shortage in our neighborhood)