Morning walk in Three Rivers

Kind of handy to be able to combine exercise with gathering inspiration for new work, wouldn’t you say? Here are some of my usual scenes and thoughts (although I’ve been told my thoughts are rather unusual, and occasionally downright weird.)

The beautiful wooden garage doors, the arched gate and the odd coincidence of star jasmine blooming next to a star always catches my attention –  one day I will see how to turn it into a painting or drawing.

Pink Lady Banks roses in the sunshine! We had yellow on our shed at our old house – it might be all that keeps the shed from collapsing. We have white in the herb garden. They grow super fast. Just telling you that in case you have a shed that is about to collapse.

Did you know that new grape leaves have brownish-red in them? Apparently some do. If I painted it this way, it would look as if I am trying to force in a color that isn’t really there. Other artists can get away with stuff like that. I am known for authenticity (or just being literal).

This one little piece of river brings to mind the beach. I miss the ocean. When I lived there, I missed the mountains. It would be WONDERFUL to find a place to sell my work on the coast. I have a place, but the work isn’t selling very well. I hate that. Time for happier thoughts.

I  just love the red and white with the blue car in the background. Roses have been spectacular this year. Tomorrow’s post – roses!

There are many many more flowers in bloom besides roses. These were particularly stunning today.

Mr. Burns used to be a regular on this walking route. He had binoculars and knew all the birds. All of them. He died last week and now his gate is closed. Sniff.

Mid-May and the sycamores are only now leafing out!

Brian and Cheryl planted a new Japanese maple. Their old one seen in the background has caused great admiration, many photos and a little envy in me. Maybe I should just get the name of the variety and try NOT TO KILL ANOTHER ONE!!

The welcoming committee. And thus, we conclude our morning walk in Three Rivers. Am I inspired? More will be revealed. Back to the easel. p.s. This is a California artist’s thoughts. Just sayin’. . .

Please, Spring, Last Forever!

It seems as if  Spring is the whole point of the seasons. The rest are just preparatory or resting stages. Spring is the Real Deal, the goal, the objective, the reason, the. . . I’m out of synonyms. I love spring and this has just been the Best. Thank you God for this incredible Spring and that I get to be a California artist in Three Rivers!

There is a fabulous variety of wildflowers on the bank behind my house.

This is the most famous flowering dogwood tree in Three Rivers.

Its name is cornus florida. We call it glorious, fabulous, amazing, or if you are a teenager, “a-MAYYYY-zing”.

And a Third Walk to Remember

Spring is the height of beauty, stunning views, super-saturated color, and altogether inspiring scenes in Three Rivers. When it is taking place, it seems to be the only season that counts. When it is over and I still want to paint it, it feels fake, out of place, inauthentic. That is all the more reason for this California artist to go ga-ga over this glorious time of year! We had a late cold storm last week and the low snow called me out with my little camera.

Looking downstream on the middle fork of the Kaweah River

Looking upstream from the same bridge. The snow is covering the foothills; the clouds are covering the real mountains.

One mile downstream from the bridge is the best patch of Owl’s Clover, castilleja something or other.

This is called Dichelostemma  capitatum; I thought it was in the brodaeia family, but my wildflower books might be wrong. Its common name is Blue Dick. I don’t know why Richard is depressed, but he certainly is handsome!

Tote Bag!

This is the Mother of All Totebags. I could carry paintings in it, lots of knitting, perhaps my entire yarn stash, or say, 5 or 6 watermelons. I’m posing in Fig Garden Village in Fresno, and I’m surprised people weren’t flocking to me to ask where I got such a fabulous oil painting totebag. Surely in Fig Garden some swanky little shoppe would want oil painting totebags!

That pocket is handy, dontcha think? And, because I know you are dying to ask, I made the sweater. I know what you are thinking – “Why doesn’t she DO SOMETHING with her hair instead of making all those sweaters?”  Simple – knitting is more fun than messing with hair. And this is one of my less weird sweaters, although there is a long piece of yarn stuffed up my left sleeve. Not sure why, but there you have it.

Thank you to Michelle who gave me the idea of salvaging my torn painting in this ingenious manner.

Salvage Job

Looks like the ripped painting is in luck of becoming a great tote bag! For someone who seriously dislikes to sew, it is a puzzlement as to why I have these perfect fabrics on hand for the job. From left to right: lining, sides/bottom/handle/pocket, lining for handle and pocket, bag back. Isn’t this just remarkable?? And for someone who gets rid of stuff she doesn’t use, this is doubly remarkable!! Hmmm, was there some sort of divine plan connected to the rippage of that painting of my favorite bridge?

Salvage Job

Remember the painting accident a few weeks ago? (Oops, on February 16) I’m trying to salvage things. Here are 3 items that I am getting as a result:

  1. I’m using the canvas frame and some canvas from Mr. Stroben to stretch a new canvas. So far it has involved carefully removing the ruined canvas, finding the piece of new canvas, ironing it flat, laying the ruined canvas on the new and cutting a pattern. Next I have to find the staple gun.
  2. A blog reader named Michelle sent me to a site that had a beautiful tote-bag made of a painting. Hmmmm, I just tossed 2 ragged and stained tote bags. Perhaps it is time to sew a new one using the semi-finished painting of my favorite bridge! I seriously dislike sewing. Knitting is an entirely different process and much more rewarding. But to sew a new tote bag would definitely would be making lemonade out of lemons.
  3. The ruination of the painting caused me to begin a new painting of the bridge. Will it be better? That’s not a question that can be answered, because the first one will never be finished.

If I knew how to draw on a blog entry, I’d make a red arrow and a circle to show you where the rip is. It is a vertical thing in the lower portion, providentially leaving the bridge itself available to be reborn as a tote bag. I asked my very gifted older sister, She-Who-Can-Sew-Anything if she had a pattern for a tote bag. Instead of jumping in with an offer to sew one for me (I am an eternal optimist!), she told me to look on the Web. Sigh.

A California Artist

Call me “Butter” – I’m on a roll! Here is more information about being a California artist. (Are you tired of this subject yet??)

Michael and I took a walk a few days ago. It was a gorgeous spring day, although it was still technically winter. Here are some photos to show you what inspires me, as an artist in California, forsooth, a California artist!! 😎

We may be the “Golden State”, but in March, California is very very green.

We have more oak trees in Three Rivers than I can seem to learn. And the Kaweah River is a continual source of inspiration.

Look! The California state flower, right in my territory, just waiting for me to capture it on film and later paint it. I AM A CALIFORNIA ARTIST!

Okay, I will try to give this a rest. Thank you for your understanding, support, and agreement. (Are you listening, Google??)

California Artist, just once more

This is Mineral King, Sequoia National Park, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is in Tulare County, California. I paint this. I paint this frequently. In fact, this might be my most popular subject to paint. That makes me a California artist, right?

This is a Sequoia Gigantea, AKA redwood. They grow in Sequoia National Park. I paint these trees. Frequently. Sequoias grow exclusively in California. I paint these trees and have lived in California my entire life. That must mean I am a California artist! (Plus, I graduated from Redwood High School and our newspaper was called the Gigantea. In addition I have an art degree from College of the Sequoias!) Are we convinced yet that I am a California artist?