Better Idea

After adding the birch branches to the Hard House oil painting commission, I happened to look at an oil painting of a Sequoia in my studio. For some reason, I haven’t really liked this painting very well.

Since it hasn’t sold, maybe no one else likes it either. After working on the sequoia mural and the giant snowy sequoia oil painting, I had an idea of how to improve it.

It always feels weird to put a completed painting back on the easel. It is a blend of feeling good about knowing I can improve it, and feeling a little embarrassed that I didn’t figure it out sooner.

Okay, now look:

Maybe I can do better. It took awhile to recognize the photo I used for this painting because I have definitely used it as reference only rather than an exact recipe.

Maybe I’ll keep messing with it. The contrast could be heightened on the main tree, and maybe a foggy looking distant sequoia would look believable behind it to the left, as in the photo. All the distant trees could be made grayer or lighter or something that shoves them farther back.

Who am I to think I can improve on nature? The answer is this: I am someone who understands that real life is messy and artists get to clean it up. For example, look at the large amount of dead branches on the 2 trees to the left of the main tree in the photo. What purpose would they serve in this painting? Likewise with the young tree in front on the right side – it obstructs the view of the big tree.

So many decisions for just one painting – it is a wonder I can even decide what to wear in the morning. Aha! That explains why I often don whatever I left on The Chair the night before.

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

New Cards Available

Now available in sets of 4 notecards, 4-1/4 x 5-1/2″, blank inside, with envelopes,$8

Just in case you want something new to add to your gift baskets, stockings, or to encourage yourself to write notes to people, here are some cards that you may have seen as original art, but not as cards. They are available from my website, by putting a check in the mail, by emailing me for further instructions, or perhaps if we run into each other at the Post Office (unless I can’t recognize or understand you because you are wearing a mask).

Clicking on the name beneath each card picture will take you to the appropriate page of my website.

Oak Grove Bridge #28

Pear Lake Ski Hut

Hockett Meadow Ranger Station

Yokohl Oak

In Case You Were Wondering.

In case you are wondering about the mural in progress at St. Anthony’s, I have set it aside (figuratively speaking) until I have finished the custom art jobs. The mural doesn’t have a deadline; the other jobs do.

In case you are wondering why I am not showing you more custom jobs, it is because they are gifts for people, and I can keep secrets.

More will be revealed in the fullness of time. Tomorrow I’ll begin showing you a few of the commissions that the recipients won’t see on my blog because they don’t read it or even know about me.

A Year of Professional Learning

During the last year of belonging to BNI – Business Networking International – I learned and experienced many new things. This is not necessarily because of BNI, but some of them may be a result.

  • Redesigned website
  • Gained confidence in following up leads and speaking to people about my business without feeling like a pushy salesman
  • Got invited to do a show at a gallery in Visalia in 2022 (Not kidding, it really is for 2022!)
  • Completed 7 murals (if I count the 4 at Mooney as 4, rather than as 4 parts of 1)
  • Cancelled more drawing lessons than in the previous 25 years combined
  • Did zero workshops, boutiques, fairs
  • Painted a sign in spite of not being a sign painter and feel proud and happy each time I see it
  • Painted 2 murals and an A-frame sign for free (WHAT??)
  • Proposed a great mural idea, prepared a presentation, and then got cancelled so never got to follow up
  • Learned to use Zoom
  • Became more active on Instagram, then concluded it is a waste of time (still on the thing but at a turtle pace)
  • Designed a logo for the Mineral King Preservation Society (MKPS)
  • Had my first guest post on this blog
  • Wrote guest posts for the MKPS blog
Still working on commissioned pieces that I cannot post so there will be about one more of these chit-chatty summary posts before I am able to show you any new work.

One Year in a Business Referral Group

I am working on some pieces that the customer has requested that I keep private, so I will spend the next few blog posts just chit-chatting at you.

A year ago I attended my first meeting of BNI – Business Networking International – at the urging of my cousin who said it helped his business tremendously. I parked far away in case people would judge me by my car, and expected to find stuffy people in fancy business clothing. Instead, I found a room full of authentically friendly go-getter business people, most of whom were measurably younger than me (and all drove better cars, but whatever, Fernando has been paid for for many years).

During that year I did the following because of BNI

  • Gave about 45 1-minute presentations
  • Gave 3 “Feature Presentations” using powerpoint
  • Gave 9 “Referrals”, only 1 of which turned into a “Thank You For Closed Business”
  • Received a bit of business, called “Referrals” in BNI Speak, from 2 of the members, not anywhere near enough to pay for my membership but appreciated all the same
  • Had 22 “One-To-Ones”, no where near BNI standards, but impressive for this introvert who fiercely guards her work time and solitude
  • Met over 30 interesting, varied, focused determined business people from different professions, many of whom I now consider friends
  • Invited about a dozen people, 5 who actually attended, but none who wanted to join because using Zoom isn’t personal or real enough
  • Learned to use Zoom
  • Refined my one sentence business description (“elevator pitch”) several times until it became this:

I make art that people can understand of places and things they love for prices that don’t scare them.

I view this whole venture as a marketing effort, and marketing has very slow returns. This particular way of marketing was time consuming and expensive, but the results are far superior to FaceBook or those other virtual methods because I made real friends.

 

 

Shutter For Sale

Trail Guy helps me with my art business in lots of little ways, and a few bigger ones too. He likes power tools, and by using one he was able to secure a wire to the back of the shutter so it can hang on a wall.

Will it hang on your wall?

For $250 plus shipping (oh my, it is heavy compared to my normal paintings) plus tax (welcome to California unless you live in another state, in which case I would advise you to count your blessings) this one of kind painting can be yours.

And remember, EVERYTHING looks better in person (except those aforementioned news babes – see the post titled “Farewell at Dusk” if you are wondering when they were mentioned “afore”).

A New Card and So

Are you a note writer? Do you send thank you notes, or thinking of you notes? Getting real mail is fun. Email is good too, but there is something special about ink on paper in an envelope with handwriting on it, arriving at your home (or in your P.O. box). 

I saw an advertisement in a magazine about 20 years ago when email was new, and it was for fancy stationery. The line on the page said, “No one has ever cherished an email”. 

About my cards

You probably know about them already, so consider this a reminder. They come 4 to a package with envelopes, and each package has all the same design, $8/package including postage and shipping.

The newest one

Yokohl Oak

Standards (but not old enough to be called “Classic”)

Who in your life would like to receive a note in the mail? Your Grandma? Your grandchild who may never have received real mail before? The mechanic who keeps your car running so you can drive worry-free? The grocery store checker who is always cheerful, even when she has to wear a mask every day? The barber who lets you come in the back door of his shop so you don’t have to wear your hair in a ponytail?

Cards available here: Notecards

P.S. You don’t have to use the website and Paypal to buy cards because you can send me a check IN THE MAIL and I will send you your cards IN THE MAIL.

P.P.S. (This means PS#2) There are more designs than the ones I’ve shown here, including cards in color, different sizes, and even an assortment package (Mineral King, larger cards, $15).

Three Questions

  1. Why was this shutter on the slope above our cabin?
  2. Where did it come from?
  3. What shall I do with it?

P.S. About Blogging

I agree with this sheep about today’s blog commenting behavior.

Thank you for reading and commenting today. If you tried to comment and got an error message, just know it isn’t you. It is the blog’s fault. Remember the recent post “Wonky & Weird”? That’s what I’m talking about!

If you tried to comment and nothing happened or you got an error message, maybe your comment will eventually appear in one of my “back office” files of Pending, Spam, or Trash. When I see it, I will approve it (unless it is redundant because another one of your comments finally made it through.)

My elephant and I aren’t that happy with the blog’s performance, but we realize it is temporary.

Thoughts on Blogging

This is my elephant. It has nothing to do with anything today (or yesterday’s post either).

When I began blogging 12 years ago, I had no idea what it was about but boy oh boy, it was fun.

Maybe blogging was new then, or maybe I was behind the times (a common occurrence in my life). I began looking for other blogs to read, and hoped that one day mine would have as many followers and commenters as The Yarn Harlot, The Pioneer Woman, lively discussions like Stuff Christians Like or maybe a community of regular commenters like the Entreleadership blog when Chris LoCurto was the writer plus the host of the Entreleadership podcast.

Instead, I have a small (microscopic in the blogging world) readership. Whenever it seemed to be growing, something broke and then I lost my subscribers. 

My subscribers don’t seem to understand that they can go to my website and click on the Blog button to find the blog if the subscription stops working.

Many of my real life friends don’t read my blog; many of my customers don’t know I have one, if they even know what a blog is.

When I read blogs and articles about blogging, marketing, and promotion, I feel like a loser.

When I learn that people I know are reading my blog and realize that I know or have met most of my readers, I feel quite happy. This isn’t some impersonal marketing gig; this is the real me, connecting with the real yous. (Don’t you think we need a plural for “you”? “Y’all” feels phoney, because I am not Southern, and “all y’all” sounds particularly phoney, but it does work.)

Here are a few more thoughts about comments:

  1. Sometimes my readers comment which I REALLY appreciate; otherwise I wonder if I am just making noise and no one cares.
  2. Sometimes my readers email me and then we have a private conversation.
  3. Many of my readers have no idea how to comment.
  4. The comments have to be approved by me before they appear, so sometimes people write a comment twice because they think it didn’t work.

And here are some thoughts about blogging:

  1. My blog has built real life friendships (Hi, Dan!), strengthened other friendships (Hi, Sharon!), made long-distance friendships (Hi, Jennifer and Cheryl!), and provided a way for family to stay current (Hi, Laurie!).
  2. Blogging has helped strengthen my writing skills.
  3. Blogging allows me to publicize things, which is useful as a Facebook avoider.
  4. It keeps me accountable, working steadily, staying focused; all are a little harder when working alone.
My guess is the front orange kitten is Pippin; the gray is probably Georgia (R.I.P.), because Jackson’s face is narrower.