Sierra Wonders is a beautiful book of art, photos, essays and poetry about the southern Sierra Nevada. It was compiled and published by the Arts Alliance of Three Rivers, and edited by my friend Karen Kimball. It is full of work by people I know, and it is truly beautiful!
Nadi Spencer’s art is on the cover, which was designed by Kasey Fansett, both friends of mine here in Three Rivers.
Have a look at the table of contents:
HEY!! That’s MY pencil drawing at the top! (I also have 2 oil paintings inside).
The proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Arts Alliance scholarship fund to help aspiring artists get through college. (Hopefully they will find their way through college in a less meandering manner than I did. . . sigh.)
It is $25, unless you are a member of the Arts Alliance, in which case it is $20.
Here is the link to buy the book, Sierra Wonders. Karen mails them out almost immediately upon receiving the orders (and confessed to me that she checks Amazon at least twice a day).
Anyone out there still hand write cards? Send thank you cards? Send a card just because you ran into an old friend and wanted to tell her on paper in a lasting way how happy you were to see her?
This is one of the best paintings I’ve done in my shortish painting career. (That’s just my opinion; feel free to disagree!) Now it is available as a little package of note cards. They are 4-1/4 x 5-1/2, so you don’t have to write very much. 😎 The package comes with 4 cards and 4 blank envelopes for $8 + tax. You can find them by clicking this word: Sawtooth.
Sawtooth is a prominent landmark mountain in Mineral King, visible from Visalia. I have an up-close and personal history with the peak. It happened on July 22, 1976 and it involved a helicopter. Who knew that one day I’d be painting the place??
My very wise dad used to say (until we were rolling our eyes) “Life’s full of surprises.”
If I have to shop, I go into the store to find what I need and get out as quickly as possible.
The problem is that sometimes the selected store does not have the item. Then, I have to decide: choose something else or find another store?
The answer is usually GO HOME NOW! Then I look on the internet.
It doesn’t feel like shopping on the internet. Instead, it feels like learning, investigating, treasure hunting, taking care of business in a very efficient manner.
I shopped by catalog when I was in college. My roomie thought it was a little odd – “You just look in that catalog, fill out a form, mail a check and then it arrives at your apartment?” Yeppers, that’s exactly how it worked.
So, if you are like me, allow me to assist you. My website has items for sale that don’t cost very much, and often, I pay the shipping for you. I just take it to the Post Office and let the professionals handle the delivery. You don’t have to leave your house, and since I was going to the P.O. to get my mail anyway, it was easy.
There are Mineral King tee shirts, note cards, little oil paintings, prints of pencil drawings, original pencil drawings, and big oil paintings.
A Tulare County calendar for 2014 might just be the ticket. It isn’t on my official website – only on my blog.
There are only 3 remaining. When they are gone, they are gone.
Have you heard of the Thank You Revolution? This is something begun (or perhaps continued?) by my friend Matt McWilliams on his blog, “Life. Leadership. Love. Learned the Hard Way.” He writes thank you notes every Thursday and encourages his readers to do the same. He is a prolific writer of a great business blog, a wise man who shares information freely with his audience and interacts honestly with his commenters.
I’m a big advocate of writing cards and thank you notes any day of the week. My mama taught me this at an early age, and I’ve never stopped.
Matt got me thinking that it is time to update the notecard page of my website. I’ve got many cards that haven’t been visible to the World Wide Web but only to people who visit my studio or see me at the small handful of shows I do.
So, click here to go to the page of cards and see what is new!
Okay, here is another peek for you:
Old Mineral King Store, 4 cards and envelopes, $7 plus tax
I received a few emails about my “Donation Bloviations” post. Some people like to interact privately with me instead of in the comments, and I am grateful for their feedback and input.
As a result of those private conversations, I’ve made a list of thoughts as a postscript to that blog entry.
1. Some of those “beg-athon” events are really fun for the community and anticipated with happiness.
2. I’m not the only artist who is worn out from being asked to give away my work.
3. Artists can request that bidding begin at a minimum price, which will help them maintain some dignity and their work retain value.
4. Should other donors be paid for their contributions, such as hair salons, motels, restaurants, retail stores?
5. Does donating help their businesses?
6. Are they able to write off anything on their taxes?
7. Are they tired of being asked too?
8. Is there another way to raise money for good causes instead of through donations and auctions?
9. Is it possible for the non-profit to say “We’ll pass on that donation because it doesn’t represent you well and it won’t bring in money for us”?
10. Some members of the public sincerely anticipate a piece of art from their favorite artists, and it causes them to want to participate in the auctions.
I welcome your thoughts about this subject, either privately (you can use the contact the artist tab above) or in the comments on this blog.
When non-profits want to raise funds, they hold dinners or tastings and have silent and live auctions to go with these events (called “Annual Beg-athons” by author Matt Gleason in the Huffington Post on 6/8/11). The first people they contact to donate items to their causes are artists.
Why artists? Why not dentists, lawyers, gas stations, pharmacists??
There was a year that I donated more than I sold. (Hmmm, someone might possibly benefit from a business manager here. . .) That year I decided to stop the insanity. I began reading what other artists had to say about the matter.
Sequoia oil painting, 8×8″, sold? Nope, donated.
There are many reasons for artists to not donate and a few for them to continue donating.
REASONS TO NOT DONATE:
1. An artist is only allowed to write off the cost of the materials.
2. Donating depletes hard-won inventory.
3. Art work at these events usually sells for less than its full value.
4. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, those who paid full price will feel ripped off.
5. If an artist develops a reputation for giving away work, the buying public may begin waiting for the events instead of spending money with the artist.
6. If an artist gets tired of donating, she may begin donating second-rate work and damage her reputation. An artist friend once told me, “Just give them your bad stuff that won’t sell anyway.” Yikes, is that what is happening?? That’s not good for the organization, the artist’s reputation or the recipient!
REASONS TO DONATE (and some are pretty poor reasons):
1. An artist loves the cause and want to help.
2. An artist wants to reduce inventory.
3. An artist wants exposure (which is a myth in terms of building a business.)
4. An artist feels guilty and wants to “give back”. (What did he take in the first place??)
If you are part of a non-profit, you might rethink this common idea that artists are the best ones to approach for donations.
Here is an idea for non-profits: Ask to buy the work. The artist can sell it to you at a discount, you can write off what your organization spends, and you can begin the bidding at that price. Anything you receive above that will be profit for you, and none of the Reasons To Not Donate will happen.
A few weeks ago I got caught up in the spirit of an event and spent a very long day helping to create labels for the silent auction. It was a fun day, and I ended up donating a painting. A good friend bought it, and I’m very happy for all the parties involved. I donated the painting because of Reason To Donate #1, which I think is the only good one on the list.
Meanwhile, here is a letter I’ve borrowed from New York Times writer Tim Kreider on the subject:
“Thanks very much for your compliments on my art. I’m flattered by your invitation to donate a painting or drawing or print or package of cards or to paint a mural. But art is work, it takes time, it’s how I make my living, and I can’t afford to do it for free. I’m sorry to decline, but thanks again, sincerely, for your kind words about my work.”
This year I have only been working on The Cabins of Wilsonia drawings and a few commissioned paintings. I don’t have any new paintings for a calendar.
On my computer there are 21,500 photographs. With the help of my husband’s honest and strong opinions, I have chosen 12 of those photos.
Now, I seek your opinion.
Shall I turn these into a calendar? Or are there enough calendars out there in the world? You all know me as a pencil artist, a painter, and a portrayer of the beauty of Tulare County. But, will anyone care enough to buy a calendar from me of photos of Tulare County?
It includes Sequoia, Mineral King (duh), and Three Rivers. Yes, I occasionally go to Visalia or Exeter, but please forgive me for not including either of those locations.
Thank you for reading, for considering this question and for responding!
LATE BREAKING NEWS – Great positive response from you all! The calendars will probably be between $20-25 and that will include shipping. They will have staples for the center instead of the spiral thing. The paper might be stronger than last year. They will have squares for writing. The folded size will be 8-1/2 x 11 (like copier paper). And Mary Jo, I will look through my photos and see if there is something that fits your very good suggestion. Katie, I’m with you – would love to do a year of nothing but fall photos. . . might be a bit too odd for normal people. (We’re special, don’t you know?)
“Sisters” took a long time to paint. The customer hired me because she liked my precision, and she gave me all the time necessary to complete this to both of our satisfaction.
When I paint, I listen to lots of things. There is music, podcasts, talk radio, books on tape, and voices in my head, including my own.
An aside: Someone said we should talk to ourselves the way we talk to our best friends. You know how sometimes you say things to yourself like, “How could you be so dumb?” (Maybe you don’t – please just play along for a moment. . .) If your best friend did something dumb, you’d be more likely to say, “That’s okay – stuff happens and we can learn from it.” Or, “Don’t worry about it – it is a small thing that can be fixed.”
This is what I have chosen to believe and follow:
I am a studio painter who works from photos.
Good paintings take a long time to finish.
Precision and accuracy are attractive.
I love detail.
Here are what the voices in my head have been saying, and here are my new responses in light of my recent decision (see the September 12 post):
VOICE #1 – “You are drawing with your paintbrush”.
Me – “So what?”
VOICE #2 – “If you paint standing up, you’ll paint with more energy.”
Me – “If my foot hurts, I will paint with more pain.”
VOICE #3 – “You need to listen to cool music while you paint, jazz or classical”.
Me – “This is a great time to listen to talk radio, podcasts about the business of art, interviews with artists and authors and inspirational speakers, sermons I’ve missed from my pastor, and audible books.”
VOICE#4 – “Real artists don’t paint from photos.”
Me – “Okay, I’ll be a fake artist.”
VOICE #5 – “You need to step back from your painting to see how it reads from a distance.”
My – “Thanks for the reminder. I am so into the detail that I forgot!”
Loves Cotton, Loves To Knit, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100
I began oil painting on March 8, 2006. Sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is really hard, once in awhile it is fun. Sometimes I even like a painting or two.
Oak Grove Bridge, 6×6″, private collection, 2013
2 classes at Michael’s (the craft store, NOT my husband!), 1/2 semester at the local junior college, reading books, watching videos, reading websites, following artists’ blogs, looking at paintings, asking friends lots of questions, painting and painting some more. . . what am I trying to accomplish here? Just trying to “find my voice”.
Paint looser. Paint tighter. Hold your brush like this. Stand to paint. Use only flat brushes. Use only the primary colors. Use every color you can afford. Never use sap green. Sap green is the best thing that ever happened to a palette. Never use black. Of course you need black! Paint on location. Forget about painting on location until you are further along. Just get the impressions down. Decide which edges need to be sharp. Paint in layers. Finish a painting with thick paint all in one session. Copy the masters. Work from your own photos. (“All realistic artists either work from photos or they lie about it”. –Jack White) Working from photos is horrible – no real artist would ever do that!
The conflicting noises are confusing me tremendously. Secretly (well, not any more now that it is on the blog), I’ve just wanted to return to the quiet of my studio and draw with my beloved pencils. Black, white, shades of gray, detail to my heart’s content, straight edges, measuring tools, magnifying glasses – PRECISION.
Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to a book called Start, by Jon Acuff. He delves into the stages that used to accompany a person’s decades: 20s – Learning, 30s – Editing, 40s – Mastering, 50s – Harvesting, and 60s – Guiding. (Sorry, those of you in your 70s and 80s – Jon ignores you, but I’m guessing that Guiding or perhaps Super Guiding might be the role then.)
No longer are people doing these steps in these particular decades. Instead, people are starting new careers and learning new skills at all ages. (I was 45 when I started oil painting, in case you are wondering.)
So, I’ve re-entered my 20s when it comes to oil painting, struggling through the Land of Learning.
A week or two ago, I decided I must have entered the Land of Editing. Why? Glad you asked! (All interviews either say that or “Great question!” It is better than saying “you know” twelve times a minute.)
I have decided that I WANT to paint detail and precision, using lots of layers, following similar principles that I apply in pencil drawing. I am editing out the noise that does not move me closer toward this goal. If I have to raise my prices, so be it. The paintings will be worth it.
Denis Millhomme is one of my painting heros. When I asked him to teach me, he said he didn’t know how, and that if he drew, he’d draw just like me. I’ve wanted to paint like Denis from the beginning of this journey into oil, and I know I never will (he has a huge head start!), but I can stop trying to be like all those painters who slam them out quickly. Denis doesn’t have to, and neither do I. So there, all you noise-making folks. I get to choose how I want to paint, and I believe I have now chosen.
Worth It!
This is one of the paintings I did where I took all the time I wanted, striving for perfection. I like it a ton, and so do the wonderful people who bought it. (Try not to lick your screen, ‘k?)
Big fat happy THANK YOU to those of you who return to my blog, over and over.
Based on some emails I’ve received, it is time to go over a few things to help you enjoy this blog.
1. Some of you have asked me how to comment.
This is tricky. Some of your computers don’t show the same page view that I see. There is a sentence at the end of each post that reads “Be the first to respond” or “no responses yet” or “# of responses so far”.
This is true unless you are my amazing friend Nikki. I don’t know why her computer shows her a different view. It isn’t personal. Computers are just weird like that.
If you click on those words (hover over them – see your cursor turn into a little hand? This means you can click on it), it will give you a window or a box or something that allows you to type in your comment or question.
Then, it will probably look as if it didn’t work. This causes some people to submit two identical comments, because they think the first one didn’t work. Don’t worry – it goes into a spam folder, and then I go find it and approve it. If you submitted two, I delete one. If you misspelled words, I fix them. I’m just weird like that (sort of an auto-correct function that comes with my brain.)
2. Some of you only care about a particular subject, such as Mineral King, or drawing lessons.
You can either type the subject into the search box (if your computer is kind enough to show it) or you can scroll down the main page until you see the word “Categories” on the left side; just click on the particular Category that interests you and you will get pages of post headlines, most current on top. You can click on the headlines that blow your skirt up.
3. Several of you have had a little trouble on the main website with the shopping cart. You click on a buy button, and nothing happens.
How annoying! This is because after you choose what you want to buy, you need to click on the word “Cart” at the top of the page. That will show you what is in the cart.
Okay, hope that helps. Feel free to try the cart (you can always close the page if you didn’t really mean to buy something), try the commenting system (you can always close the page if you didn’t mean it), try the Search box, or try clicking on a category that interests you.
Thanks for stopping by, thanks for making it to the end of this instructional post. Here is your reward:
