Category: Three Rivers

Paint While the Poppies are Hot

Poppies aren’t literally hot; this is my version of “Strike while the iron is hot”. What does that actually mean? I think it has something to do with blacksmithery—taking action in a timely manner.

These four oil paintings of California poppies sold immediately.

The poppies are out in abundance, and interest in them is high. Gotta paint poppies now! These will have to be done quickly and possibly delivered while still slightly wet if I am to tap into the season of interest. Let’s get those canvases ready NOW.

These two (6×6″ and 4×6″) are now available at Kaweah Arts in Three Rivers (unless they sold over the weekend).

This 8×8″ needs some more touching up and a signature.

Chop-chop, Central California artist!

And here is a thought: I do not remember poppies in abundance like this when I was kid. Is it because: a. they just didn’t bloom this way; b. my family wasn’t “into” poppies and wildflowers; c. I was oblivious?

Probably c.

poppies poppy art

Poppy Peeping

The poppies and other wildflowers were at at their peak on March 11. Three friends and I took the afternoon off to go fill our eyes.

First, we had to empty our wallets to fill the gas tank. Welcome to Three Rivers.

Then we headed down around the lake, and up Dry Creek Road, all within eastern Tulare County.

This last photo shows Terminus Dam in the distance, which creates Kaweah Lake. The flowers weren’t fabulous right there at the Dry Creek Preserve, but it was clear and green, which is pretty fabulous on its own.

We never did get out amidst the flowers but stayed on the shoulder of the road, and actually did no trespassing whatsoever.

I must be finally growing up.

March in Three Rivers

When we get some rain in February or early March, it is so beautiful in Three Rivers that it almost causes physical pain to leave. The brilliant spring days are just a tiny blip on the year long calendar, dominated by heat, drought, and brown.

The flowering pear tree in front of my studio is pretty 2 times a year. It is a leaning tree, and I wonder if that was caused by 13 years of Perkins scratching his claws while pushing on one side of the tree.

Look at these blooms up close.

Stand beneath the blossoms, get little white petals in your hair, and admire the “lawn”, which isn’t irrigated or green any other time of the year.

What else are we seeing? Flowering quince in the yard, and poppies across the canyon.

Yeppers, poppies!

I love March in Three Rivers.

Three Rivers

P.S. Adventures in Boy Scouting

The book “blurb” (certainly there must be a better word for this) is the brief summary on the back of a book. Here is what is on the back of Adventures in Boy Scouting: Tales Told by the Old Scoutmaster.

It’s the third weekend of the month. Where did everyone go?

Start reading and find out. Maybe Boy Scout Troop 323 is kayaking of Point Lobos, scuba diving off Big Sur, camping on Case Mountain, or maybe even at Kirks Creek searching for their inner selves in the “seven pools of enlightenment”. You know wherever these intrepid scouts are, another adventure is sure to follow.

What is so glorious about sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag during a thunderstorm or a blizzard? You’d have to be there to know, or you can skip the discomfort and read this book to bring the adventure to life.

Do you know this old scoutmaster and newly published author? If you see him, congratulate him, hand him $25, and be the happy owner of the fun new book, Adventures in Boy Scouting: Tales Told by the Old Scoutmaster.

P.S. Max the dog will be in the back seat of his pickup, along with Jasmine and Violet.

adventures in boy scouting Three Rivers

A New Book!

There is another part of my business that I call Cabinart Books.

After I published The Cabins of Wilsonia (2014) and Mineral King Wildflowers: Common Names (2019), I had acquired some skills using Photoshop (for repairing and preparing photographs for publishing), InDesign (for book formatting), along with knowledge of how to get a book printed.

While I was painting some indoor murals in December, my customer told me he was writing a book. I asked a few questions, and when he realized that he didn’t have the necessary skills or a plan, he hired me to be both his editor and book designer.

The book arrived yesterday!

This was a fun project! Bob Kellogg is the most eager person I have ever worked with on a book. We had a conversation about the project in mid December, and now the book is in hand, in mid March.

Bob was a scoutmaster in Three Rivers for 12 years, and the book is a collection of stories about the rambunctious troop’s adventures and shenanigans. If you have been a boy scout, had a boy scout in your family, or like books about local people and places, you will enjoy this book! (Or if you just appreciate fun true stories).

Right now the book is available at the Bookbaby Bookshop, and from Bob (rkellogg@kelbro.com) or from me, $25 includes sales tax.

adventures in boy scouting boy scout book three rivers book

February is Over

I don’t have a Learned List for you this month. I learned some things, but they don’t belong here. Instead, here is a list of things for which I am grateful in February.

February remains my favorite month, because it truly is the beginning of spring around here.
We have access to some fantastic oranges, which are very fun to glean and to share.
Sales of my paintings continue.
Our three cats are still alive and well, 4 years for Tucker, 3 years for his nephews Jackson and Pippin.
My catalytic converter hasn’t croaked.
The wildflowers are terrific.
We had some snow and rain.
We have fantastic friends who step up during times of difficulty to help.
The daffodils are steadily blooming and will continue for awhile including in places that I forgot I planted.
Knitting is a great pacifier, a healthy and productive alternative to smoking. I started and finished one sweater, finished another sweater and a baby blanket, and began a new baby blanket.

Now, let’s just enjoy some spring time in the foothills of Central California.

The poppies are barely visible below Comb Rocks but I know those are poppies and not fiddlenecks. (In case you care about such details).

Learn, Schmearn

I accidentally took black and white photos on a day full of beautiful bright natural colors. This became an opportunity to learn how to use the colorize tool on Photoshop Junior (actually Photoshop Elements).

I am not impressed.

Let’s try it with another photo.

Better, but still nothing to get excited about.

Now I will use the tool to adjust color.

This isn’t very good either.

What did I learn? That if I mess up and accidentally take black and white photos, it is a waste of time to try to make them look natural.

How about if I just stop messing up when the pictures are important?

Good idea.

Not on Purpose

Remember in the olden days when we took photos and didn’t see them until our film got developed?

We have gotten used to looking at them instantly, which is great in theory, but what happens when you are outside in the bright sun and cannot see the screen? Cameras rarely have eyeholes, and the ones that do are small, blurry, inadequate, scratched, or just dirty.

Additionally, if you cannot see the screen, you cannot see the controls on the screen. Sometimes this creates accidents.

A little over a week ago after a storm (not the snowstorm), everything was so beautiful that I laid down my paintbrushes and headed out with Trail Guy to see some natural beauty. The wildflowers!!

THEN, without knowing it, I had a camera accident.

How would I know? I couldn’t see the screen. When I put on some glasses and moved into the shade, I realized that the color was absent, so I randomly pushed the controls until color appeared again.

This flowering pear is the first to bloom in the neighborhood (mid-February) and the last to lose its color in the fall (sometimes late November). This photo might have looked okay in black and white.

It took quite a bit of button pushing when I got home to restore the normal settings. I don’t know how it switched to black and white and doubt if I could make it do that again, at least not on purpose.

Now I am going to experiment with something called “colorize” on Photoshop Junior. This is an opportunity to learn.

Schizophrenic Weather

Recently I have been enjoying the green, wildflowers, and daffodils, sharing them with you all.

Wednesday morning, February 23, this was how our yard looked.

I heard a radio announcer say, “The Sierra is celebrating much needed snow”. I’m unsure how a mountain range “celebrates”, but I know we are very very thankful for any and all precipitation here in Three Rivers. Probably in all of California other than the upper north end of our bizarrely diverse state.

It is too dark to photograph snow around here. It only looks great when the sun comes out, but the snow disappears almost immediately.

Trail Guy has such a soft spot for Pippin.

My flowering pear is in bloom at the same time we get snow? THIS is why I love February!

The yard doesn’t look quite as sittable as usual. I’ll just stand—thanks for asking.

My Favorite Month

Life hasn’t been all bad. February is my favorite month and it is beautiful in Three Rivers. There is always something good happening on my needles. Well, maybe not always good, but every project is another example of the triumph of hope over experience. Tucker remains my favorite cat. (Sorry, Jackson and Pippin, but not very.)