Every time an oil painting of the Kaweah Post Office sells, I paint it again.
That’s a lot of oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office. But wait! There’s more! Come back tomorrow and see the second set of seven.
Kaweah Post Office Oil Paintings
About the Kaweah Post Office
The Kaweah Post Office is about 3 miles up North Fork Drive in Three Rivers, California. For awhile it was known as the smallest operating post office in the USA. Now it is operated in a weird little way; the woman who owns the building goes to the Three Rivers Post Office to collect the mail and then brings it to Kaweah to pop it into the boxes.
People who live near the post office are quick to tell you that they live in Kaweah, not Three Rivers, thank you very much. It has its own zip code (93237), so I guess that makes it its own town.
The building is very picturesque and old-timey, established in 1890, but I think the current building was constructed in 1910. It is also sort of falling apart. I don’t know what will happen to it. But, I don’t know what will happen to anything or anybody, and neither does anyone else.
It has a ton of visual appeal, which is why I continue to draw and paint it. Have a look at some of the drawings. I’m not showing you the very first one because it is downright embarrassing.
Tomorrow I will show you the first seven oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office. Not “THE FIRST”; MY first. I’m sure there must be dozens of other artists through the years that have chosen this little jewel.
Field Trip or Procrastination?
While working on the umpteenth pencil drawing of the Kaweah Post Office, I was struck by how stupid it is to guess at what is around and behind the little building. Why am I struggling with an incomplete photograph when all I have to do is drive about 4 or 5 miles and see the thing in person??
This is the photo I was using, and there is green chaos all around the edges. Besides, I took this photo in October of 2010, so I suspect things have changed.
Indeed, they have. I know the biggest oak lost a limb; I helped raise money to replace the roof by selling oil paintings of the Kaweah Post Office, donating half of whatever they auctioned for. But where is the little fence with the gate?
Would you look at that? It is gone! But wait! I think I see it. . .
That’s no help. Guess I’ll just stick to my old photo. The background works, just sort of scribbling in blurry curly growing symbols.
Are you curious about the porch and the inside? Have a look:
After goofing off enjoying a spring morning outing, I went back to the drawing board. (Do you know anyone else who can literally say that?)
Three California Poppy Oil Paintings
It has been ten years since we had that spectacular poppy season in Three Rivers. I still find them when I walk and in in my yard, but never since have we had them in such abundance.
While I was conducting the private oil painting workshop, I painted two poppy paintings. It is good to be available to the students, but no good to just hover.
I was pleased with them until I saw them in better light in the workshop. Then I saw that they needed another layer or two, and the shapes weren’t quite right. Since I had the colors mixed and another canvas ready to go, I decided to throw in a third poppy.
When they were finished, I realized they still needed reshaping.
When that was finished and dry, I scanned them and realized they still needed another layer on the reshaped edges.
Easy little paintings, no trouble at all, just slam them out, piece of cake, no problem.
Fall down laughing.
FINALLY, they are finished. I think.
What is Art Administration?
I don’t know what “art administration” means. Doesn’t it sound important?
Most days, Trail Guy asks me what I plan to do. Often the answer is “paint”; about every two weeks or so I say “administrative tasks”.
What this means is tending to the business of an art business. Going to lovely places and painting is only part of being an artist full time.
This is what an administrative day can look like:
- Find boxes and packaging material to ship two paintings. One is almost right, but where is the box cutter so I can make it exactly right? Wait, I need a ruler too. . . where’s the bubble wrap? The packing tape?
- Take all the newly dry paintings from the painting workshop to the real studio and scan painting after painting. Oh wait, that one has a weird green spot in the sky – must have been against one that wasn’t quite dry yet. Set it aside to touch up later.
- Wait and wait and wait for a scheduled phone call with potential web designer. He said 10, sent an email that had something to do with The Google that said 6, I replied and said no, TEN, and he didn’t call. Then he emailed at 10:15 to ask if he could still call and say he was sorry for the confusion. Too much communicating going on here, but I kept scanning paintings until he finally called.
- Long and satisfying phone call; make some decisions.
- Put together a bank deposit.
- Drive to town (just Three Rivers, a wonderfully self-contained “village”). Drop by the library first and pick up a book with wonderful photos because that is one of the many ways that an artist trains her brain and eye. Visit with the librarian who happens to room with my niece. (Tulare County is small.)
- Go to the Post Office to send the packages, run into a friend who needs to find a web designer and pass along the (as of yet unproven) web designer’s info to her.
- Go to the bank and see a former drawing student/friend/neighbor who asks, “Do you have a website?” SAY WHAT?? I clearly haven’t done enough advertising here in my own town!!
- Run into the grocery store and see the friend who encouraged me to design and publish coloring books; her business is now closed, but I was able to encourage her in her new job. (no, not a grocery clerk – she was there repping a product to the store owner)
- See a friend on the way home, one I help with her vacation rentals from time to time (so far have painted 3 murals for her in those rentals). Stop to catch up a bit.
- Get home to a phone message about a messed up order. My supplier messed up the order, I emailed, and the owner of the company called to ask how to make it right. WOW! That’s rare great service! Longish phone conversation.
- FedEx arrives with an order of canvases; I unpacked the box, and began to assign inventory numbers and photos to various sizes. I’ve been waiting for this order!
- Put hanging hardware and titles on the backs, begin a few quick paintings, and realize that all the newly scanned paintings need to be entered onto the website.
- Blog.
There are more things I haven’t finished, but it is almost quitting time. Really?? I could work until 10 p.m., but that would be rude. Besides, there are statistics about working longer than 9 hours; studies show that productivity drops. I think I could keep pushing, but there is no real sense of urgency, other than answering an email inquiry about a pencil drawing commission, and another about the book I am currently editing.
Since you made it to the end of this blog post about “art administration”, you deserve a treat. How about an ice cream cone?
Field Trip
Last Sunday afternoon, we drove down to Lake Kaweah to go walking among the cockleburs. I think the dam was built in 1962 or ’63, so I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t there.
It is sort of ugly, but interesting at the same time. There are nicer places to walk in Three Rivers, but variety is a good thing. Keeps you and your brain from settling into a rut, something my paternal grandmother preferred to call a “groove”, which she said made for smoother travel.
There are old home sites and even a former swimming pool. A metal detector might yield some interesting results.
The bridge is interesting with its styling in the concrete. It crosses Horse Creek.
We followed Horse Creek for awhile.
Not much to it, but it became messy, so we went back to the road and followed it into a flock of red-wing blackbirds. Raucous critters.
The mallards and snowy egrets are quieter.
We encountered another bridge across Horse Creek and headed back. The flower is mustard.
This was a field trip just for fun, not for work. I don’t think there is anything pretty enough down there to paint, although a view of Alta Peak and Moro Rock with the lake in the foreground might appeal to a few folks.
Minus the cockleburs. . .
New Year’s Day Walk
The New Year’s Day walk could have been a hike, had we taken food and more than one measly little water bottle. Alas, we did not. We went to the Salt Creek/Case Mt. BLM recreational area and walked from the Salt Creek road (rather than Skyline Drive) up, up and up. It was a smoggy hazy day, and the land wanted rain. We encountered about 8 different walking and biking parties; 4 were folks we know. Three Rivers is small. (A friend recently said to me that the good thing about Three Rivers is that it is small; the bad thing about Three Rivers is that it is small.) Going places, even those close to home, getting outside, looking around–these are all sources of inspiration, a requirement to this Central California artist.
I am so thankful for the rain we have received since New Year’s Day, but we still need more. Alas, those folks in Montecito. . . yikes.
Incremental Studio Improvements
I am a big believer in incremental improvements, little changes adding up over time. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be able to draw in pencil, paint in oil, or even be a knitter.
My Three Rivers studio was just a little storage shed on our property until it got gussied up in December 2001. It was thrilling to have a place to work at home!
Over the years little changes have been made. They all add up, and here I am, 16 years later, with a studio that looks like this:
Next will come new siding.
Interesting Place in Three Rivers
The Perfect Gift Boutique is an annual event held by the Kaweah Artisans at the Arts Center in Three Rivers. This is an old building, vaguely Craftsman in style, somewhat shabby, and in its third life – it has been a home, the Womans Club (Yes, that is the way a national club for women spells its name) and now an arts center with many uses.
Nikki the weaver and I usually set up on the stage. The back wall is actually made of sliding panels that open onto the back yard, so that the viewers of a play can sit in the back, outside.
The rock work is extensive, resourceful (using river rock) and interesting.
I’ve heard that it is a little scary upstairs, but I love those double-hung windows and shingle siding.
This is at the very top of the triangular back yard.
The balcony overlooks the back yard; I wonder if it was ever used in plays there.
This is looking up from the stage into the back yard audience area. 
The interior is where we, the Kaweah Artisans, spend our time. It is an open space where about 5-6 folks can set up their wares. This is the view that Nikki and I have of the room from our perch on the stage.
Could you people hold it down? I had a rough night and need my sleep.
First Saturday December
In Three Rivers, the first Saturday of each month is a special day. Some artists open their studios, some retailers offer discounts, and it is just a little more of an event to visit our town.
For First Saturday December, I will have my studio open for first time in several years.
You can see the newest mural, buy a calendar (other things too), and perhaps even get bitten on the ankle by Samson (unless he worked the late shift and is sleeping in one of his secret hideaways).
Pick up a map at Anne Lang’s Emporium to get directions to all the participating businesses, and this month it includes two other artists in my own neighborhood.
P.S. My studio has come a long ways in the past almost 16 years!
