Is There An Echo In Here??

What is the visual equivalent of an echo? A shadow? A reflection, perhaps. . .

Is there a reflection in this studio? A reflection of Mineral King, to be exact? Because I see an awful lot of Mineral King Oil Paintings drying on your wall!

Seems that way. Mineral King is de ja vu all over again.

Same scene, different viewpoints.

Same bridge twice, different paint jobs, different directions.

Same cabin, different times of day, different times of year.

Same place, favorite view, over and over and over. Mineral King oil paintings, on miles and miles of canvas. Mineral King, Farewell Gap, over and over and over. Instead of the California artist, I am the Mineral King artist. Perhaps I should change my tagline in this blog.

Nope. Oranges and poppies don’t grow in Mineral King.

Are you tired of this view yet? (that question is for you, the reader, not me, the California Artist!) Tell me about it here.

Behind the Scenes of the Sequoia Mural

The customer asked for a mural, explained the nature of her business, and I said, “A mural of a trail would be just right!” (Sequoia Outdoor Sports will be renting camping and backpacking gear to visitors to Sequoia National Park.)

I brought several photos and paintings of trail scenes with me to meet the owner (John) and the manager (Carolyn) and see the wall.

John loved this painting.

Mosquito Lake Trail, 16×20″, oil on wrapped canvas, $350

John asked if I could substitute Sequoia trees for the red firs. I said yes, but. Yes, but there are no Sequoia trees at that elevation or in Mineral King. John said it wouldn’t matter to his customers, who will primarily be Europeans who come to see the Big Trees.

John is the customer. He is right! 

Today a man stopped by to ask if I was tagging his building. He was joking. He is the leaseholder of the building. Then he said, “Is that the trail to White Chief and Mosquito Lakes?” Ummm, yes, sort of. In spite of the fact that I changed the background to be more congruent with a place that would have Sequoia trees, he knew the trail!

Three Rivers locals will recognize the incongruity but they will be polite. If John is happy and his customers are happy, then I am happy.

In Situ

Say what? Is that some sort of typo?

Now now, let’s not get all worked up here. It is Latin and it means “in position”.  We’ve been over this before. IF you were paying attention you might remember! This California artist knows a few Latin phrases, and she isn’t afraid to use them. However, she isn’t a snob about it and always explains them for your learning pleasure.

Remember the oil painting of the Mineral King Bridge? It was happily received by its commissioner, beautifully and appropriately framed, and is currently residing on a granite kitchen counter. This way, its owner can live with it a bit, before deciding its proper place on the appropriate wall.

She photographed it for us.

Mineral King Bridge Painting, Done!

(Happy Birthday, Deb! Or was it yesterday??)

When I was a child, my sisters and I had to say “May I be excused?” before leaving the dinner table. This was to signal many things:  we were finished eating; to give our parents an opportunity to review our plates; to teach us how to be civilized;  to consider other people;  to become accustomed to decent manners.

So, now I say to my customer, “Please may I be excused?” This is because I believe the oil painting is finished, because I am civilized, and because I am never finished until the customer is happy!

Mineral King Bridge Painting, 3rd Layer

Branches and leaves on the cottonwoods, a pine in the right foreground, and some branches added to the red firs back by the cabins.

Sounds like a lesson in native trees of Mineral King. Might be, if I knew what sort of pine that is. Bet it isn’t a pine but is another red fir.

There is more to be done. There is always more to be done.

Sounds like a life lesson.

(Hey Mr. Google, this post is about a Mineral King oil painting, a commissioned oil painting, and I am a California Artist. Just sayin’.)

Mineral King Bridge Painting, 2nd Layer

Getting better all the time (wasn’t that a song by Chicago?)! Certainly isn’t a Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Long Way There is certainly correct for the road, and Long and Winding Road  is even better. Wait – it was called Getting Stronger Every Day by Chicago!!

Clearly I digress. This is about visual art, not auditory art.  Here, have a look at the painting after round 2:

It will take at least one more layer to get the colors, textures and shapes right, and then I can start the leaves on the cottonwoods. (Those are the trees on the left).

Mineral King Bridge In Paint

We all know that procrastination is not a virtue. However, I’d like to present a few benefits to procrastination:

1. Sometimes the problem fixes itself.

2. Sometimes new knowledge or skill is acquired so the difficulty diminishes.

3. Sometimes the problem becomes a moot point.

4. Sometimes someone else takes care of it.

I’ve been contemplating an oil painting of the Mineral King bridge for several weeks. In the meantime, I’ve made progress on my Huge (yet unrevealed) Project, finished a pencil commission, assembled a new spinning card rack, finished some other pencil drawings, prepared for the upcoming student art show, decided on and ordered covers for my display screens, completed the application for the next Studio Tour, and many other things that might bore you right off this page.

Finally, I’ve run out of excuses. The real reason for procrastination in this case is a little embarrassing: when I’ve gone several weeks without painting, I get a little fearful that I won’t be able to remember how to paint.

Then, when I begin a new painting, my fears appear to be confirmed. Sigh.

p.s. Don’t worry, CL, it WILL get better. They always do!

Why I Make Art, #6

This is the final posting of this series, Why I Make Art. READER WARNING: I will talk about God in this so if it bores/irritates/offends you, skip this post.


I am made in the image of the Creator. He, the Ultimate Creator, created me to be like Him, which includes the desire to create. (No, no, no, I don’t think of myself as Godlike!!)

Clearly I do not have the ability to speak things into existence, nor the ability to make something entirely original. “What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There’s nothing new on this earth. Year after year it’s the same old thing.” Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, The Message

I also do not have the unlimited ability to make millions of variations of the same item, nor endless items.

My work is imitative, derivative,  just a way I have of reflecting back a little glory to God. It is my way of expressing the joy I find in light, shadow, shape, color, texture, scenes, and gratitude for ordinary daily gifts.

(Clearly I am missing the cooler temperatures, brighter colors and higher water of Springtime!)