Farewell at Dusk

This year I have been painting larger, in between completing the commissioned custom work. Smaller paintings do well at shows, but all my shows have been cancelled. (By “shows” I mean arts and crafts boutiques, fairs, festivals, and other assorted events.)

My idea is to build up a body of larger works so that when a local gallery decides to give me an exhibit, I will be ready. 

In that vein, I recently completed a 10×30″ oil painting of Farewell Gap (in Mineral King, of course) at dusk.  As you look at the progression, remember that things always look better in person (other than the model-type news babes on teevee, because No One could possibly look That Perfect.)

Farewell at Dusk, 10×30″, oil on wrapped canvas, $500 (looks better in person, but everything and everyone does except those news babes on teevee, because NO ONE looks that perfect, ever.)

I photographed it while still wet on the easel, and then tried to duplicate the color on Photoshop Junior. It isn’t right, but it’ll do for now.

 

That Old Shutter

There were lots of cute suggestions for what to do with that old shutter.

Being the Central California Artist, I decided to simply use it for a painting.

Because it obviously came from an old cabin, I decided to paint a cabin on it.

Because I try to be businesslike, I decided to paint the most popular cabin* from the most popular place** on it.

That is one rough surface. Who thought this was a good idea, anyway?? Lots of layering ahead to get this up to snuff, whatever that weird little saying means.

*The most popular cabin I paint is the Honeymoon Cabin.

**The most popular place I write about is Mineral King.

P.S. The blue is tape, and the white is primer where it overlaps the tape.

Plein Air in Mineral King, #3

After painting Empire and Vandever with the Crowley Cabin in Mineral King, plein air (on location), my confidence built. But, I didn’t like schlepping the easel around or setting it up, so I tried it sitting down by the Honeymoon Cabin (at the beginning of the Eagle/Mosquito trail). This was most pleasant, right by the stream. But in the afternoon, it was not in the shade, and there was no convenient place to put my palette. If it ain’t one thing, it’s anuthuh.

This scene?
No, I think this way with the juniper instead.
I had company.
Trail guy borrowed a sign from inside the Honeymoon Cabin (a mini museum) to rest the canvas on.
There was a root that made a perfect foot rest.
“Vandever, Stream, Juniper”, 8×8″, oil on wrapped canvas, $100

Plein Air in Mineral King, #2

A number of years ago (feels like 6, must be 10) I tried painting on location from the bridge in Mineral King. I had no instruction and no idea of how to proceed.

Painting in Mineral King in 2007 – it was TWELVE YEARS AGO! (I still have that shirt.)

Trail Guy and I walked to the bridge and inspected the views and possible areas to set up. The bridge is narrower now, so setting up on it is asking to be hit by someone’s rearview mirror, or moving every time a car comes.

This is from the bridge, a perfect scene, but one that can only happen via photos or with lots of trotting back and forth across the bridge. (There is no bridge troll, so it could work.)
This was about the only option, in spite of the uneven ground.
The stream didn’t really show despite being on a bridge. Too many willows.
The juniper blocks the top of Vandever, so I moved it.
Once again, I relied on the sketch to tell me what to include and what might fit.
First, the underpainting.
Second, the greens. Looks terrible, but has promise at this stage.
Better.
It’s kind of interesting to see the evolving canvas and the scene in one shot.
Suddenly, I was tired of dealing with uneven ground, people stopping by, and painting outside, so I packed it up and walked back to the cabin to finish.

I’ve painted this scene about 50 or 60 times, and drawn it in pencil at least a dozen more. So, I felt confident finishing it up at home.

Almost finished.
“Crowley Cabin”, 8×10″, oil on wrapped canvas, $125.