When it is hot (i.e. “summer”), I prefer to paint in little stages rather than in long sessions. The swamp cooler helps, but it isn’t A/C for sure and for certain. This might be how it looked last time you saw it. “It” has the working title of “Keep Right”, and I am open to […]
Continuing to Paint in Summer’s Heat
Summer lasts a little bit too long for my liking. In early July, I was tired of it. That is an unpopular view, and I accept my status as a weirdo in this regard. However, I soldier onward in the heat, thankful for the inadequate swamp cooler in the painting workshop, and the inadequate wall […]
Painting in the Summer Heat
Last year when sales were almost non-existent, I forgot what it is like to arrange a painting schedule around the heat and the limitations of a swamp cooler. Now I remember. Everything has a downside and an upside. Last year up—no painting in the heat. This year up—good sales. All set up, ready to begin, […]
Fast Sequoias
What does “fast sequoias” mean? It means that my sequoia paintings sell quickly and sometimes I have to paint more speedy-quick-like-lightning, chop-chop, andalé andalé!! It looked like this: Skies first, then take them outside to begin drying while I go do a few chores. I hung one on the studio door to dry, and the […]
A Pair of Long Hot Days, Part Three
On day two of my Mineral King oil painting biathalon, I started early, actually feeling kind of excited to try a new scene. I was so into the details that I forgot to take very many photos of the progress. Call me “Butter” cuz I’m on a roll! Next? These two would most likely be […]
A Pair of Long Hot Days, Part Two
After I carried the first painting outside, I just grabbed the next canvas in the lineup. It is an unusual view of the Honeymoon Cabin, which is a tiny museum for the Mineral King Preservation Society. It is either the 2nd or the 3rd best selling subject of Mineral King oil paintings. I carried this […]
A Pair of Long Hot Days, Part One
When paintings are selling quickly and the season is short, your Central California artist must work quickly. Therefore, on a pair of hot days, she soldiered through multiple paintings to restock the store at the Silver City Resort. First, this piece needed the water to be repaired, the edges painted, and a signature. This one […]
Three Ready and Two Not Ready to Sign
I made a list of what to fix on Red Barn, Big Oak, fixed it, and decided it is good enough to sign. (There is time to change my mind and add, correct, or subtract.) I put another layer on the bridge, which is going to be a challenge for many reasons. This is the […]
Really Big Oil Painting of Classic Mineral King
The day finally came to finish this painting. Well, not entirely finish, because after I photograph a painting, I usually see a long list of things to fix or change or improve. I don’t know why this becomes evident when looking on a screen; it is also true for my drawing students and other friends […]
While I Was Getting Gas
At The Four-Way, right next to the Chevron station, there is a classic red barn with an enormous Valley oak tree, quercus lobata. It’s just part of the landscape, and one day while I was getting gas, I realized that this barn could just tumble, or the excess pavement near the tree could prevent it […]