Some artists enter competitions on a regular basis. If you read their resumes, you see the awards they have won. If you are a gallery owner, this might matter to you. If you are Joe Bag-of-Doughnuts (or Bag-of-Bagels or Box-of-Oranges or Sack-of-Tacos – don’t mean to discriminate here) who says, “I don’t know much […]
Across The Fruited Plain
Is the Central Valley of California technically “the fruited plain”? Not exactly sure. It has been called “the land of fruit and nuts”. Take that anyway you would like. As the California artist daughter of a farmer, I take it in a literal sense. The business of art requires thought and planning. If a […]
One More Place You Can See and Buy My Art
That is a shamelessly self-promotional title! However, it is also promoting the Silver City Resort, so perhaps “self-promotional” is a bit of an exaggeration. (happy birthday, Deanne!) A few weeks ago I posted a list of places that carry my work. Immediately afterward, I took paintings to the Silver City Resort for the summer. (6 […]
How Many Hours a Day Do You Paint?
An old friend asked me this last week. We only see each other once a year or so, so we aren’t close. I think he thinks that art is my hobby that I sort of fit in around my life. When I told him what all I do, he was very surprised. This means a […]
A California Artist Goes to Washington and Gets Inspired
When I went to Washington (state) in April, the tulips were in bloom. That is the reason I chose April for my visit. They were stunning. While at the Redbud Festival in Three Rivers, I saw a lady wearing a skirt with a tulip print. The tulips were progressively larger as they got closer to […]
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 […]
First Peek at Commissioned Oil Painting
As promised on May 24, here is the first peek at the commissioned oil painting spoken of in two previous blog posts. Cowboy Bert told me he has a shirt that color. I said, “It’s called wheat”. He said, “That don’t look like wheat to me.” I said “It is wheat as viewed from the […]
In Which The Artist Interviews Herself About a Commission
The California artist will be discussing an upcoming oil painting commission. The interviewer will be black, and The Artist will be teal, because it is her favorite color and this is her blog. What are you working on these days? Oh I’m so glad you asked that question! A friend/student/customer/client/all of the preceding titles told […]
From Pencil Drawing to Oil Painting
During Three Rivers Artists Studio Tour Ten, some folks saw the pencil drawing of Redwood and Dogwood. They liked it, but color sells better than black and white and shades of gray, and oil paintings have a greater appeal than pencil. I LOVE PENCIL. Just sayin’. Something new happened to me as a California artist: […]
Four Benefits of Learning to Draw Before Learning to Paint
As a self-confessed color junkie, I’ve pondered the question of why pencil? Was I just a chicken? That’s all water under the bridge, and now I am just accepting the fact of 13 years of drawing with a late start to oil and mural painting. It ain’t all bad! Drawing in pencil helped me develop […]