I still have a very large commissioned oil painting of redwoods to complete. Redwoods are sequoia gigantea, not to be confused with California redwoods. We grew up calling them “the big trees”, and I had no clue what a privilege it was to live so close. (I might have been a bit of a twit.) […]
Gingko Leaf Painting Practice
A few years ago I painted a gingko leaf. A friend saw it and asked if I could paint the same for her, but make it green instead of yellow. I did. The background didn’t please her, because the darkness that I thought showed off the leaf looked depressing to her. This was her opinion, […]
First Saturday, Three Rivers, September First
First Saturday Three Rivers has been happening for 3 years now. On the first Saturday of the month, merchants and artists in Three Rivers do something special. They have sales, open houses, new products, refreshments, or anything out of their normal procedures for the day. It gives you a reason to come up the hill. […]
Mineral King Paintings and 3 Reasons Why They Are Selling Well
Mineral King is the second most popular subject that I paint. Oranges are first, pomegranates are third. Thanks for asking – does me good to know you care. Many of the artists I know have taken to creating small paintings in this crummy economy. Since Tulare County’s economy is usually crummy anyway, I was […]
Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King
The Honeymoon Cabin in Mineral King sits at the beginning of the Eagle/Mosquito/White Chief trailhead. It was part of the resort, back in the days of a store and rental cabins in Mineral King. That era ended in 1969, when an avalanche took out the store. By then, Walt Disney owned the place, and […]
Orange You Glad You Live in California (or Sorry That You Don’t)?
Orange you glad you live in California? Or perhaps you aren’t so glad – the state is way over its head financially, we have both sales tax and state income tax, our gas is almost the most expensive in the country, and it is stinkin’ hot. But we can grow oranges, and we can paint […]
Poppy Painting Explosion
Last week I had an explosion of California poppies in the painting studio. They landed on top of my stereo. (Yes, that is duct tape on the stereo – You can ask Retired Road Guy, but I doubt he’ll remember.) Who knew that canvases came in 2×2″? They are so cute, and can be painted […]
The Rest of the (poppy) Story
Don’t you just love finding out what happened? Ever read the last chapter of a book before (or instead of) finishing? That’s okay – you don’t have to confess anything here! Remember this pale poppy? Now look! It was an easy fix. Thank you to everyone who shared their opinion – turns out we all […]
Sawtooth Has a Story
Sawtooth Peak probably has many many stories. It is visible from Visalia, and when it is viewed in Mineral King, folks are often surprised by its smallish size. “How could that be visible from down there?”, I’ve been asked a time or two. My answer is always the same, “I dunno!” On July 22, 1976 […]
Going Places
Imagine you are on a road trip, just sitting there like a knitting machine, and your driving husband pulls over and says “I thought you might want a picture of this”. Wouldn’t that be grand and thoughtful? It is. Trail Guy and I like to visit his sister in Lake Tahoe. (Hi Laurie!) On one […]