I am the daughter and granddaughter of citrus growers. I thought I might become a citrus grower myself, but I became an artist. Still self-employed, but in a much less risky and less regulated business. Still, I am inspired by citrus. Usually I paint oranges as a still life, which means an orange or […]
I Love Tulare County
For some reason, it embarrasses me to admit this. So, I put it as the title of this post – practice saying it, feel it, face it. (Say it loud, say it proud?) I am a California Artist and I love Tulare County! (Is it warm in here or is it just me?) Oranges #121, […]
Learning to Oil Paint
Remember in the olden days when I was an oil painter? This was before 2013, the year I drew 180 pencil drawings of Wilsonia cabins. A number of my drawing students have been pressuring me to teach oil painting. We know one another fairly well so they understand how I teach, and I understand how […]
A Painting Break
Because my self-imposed drawing quota for The Cabins of Wilsonia was met for February, I used the last week of the month to knock out a few oil paintings. Two are commissions, and the rest are to sell at the Three Rivers gallery Colors. Here they are in progress: Kind of nice to be working in […]
2013 Calendars Now Available
The first 2 orders of 2013 calendars were all spoken for. Now I have the calendars available for order, right here on my bl0g! The price including tax and shipping is $21. The earlier price was less because that’s just the way things roll. . . sigh. (Worm, anyone?) If you reserved one by email […]
Daily Paintworks
What means this?? (That’s how my niece asked for more information when she was three, and I thought it was so cute that I’ve been saying for 20 years since.) Daily Paintworks is a wonderful online gallery featuring new paintings from its members every single day. I’ve followed it for a few years, and learned about […]
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 […]
Squeezing Out Some Citrus (Paintings, that is)
A good customer requested 14 paintings of citrus. He specified a certain number of Tangerines (aka Clementines or Mandarins), Lemons and Navel oranges. Among the excitement of replacing paintings burned up in a cabin fire and replenishing the stock at the Silver City Store, I’ve been squeezing out these paintings. Come on! You KNOW that […]
Orange You Glad I Can Paint Citrus?
Tulare County grows, sells and eats a ton of citrus. Probably several million tons. I learned to oil paint by using the subject of oranges over and over and over. When an orange would sell, I’d paint another. The last one was #103, I think. There were also a handful that I didn’t title or […]
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 […]