Sequoia painting | Cabin Art

Squishing a Meadow

How does one “squish a meadow”?

One layer at a time, with oil paint on canvas, a 6×18″ canvas to be specific. Canvases this size and shape have become popular; they seem to fit well into odd spaces for people. I can accommodate this.

This is how Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park looked about 2 weeks ago.

The proportions are different in this photo than on a 6×18″ canvas. Can I squish this into a horizontal format? Can I stretch it out and remain believable? Sure. This is a forgiving subject, not an architectural exactitude where I have to artificially elongate things, maybe shorten the height and add a few windows. That would be neither forgiving nor believable.

This messy and sort of ugly beginning lets me know this will work.

Tucker doesn’t care, because there is something much more intriguing up the hill.

All this discussion about proportion, believability and elongating has put Scout to sleep.

Better sky (it is the farthest element), next grayish green on the trees that are farthest away.

Closer trees on the right, bright yellow ones last.

After this is dry, I will look at it with more critical eyes, add a few more details, decide if the colors are really correct, and then sign it.

And honestly, Dear Readers, my paintings look a ton better in person.

A Tree Grows

6×18″ Sequoia Gigantea/Redwood/Big Tree, first pass.

While I was growing a tree, this was happening outside the painting workshop.

Sequoia Gigantea II, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×18″, $150 (plus tax)

oil paintings Sequoia painting

The Rest of the Sequoia Oil Painting Saga

SS brought me this oil painting:

I thought it was this one:

Then I thought it was this one:

I can’t find the photo that I used to paint any of these, so I have to rely on my experience of painting Sequoia trees to just improve the painting.

Here it is wet on the easel; is it improved? I think so. Will SS? I like it much better. The questions are still unanswered, but the painting is now finished (until someone else brings it to me from another antique store in another 10 years?)

oil paintings Sequoia painting

The Story Behind a Painting

Sequoia trees are one of my biggest subjects to paint. Well, duh, they are the biggest trees in the world. But that’s not what I mean – I paint Sequoias over and over and over.

A few weeks ago a girl whom I will call SS called to say she found a Sequoia oil painting by me at an antique store. (Here in Tulare County, “antique store” can sometimes be a euphemism for “junk store”, or if you are a bit more refined, a “thrift shop”; only the truly hip think of “repurposing outlet”, and probably no one in Tulare County.) SS just wanted to know if it truly was mine, if it had been altered in any way, and what I thought.

She read me the inventory # on the back, and I found it in my extensive files of oil painting photos.

First thought: ‘How embarrassing!” Second thought: “I paint better now, so may I borrow it back and improve it?”

I spent too much time trying to find the photo I used to paint this, but it has vanished. Why?? Where?? Who knows?

As I was composing this blog post, I discovered that in my extensive photo records, I have the wrong title on the photo. The painting is this one:

Or is it??

This is what SS brought to me:

It’s not the same either! When did I paint this? Where is the photo? Did I decide that after using it 3 times, it was time to retire the photo? Did I lend it to someone? What happened to the photo of the painting?

The inventory # on the back does not match the inventory # in the files of photos! And, it was a paint-over from another oil painting that did not meet my standards. The edges were not painted because I framed it. I never frame them any more and haven’t for years.

“Years”, she says, as if she’s been painting for decades instead of since March 8, 2006.

The saga continues. . .

oil paintings Sequoia painting

Please May I Be Excused?

Do you remember being required to say that when you were done with dinner as a kid? (We might not have had to say “please”. . . it isn’t sounding familiar to me, but with that degree of rudeness, why was permission even required? Never mind.)

The Redwood & Dogwood painting might be finished.

The Oak Grove Bridge might be finished.

Please, may I be excused?

Today’s painting for sale:

Sunny Sequoias XXX, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $60 plus California sales tax of 8% (you may do the math for us)

Do you think it is “sellsy” and push to show you a painting for sale at the end of each blog post? That’s the last thing I want to be! (or maybe being sellsy and pushy would be better than being rude and not asking politely to be excused from the table. . .)

Oak Grove Bridge oil paintings Sequoia painting

Slow Middle

Happy Birthday, Lauren!!

After a quick start on the redwood and dogwood painting (redwoods are Sequoia Giganteas, Sequoia being the source of the name for Sequoia National Park), it was time to do my usual slow, careful, meticulous, thoughtful detailing. (Is this painting better or painting the same as I always do??)

“Wow, you humans sure are mysterious.” Is this what Tucker is thinking, or is he wondering if there will be treats soon?

Even more blooms and more leaves, along with more layers and detailing on the Sequoia.

Feels done, but absolutely will need more refining and detailing and brightening and edge-sharpening before I sign it and paint the edges.

Want to buy this painting?? You may. It is 12×16″, $300 plus California sales tax of 8%, one of the highest tax rates in the nation.

oil paintings Sequoia Sequoia painting

Quick Start

After a recent trip to Sequoia National Park to see the dogwood in bloom, I had a desire to paint them with a redwood tree in the background. The printed photos hadn’t yet arrived, so why not paint while looking at the computer screen? Then I began thinking about my “Paint Better” and “Sell More Paintings” goals, squishy at best, definitely not “SMART”. The idea of “Paint Better” is so vague; maybe it could mean to paint looser, just get the idea of colors, shapes, darks and lights. Maybe this would work with dogwood and redwood.

Maybe this will work. The redwood has to dry before the dogwood can go on the top. Otherwise, it might look like mudwood.

Painting of the day:

Sunny Sequoias #33, oil on wrapped canvas, 11×14″, $275.

oil paintings Sequoia Sequoia painting

Redwoods, Again

The three small redwood oil paintings are completed and for sale at Anne Lang’s Emporium in Three Rivers (or you can contact me directly.)

Sunny Sequoias XXX, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″, $60 plus tax

Sunny Sequoias XXXI, oil on wrapped canvas, 8×8″, $100 plus tax

Sunny Sequoias XXXII, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×6″, $60 plus tax

But wait! There’s more (in progress). This is 11×14″. The canvas began with a portrait of a stranger in a workshop; it was too hard for me, I didn’t know the person, I have no plans to become a portrait artist, so bye-bye, Stranger Face.

oil paintings Sequoia Sequoia National park Sequoia painting

Redwoods and Reality

I had an extra peach painting that was going to become an orange, and then after a reality check, it got turned into redwood trees. This is Three Rivers, gateway to Sequoia National Park, and I need to have paintings of sequoia trees.

Sequoia Gigantea = redwood = Big Tree. I went to Redwood High School so “redwood” is the name that comes most automatically.

Here are the paintings drying on the pegboard/chalkboard. I had to photoshop out a bunch of phone numbers from the background before I accidentally publicized my personal phone directory. This is how we do things when we don’t have cell phones. And no, it didn’t say “For a good time call. . .”

Why don’t I just photoshop the redwood trees onto the canvas??

Forget it. I’m an oil painting Central California artist, not a computer chick.

oil paintings Sequoia National park Sequoia painting

Art and Reality

Art and Reality is referring to the fact that I earn my living with art and have to be realistic about things.

The economy has definitely picked up. People are buying larger paintings and more of them. Paintings sold very well for me in December (perhaps I’ll do a blog post showing all the ones that are GONE, after I hear definite totals from the galleries.)

This means it is time to paint new things and be realistic about old ones that haven’t sold.

I think I have saturated the market for little fruit paintings, with the exception of pomegranates and of course, oranges! Sequoia trees, Mineral King scenery and oranges are my mainstay. Time for a do-over on paintings which I am the only one who likes. Hard truth, but still better than job hunting. . .