Tag: Three Rivers

Spring in Three Rivers, continued

Sometimes it feels as if Spring in Three Rivers lasts for about 20 minutes. This feeling causes me to not want to leave the area, not even to go to Exeter for a day to teach people how to draw, which is something I love to do.

With apologies to the writer of the song “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, I believe with all my heart that Spring is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Have a look at a few days last week of enjoying Spring in Three Rivers. It is just photography, not art, but it is always a source of inspiration to me.

Three Rivers

New Coloring Book!

Are you aware that coloring books for grownups is a huge fad?

Huge! HUGE! Written up in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and even the Visalia Times-Delta. . . I have friends telling me they love to color. These are adults. And just over the weekend, the subject was in the Fresno Bee.

I hesitate putting the word “adult” in front of “coloring book”, because the word has been, well, adulterated. The word “adulterate” sort of means the same thing as polluted. You probably don’t need an explanation about this.

My new coloring book is pure and unpolluted. The title is:

Heart of the Hills

Why? Because I have hidden a tiny heart in every picture.

See if you can find it in this one:

first drawing

Hardly fair, is it? This is too tiny! Guess you’ll just have to wait until it comes out and get one.

Details for Heart of the Hills

19 drawings of Three Rivers, Sequoia and Mineral King
Will be available around April 15.
Suitable for colored pencil or marker
Printed one side of the page only.
Before tax price: $15
Will be available on my website and at Kaweah River Trading Co. in Three Rivers
Might be available for pre-order but. . .

. . . I haven’t figured out why a person would want or need to pre-order.

If you think that would be a helpful method of ordering, please comment and share your opinion.

More Poppy Peeping

This poppy peeping trip was up North Fork Drive out of Three Rivers. It was with one friend in a Mustang convertible that her Mom bought on her 88th Christmas. (No, my friend isn’t 88 – it was her Mom who was 88). It was a great top-down day, and sometimes I just stood on the seat to get the right photos. Handy set up.

There were poppies, (early) redbud, lupine, the North Fork of the Kaweah, sycamores, oaks, and cows. Lovely time, truly enjoyable companionship, beautiful drive.

California poppies poppies Three Rivers

Spring in Three Rivers at Kaweah Lake

This is my favorite photo of the whole day. This is one of 3 types of lupine we saw at Kaweah Lake.

This is another type – bush lupine.

Some sort of clover was very abundant and quite fragrant.

This road made me wonder how Three Rivers might be today had Terminus Dam not been built in 1963. The road would meander near the river, and perhaps the river would be more accessible to the public, at least down at that elevation. Most of the river is locked up by private land, and trashy trespassing becomes a real problem every summer.

Visalia, down the hill, would have had massive flooding for many years. It probably would not have the population that it has now, if the dam hadn’t been built.

Like Scarlett, I’ll think about it tomorrow, because today is springtime in Three Rivers and there are wildflowers to gawk at.

Three Rivers

Spring in Three Rivers

Trail Guy and I had a road trip planned, although it pains me to leave Three Rivers in spring. However, life interfered, and being prudent, flexible and spontaneous (don’t hurt yourself laughing), we decided to spend spring here in Three Rivers.

Have a look at an excursion to Kaweah Lake.

That is Alta Peak in the distance, and in a month or so all this lake bottom will be underwater.

My great-uncle used to lament all the “drowned wildflower seeds” resulting from Terminus Dam, built in 1963. Hmmm, looks like those seeds were resurrected.

The flat slick rock on the right side leading down to the water is called “Slick Rock”. Duh.

The jagged rocks in the distance are called “Castle Rocks”. Nice name.

Three Rivers

Walking in Three Rivers

I love to go walking in Three Rivers, particularly in February, my favorite month for weather. It is really green this year. Muddy too. Thank you God, for rain!!

I got all excited about this beautiful moss. My sister from Oregon looked at me as if I were loopy.

Moss AND lichen, oh my.

Green. GREEN! THANK YOU, GOD, FOR RAIN!

There are horses running around in one of my favorite walking areas. I’m not very horsey, but they are beautiful creatures.

This color combination is really beautiful: a reddish horse with a blond mane.

This mare was not pleased with my walking buddy’s walking stick. She looked downright hostile.

Anyone know the right horsey description for this color of horse?

Water! February is so beautiful, especially in a wet winter in Three Rivers.

Three Rivers

Snow in Three Rivers

In Three Rivers, February has the capability of bringing snow or wildflowers or both. It has long been my favorite month for weather.

The morning after it snowed, several hundred feet in elevation above my home and studio. . . I had to walk a couple of miles to see snow sticking on the ground.

That afternoon was COLD. I had the heater roaring in the painting studio, and kept poking my camera out the door.

The snow rarely lasts into the afternoon, but this time it was different.

The late afternoon sunlight was beautiful. Snow in Three Rivers is beautiful. February is beautiful.

Three Rivers

Want to go for a Walk?

Sometimes I go for walks.

No, lots of times I go for walks.

It is sort of assumed that when women want to hang out with friends that they go shopping and go out to lunch.

Not this woman. I call a friend and say “Want to go for a walk?”

It is one of the best things about living in Three Rivers.

Three Rivers

A peculiar sight. . . it happens occasionally on my walks.

Three Rivers

Bridge Paintings

My favorite bridge is currently my favorite subject for oil painting. (Brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Dept.)

The Oak Grove Bridge crosses the East Fork of the Kaweah River, 6.5 miles up the Mineral King Road, out of Three Rivers, in Tulare County, California.

Some governmental agency has declared it to be unsafe. There is talk of rebuilding it, leaving it in place as a foot bridge and building a new driving bridge upstream, and even tearing it down.

Better start saving $ for my bail, because I might have to chain myself to the bridge and then get arrested.

Nah. I’ll think about that tomorrow. I have some paintings to finish.

Oak Grove Bridge

The detail on the railing is the most difficult part of painting this bridge, especially when it is 8×10″. Too too tiny.

Why is this upside down? Because every part except the top of the painting has wet paint on it. Okay, the back doesn’t have any paint, but you probably figured that out. This one is a commission, and the customer specifically requested detail around all four edges.

commission oil painting oil paintings Three Rivers Tulare county

Stocking Stuffer Boutique First Saturday Three Rivers

Saturday, December 5, 2015, is what is called “First Saturday” in Three Rivers. I know, thanks, Captain Obvious.

Every first Saturday of the month, special things happen at various businesses and artist studios in Three Rivers.

Tomorrow, the Kaweah Artisans will hold a little show and sale called the “Stocking Stuffer Boutique”. It will be at the same location as last year’s – a one-day location from a generous business person in Three Rivers.

Stocking Stuffer Boutique

Saturday, December 5, 2015

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

41831 Sierra Drive (at the downstream end of the Kaweah Commonwealth Bldg.)

I will bring;

original oil paintings – priced from $20 – $400
2016 calendars, “The Cabins of Tulare County” – $15
The Cabins of Wilsonia books – $80
Mineral King tee shirts – $25
blank journals with photos or oil paintings on the cover – $12
notecards – priced from $7 – $10
molasses raisin cookies – yum, free snacks!

Three Rivers Three Rivers 1st Saturday