Tag: Three Rivers

Are All Wall Paintings Murals?

Nope. Some are designs, created for museum displays, by exhibit designers. The Three Rivers History Museum hired a museum designer, an exhibit designer, whatever the title is, to create a Native American exhibit, and they (or is it the Tulare County Historical Society? Or the Mineral King Preservation Society? I should pay more attention!) to execute these designs.

Every new job I take on has an entirely new set of challenges. How does one take this little PDF and turn it into a wall design? These exhibit designers may not have completely thought through the execution phase of the display. However, maybe they do know how to do such a job and just didn’t tell the museum. Maybe it involves equipment and technology that I don’t own.

No problem. I figured it out.

The designer sent it with a ?”=1′-0″ grid over the top.

I turned it to black and white, isolated each group, and printed it. (These samples don’t show the whole designs—just wanted to give you an idea.)

Next, I got some giant kraft paper (looks like brown butcher paper on a great big roll, and if you have ever received a wrapped gift from me, you know what I’m talking about) and laid it out on my drafting table. This was quite a big jump from my normal 11×14″ pencil drawings.

And then, I started measuring and drawing.

It took an entire day.

What next? I had to figure out how to get the patterns on the wall. I’ll show you next week, after our monthly Learned List.

Extended Yardening Season

At the time of this writing (a week or so before you see it) it hadn’t gotten hot like normal summer yet, and our cabin wasn’t yet opened. In addition, I had nothing pressing on the work front, so these conditions provided plenty of time for continued yardening.

I sprayed all the pomegranate blossoms with Deer Out, and then I saw a deer eating on the tree, so I sprayed it again. Too bad I didn’t count the blossoms when I sprayed the first time, but I was more intent on thinning and spraying. So, I don’t know if the deer was eating leaves or blossoms. One of the reviews I read for Deer Out said that deer might try to eat something sprayed but wouldn’t return for more.

Then I sprayed the hollyhocks, which the deer hadn’t yet bothered this year.

Finally, I sprayed the roses that haven’t yet croaked.

I caught a deer in the act of biting off a fully bloomed geranium, but it hasn’t returned for a second course.

P.S. I have actually sprayed all these multiple times because I just can’t seem to believe the claims. Time will tell…

If you came here for Mineral King news and are disappointed, you can check the Mineral King website to see if anything new has been posted.

Three Rivers

A Little Bit of Design “Work”

“Work” is in quote marks because this was simply a gift for a friend. She has had just one too many cars come flying up her driveway instead of following the curve of the road and is ready for a gate.

I drew a few ideas, then we looked at them together. She picked one she liked the best, and together we worked on it, adding a tree here, a rock there, moving a line, adding a line. Then we looked at her second favorite and did more of the same.

First favorite:

Second favorite:

After studying them, the second favorite became The Favorite. I sent it to the gate builder, and next we will learn if it is a design that he can build. I think some parts might need a bit of modification for strength. I also wonder if perhaps I shouldn’t have used the back side of something printed (but I bet you can’t read it).

It will be thrilling to see this as an actual gate.

We did get things a little bit backward, because if her driveway is so wide that it requires a double gate, we will have to redesign it.

She mentioned to me that gates in Three Rivers are so interesting that she has thought they might make a fun calendar. I have often thought it would be possible to do a photo (or drawing or painting) book of the gates here, and simply call it “A Gated Community”.

It might be fun. Speaking of fun with gates, check out this photo.

If you came here for Mineral King news and are disappointed, you can check the Mineral King website to see if anything new has been posted.

Three Rivers

Six Garden Meanderings

Apparently I haven’t gone back to work yet. But I am throughly enjoying late springtime in Three Rivers.

I looked up online why garlic bulbs grow too small and the reasons are legion. Planting too close together, too early, too late, too shallow, too deep, beginning with small cloves, not weeding enough, and the most likely: poor soil.
The roses are getting tired.
The bugs are eating the basil in some places and not in others. Good thing someone taught me about rooting cuttings in water so I haven’t completely wasted my money buying these plants.
I am determined to get these cuttings of myoporum rooted so I can plant this hardy groundcover in a rough area of our church grounds.
You are curious about the porch plants that showed up with the cats last week? They are called “Queen’s Tears”.
This is the pile of rocks that I helped move the other day. Maybe I’ll go back to work soon.

Three Rivers

Why I Almost Fell Asleep

I almost fell asleep at my drawing table one afternoon because:

I got up really early to go walking.

Here is the lower Salt Creek crossing on the BLM land; I turned around here.

It was so beautiful out, not hot yet, and I was moving enough for the mosquitos to not catch me.

There are a few Farewell-to-Spring flowers alongside the road, along with Common Madia, and some Elegant Clarkia. (Just practicing the names so I don’t forget; only the Farewell-to-Spring show in this picture.)

We went to see the river.

Trail Guy and I walked to see the river, which is flowing fast and full.

The March floods took away the measuring stick. Since I didn’t know what those increments actually referred to, I don’t miss it. Yes, feet, but so often the river wasn’t touching the stick at all, and it still had measurable water in it, so go figure. . .

The buckeye are in bloom.

Rocks.

And then we moved a pile of heavy rocks. No photos.

And that’s why I almost fell asleep drawing for fun.

Three Rivers

Thoughts About Life in Three Rivers

Thoughts About Life in Three Rivers was my first thought for a title. Perhaps a more accurate title would be “Thoughts About Life in Rural California.” Or simply “Life in California”. Or even “Life in These United States”.

Last week at 12:30 AM the power went out. Trail Guy made coffee that morning using our campstove, a logical and competent move.

After a few hours, we decided it would be prudent to hook the refrigerator and freezer to the generator, since these unexplained power outages can go on for hours. This is a little Honda generator, very efficient, lightweight, easy to start; we bought it last summer just for circumstances such as this.

The new generator wouldn’t start.

(That’s a topic for another conversation.)

Around 9 AM the power came back on, but the situation brought home the uncomfortable truth that we rely heavily on electricity, which is becoming less reliable.

Our landline phones used to work without electricity until they became fancy cordless phones; now they are being replaced by cellphones which often rely on wifi due to spotty cell coverage, and the wifi relies on electricity.
Same situation for texting, which relies on cellphones, which rely on electricity to recharge
We communicate via email, which relies on computers, which need electricity to charge. And those computers rely on wifi which needs electricity.
The state badmouths normal cars, telling us to get electric vehicles. Then they tell us to not charge the vehicles.
Homes aren’t supposed to be built with natural gas anymore, and some states are outlawing gas stoves, pushing electric stoves.
Gas-powered chainsaws, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other tools are being replaced by electric tools; the batteries to run those tools need electricity to be recharged.

We are told to switch to electric everything at the same time less electricity is being generated.

The three power plants in Three Rivers aren’t generating very often (one is kaput); water is now considered a “non-renewable resource” for generating electricity.

A year ago, a big freeze in Texas proved that those windmills and solar are not reliable.

Solar panels don’t get enough sunshine when we have overcast days or wildfires.

The more “gentle” the generation of power, the more resources those items require to be built and to run.

Windmills kill enormous numbers of birds; the ones in the Atlantic ocean are killing whales. Solar panels and batteries use precious minerals, mined in terrible conditions by horribly abused people. Disposing of those batteries puts toxic stuff in the landfills.

All this is supposed to be “saving the planet”? Do these people not understand how electricity is generated or what the downside to all the alternatives are?

Where is the logic in this push to use electricity, while at the same time we are generating less?

Something is happening to common sense, and it is not an improvement.

Cowboy logic is endangered.

P.S. My opinion is not about politics: it is based on logic and reality. The poor decisions of the lawmakers are not based on logic and reality but based on what benefits the lawmakers, what looks or sounds good to the lobbyists, the media, and giant blocks of low-information voters.

Happy Birthday, Ann! (stay in Florida)

california Three Rivers

Washing the Mud Out of Our Eyes With Wildflowers

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Yesterday was fascinating and ugly, so today we need to recover from the visual assault of all the gray, brown, silt, mud, and sand. These are photos that I took on April 22, so by now I think most of the wildflowers are about finished in Three Rivers, at least on the bank behind our house. They last quite awhile if you drive further up, not that you can go on the Mineral King Road. But maybe you can explore the North or South Forks. (Just keep looking south so that you only see north-facing slopes.)

First, Tucker wanted to say hello. (I’d rather have my cats visit me in the studio than keep the rug vacuumed, and yes, I have done some work in my studio lately but it isn’t interesting enough to show you any photos or to talk about it.)

I’m done talking now.

Hope you are feeling better now that we washed the mud out of our eyes.

Three Rivers wildflowers

Early Morning Walk in Three Rivers

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This stunningly beautiful spring in Three Rivers isn’t over yet. We’ve had no hot days, and although it might have been warm enough one day for the rattlesnakes to emerge, I haven’t seen any or heard any reports. So, instead of blathering on about using pencils, oil paint and murals to make art that you can understand of places and things you love for prices that won’t scare you, let’s go on another walk. (See how I did that?)

This is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) property about a mile above my house. Because the two footbridges washed out, there isn’t much traffic up there, which makes it the way I remember it before people started slapping it all over the interwebs and turning it into a popular place. (Mine, mine, all mine!)

Back along the road, the brodiaea were thick. These are also called “wild hyacinth” and “blue dicks”.

These are a miniature version of lupine. They look like Texas bluebonnets which are just a variety of lupine.

This one is in my yard: fiesta flower.

A resident of Tulare County might wonder why one remains here, with all the smog, “nothing to do”, high unemployment, high welfare, low education, fat people, high teen pregnancy, lack of a Trader Joe’s. However, if one is in Three Rivers in the spring after a wet winter, one might wonder why more people don’t live here.

Don’t move here, okay? You will hate it, especially in the summer. On the other hand, if you buy a house here, please do move here because there are more than enough vacation rentals in town.

Now, I might need to go pull some weeds.

Three Rivers Tulare county wildflowers

Springtime Takes Precedence over Work

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Instead of showing you my current art projects or discussing the unending challenges and rewards of being a fulltime artist in Tulare County, today is another bonus peek at spring in Three Rivers.

These photos were taken on Friday morning.

Tomorrow I’ll show you my current odd job.

Three Rivers

Morning Walk up Salt Creek

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This morning I went for a walk up Salt Creek (Bureau of Land Management property). It was so beautiful that it warrants an extra blog post of photographs.

The first photo was taken at the Dinely bridge while waiting for my walking buddy to arrive. The rest are on the BLM property.

There is a new parking lot at the top of Salt Creek Road, but the gate prevents anyone from using it. We went that way because the 2 footbridges crossing Salt Creek got washed away.