Tag Archives: California artist

Alta Through Laurel, Finished!

As I draw this book alphabetically street by street, I feel a sense of progress.

Duh.

This cabin looked boxy from the front. After I passed by it about the one thousandth time, I began noticing interesting details. Have you ever seen a cabin this shape before?

It is part of the book because I want both the typical and the atypical. Bet you can tell which category this drawing fits into.

This is #111.

Part of the fun of drawing a self-designed and self-published book is that I get to draw whatever strikes my fancy. NO ONE would ever commission me to draw this view of his cabin!! When people commission this California artist to draw their cabins, they choose the front. Always. No exceptions. Amen.

Being a California artist, nay, a California pencil artist, a cabin artist, Cabinart herself, sometimes I like to choose the offbeat, the unusual, the most interesting view, the unique. This pencil drawing qualifies for all of the aforementioned.

How to Draw a Book, Chapter 5

Do I have the right to draw The Cabins of Wilsonia?

There is a smarty-pants answer of “It’s a free country!”

A commissioned pencil drawing of a Wilsonia cabin

But, honestly, (and I want to always be honest so don’t ask me questions if you don’t want the answers – how is that for a fair warning?) this is a question of legitimacy. Since I don’t have a cabin in Wilsonia, who do I think I am??

These things led me to do take on this project:

1. I have a cabin, so I understand and appreciate cabin culture.

2. My business is Cabinart, named this because when I began earning my living with my art, I was living in a cabin and drawing people’s cabins. (1986 – gasp of shock at my advanced age!)

3. I am a California artist whose self-declared mission is to represent the beauty of Tulare County. Since I only recently learned that Wilsonia is in Tulare County, I am thrilled!

4. I believe strongly, STRONGLY, that historic cabin communities are treasures in today’s world. They need to be enjoyed, preserved, documented, recognized and celebrated!

5. Architecture, particularly older architecture has always been my favorite thing to draw.

6. I have experience in self-publishing another cabin book, The Cabins of Mineral King.

7. Several friends from Wilsonia asked me to do this.

A Wilsonia cabin owner asked me, “Why don’t you just do a book on Mineral King cabins?”

I answered, “I did.” 😎

Where is Wilsonia?

You know that cliche’ “You learn something new every day”?

I’d like to learn more about this chair on Fern Street.

I recently learned that Wilsonia is in Tulare County!

Who cares? Me, the folks at Tulare County Treasures and of course, the county tax collectors.

I care because my art career and business focus on the beauty of Tulare County. It felt sort of wrong, outside of my area, losing my focus, infringing on other artists’ territory to draw a book on the cabins of Wilsonia. Yes, I am cabinart, but there are many gifted artists in Fresno County, where I thought Wilsonia is. (was? what is the right way to say this??)

What is Tulare County Treasures? You can read about them on the link above, but since you are here, I’ll tell you. This is a group of volunteers who know and love the good things of Tulare County. They are authors, historians, artists, and leaders. (I attended their first meeting but realized it would be stupid for me to add any more to my life. Just wanted you to know I rubbed shoulders briefly with local big shots. Please be impressed.)

They are gathering information and photographs, building a website, making maps and a brochure to the places in TC that are special and open to the public. They asked for permission to use some of my artwork of Mineral King and Wilsonia. Silly me, I said yes before thinking “WAIT! Wilsonia is in Fresno County!”

Then I asked Gus and Neal, my go-to-guys for all things Wilsonia, and both of them confirmed that Wilsonia is indeed in Tulare County!

Who knew? (The tax collector, but who cares about that stuff?)

So, I am thrilled, just thrilled I say. One of my little obstacles to the legitimacy of this book has been shattered, obliterated, vaporized, G O N E, and now this Tulare County/California artist is ready to DRAW!!!

Did you know that about Wilsonia??