Category Archives: Completed

SINGLE DIGITS!!

I’m in single digits! Less than 10 pencil drawings to be finished for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia! (The Captain Obvious way of writing is to help Google find this blog in case people are looking for it – please forgive me for sounding as if I think you have forgotten what it is about.)

When the count dropped to double digits, I was elated all by myself in the studio but didn’t say anything on the blog. Now, I’m beside myself with the thrill of seeing the end within touching distance. It may not be by December 31, 2013 as I originally planned, but it will be very very close. That’s awesome, and I congratulate myself.

Wow, how peculiar can one artist be? Pretty peculiar, because if I were any happier, I’d be twins!

Sorry. Deep calming breaths required here.

Happy 2014 to you, cherished blog readers!

Alta Lane in Wilsonia

This will be the first “chapter” in the book. Feels funny to refer to them as “chapters” because it is a picture book more than a word book. (Remember graduating to “chapter books” as a new reader?? It was a big deal!)

This pencil drawing was the header on the blog for awhile. Have you noticed that the blog is on its third header? This one shows the back side of a cabin on Alta Lane.

Here are my thoughts on Alta so far, just as random as you please:

1. I live on Alta Acres Drive in Three Rivers and can see Alta Peak from my house. Seems sort of far-ish from Alta Lane in Wilsonia.

2. It is Alta Lane, not Alta Street! That’s good – “Lane” sounds more rural than Street, and Wilsonia is definitely rural rather than urban or suburban.

3. What if the 2 pictures I chopped with my paper cutter need to be rescanned? I’ll have to redraw them!

4. There is another cabin on Alta I’d love to include but I don’t know where to put it. If I add a page to Alta, every page after Alta will have to be rearranged, and that is the bulk of the book. Hmmm, maybe put it on the Acknowledgements page or on the back of the dust jacket. Will there be a dust jacket?

Building a book takes so much thinking, deciding, planning and adjusting. . . I sort of remember this from The Cabins of Mineral King, but that was a partnership so the load was shared. On the other hand, getting to make all the decisions myself isn’t all bad!

Learning the Streets of Wilsonia

The Cabins of Wilsonia will be arranged alphabetically by street name. That is the same order in which I have been drawing all these cabins in pencil.

This is on Whitney. Now I’m on Willow Street. Willow Lane? Willow Road?

“Street” to me implies town or city. I think these “streets” should be called “roads” or “lanes”. Some are, some aren’t. It is getting on time to figure each of them out.

I wonder if I can name them all in order. Here goes:

Alta, Brewer, Cedar, Chinquapin, Fern, Fir, Grant, Hazel, Hillcrest, Kaweah, Laurel, LeConte, Lilac, Lily, Lupine, Manzanita, Mason, Palisades, Park, Pine, President’s, Sierra, Tehipite, Whitney, Willow.

Now I will look at my book design and see which ones I missed. I’m sure i will make me scream.

ARRRRRRUGGGGGGGGHHHH!

Goddard. Deepest apologies. You contain the cabin of the folks who used to own my home in Three Rivers.
Meadow! What is the matter with me? I can see it from the cabin where I have stayed twice. (Never mind the fact that it only officially contains one cabin. . .) Tyndall, how could I forget Tyndall?? I think I actually drew a cabin on Tyndall before I even did my book on the cabins of Mineral KIng. Plus, I know a kid (male child) named after this peak.

Once I begin working on the computer design, perhaps I will be able to name them all. Meanwhile, 25 of 28 isn’t too shabby.

Book Report

This is more of a progress report than a book report, but I like the sound of “book report”.

I think there are 28 drawings remaining for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.

I think this is #234.

Lots of thinking going on here, but not much accuracy in counting. Every time I try to count, I see something else that needs attention, and I lose count.

The total number doesn’t matter. Besides, when I begin the serious focused work of designing it on the computer, there might be drawings that need to be added, redone, dumped, replaced, or any number of too-hard-to-face sorts of actions.

I could segue into a rant about how life is hard and there are zillions of obstacles to getting a task finished. Probably would be a better use of my time if I went back to the drawing board instead.

Do you know anyone else who can say that they literally go “back to the drawing board”?

Lots of people use the word “literally” when they mean figuratively. Have you noticed this? “He literally shot himself in the foot.” Oh really? Is he now on crutches?

Sorry. Rants abound in my head. Back to the drawing board!

Bay Windows are Rare in Wilsonia

I only know of two bay windows on Wilsonia cabins. WAIT! I just thought of a third – it is on the newest cabin.

As I designed the book and chose the pictures to include, there was a continual balancing act between the common and the uncommon. Bay windows caught my eye because they are uncommon.

WAIT! I just thought of more: one on Cedar and one on Kaweah.

Here is one on Park and one on Tyndall.

Can you think of any more?

It’s Okay

The earlier schedule said I need to have 210 finished by November 1; the new schedule says 221 on November 1. Today is November 20 and I am on 222. That’s where the old schedule wanted me by December 1. So, according to the old schedule, I’m ahead, but by the new schedule, I’m really far behind.

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay. Say a thing enough and it becomes the truth – works for politicians, sort of. . . advertisers too. Or, perhaps I’m like a cat purring to calm itself.

Been drawing as fast as my fat little fingers will go, among finishing some oil painting commissions, having a show, ordering a calendar, blogging, and packaging note cards.

This gable end looked so cute with its white curtains that I redesigned a page to fit it into the book. And that’s just one of the reasons I’m trying to catch up – way too much cuteness in Wilsonia, irresistible cuteness.

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.

If This Was A Job, Would I Get Fired?

At the beginning of 2013 I thought there were 230 drawings necessary for the upcoming book, The Cabins of Wilsonia. (Sorry to sound so repetitious – it is supposed to help Google locate this blog for people seeking info on Wilsonia, cabins and the upcoming book.)

85 of those 230 were finished, so it seemed possible to complete the remaining 145 within the next 12 months.

Then I redesigned and recounted.

This drawing is a result of redesigning. I thought the page was complete, and then I saw this very interesting view of a gable. It has some weird things on the front – horizontal bars with weird loopy metal deals hanging off the bars. Unidentified items present challenges – put them on and risk getting them wrong because I don’t know what they are or leave them off and have the cabin look wrong to the cabin owner? In this case I chose the first option.

The book currently requires about 270 drawings, and as of November 1, I had 45 left to complete. This is twice the number I expected to have by that date. I’m not going to make my deadline of December 31. If this was a job, would I quit? If this was a job, would I get fired?? If this was a job, would I be able to ask for more time or more help or to hire an assistant?

At least the number is down to 2 digits. Maybe I can have them finished by the end of January 2014.

A Wilsonia Calendar?

Not this year, but maybe next year, depending on the response. I didn’t mean to tease you!

Hmmm, this would make a good calendar page. . .

This year I have a calendar with my photos of the most beautiful places in Tulare County. It is selling well – $15 includes tax and shipping. You can see and order one here.

Calendars are risky business for two main reasons:

1. Short window of selling time

2. There are zillions of freebies out there.

As I puzzled over whether or not to make and sell a calendar this year, one idea was to feature the Wilsonia cabins on each page. Photography won out, but I’m still mulling over the feasibility of a Wilsonia cabin drawing calendar.

What do you think about that idea?

P.S. I just found another cabin with a bay window – it is on President’s Lane!

Still Drawing, But Behind Schedule

In my previous schedule to complete the 230 drawings by January 1, I was meant to have 208 finished by the end of October. Might make that, might not. Not even going to address the problem with the new schedule to complete 270 drawing this year. Ain’t gonna happen.

What, me discouraged? Nope! I’m still moving ahead. As my husband likes to point out, “It is a self-imposed deadline!” This is true. However, as a self-employed person, who else will impose a schedule if not me?

On the other hand, this means as I adjust the design of the book, I can also adjust the schedule of completion.

Now that my explanations (excuses?) have been made, have a look at a few recently completed drawings. (Hey Mr. Google, I’m talking about pencil drawings for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.)

Wilsonia Cabin Commission

As the book grows, so does my other work. Another commission came for another cabin on another street that has already been completely designed and drawn. No problem! Drawing cabins in pencil is what I do and have done since 1985. Really! (No, I wasn’t 5 years old at the time, but thanks for thinking I’m just a youngster.)

Once again we began with photos, and from these, I made 3 sketches. There was a question of which might be the best angle of the cabin, and sketches seem to be more helpful in deciding than photos.

I had to remove many trees in order to be able to see the cabin, but don’t worry because it was a figurative removal, not a literal one. (Has anyone besides me noticed how many people misuse the word “literally” these days?? “He literally shot himself in the foot.” Really? Can he walk any more?)

B was the choice. Bet you are wondering which sketch is B, since there is no B on the page of sketches. (It is the one that isn’t A or C.)

I waited awhile to begin. There is a large painting on the easel, 2 other commission drawings, and then, of course there is The Book with its revised and loaded up schedule. Finally, I decided it wasn’t going to draw itself, so this is what I did:

Next, I wait to hear from the customers. If they are pleased, I will be pleased and I will spray fix it so it doesn’t smear. If they want changes, I won’t be as pleased, but I will do my best. It will be me that I am displeased with for not getting it right the first time, not the customers.