Meet a Reader | Central CA Artist Jana
Today we're meeting a familiar member of the Commentariat: Central CA Artist Jana, as she names herself in the comments!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Except for college, I've always lived in the same county. I’ve been married 38 years to a now-retired husband (from Sequoia National Park—equipment operator, not “ranger”), no kids, revolving herd of cats because we let them be cats.
We live summer in a mountain cabin without electricity, internet, phones.
My extracurriculars are knitting, reading, and I love to yarden (yep, “yarden”). I’ve been a full-time artist* for 31 years, and by choosing a non-essential profession in a very poor rural county, it has been absolutely necessary to live frugally.
*Using pencils, oil paint and murals, I make art that you can understand, of places and things they love, for prices that won’t scare you.
There have been times that I didn’t earn enough to both live and pay income taxes, so I would get a second job during my slower times. I couldn’t have pursued art without my husband’s support, both moral and financial (steady paycheck, insurance).
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I don’t remember—if it feels like 5 years, it has probably been 8, and I’ve only been active on the Commentariat for about 2 years.
I found the Frugal Girl by cruising the internet looking for good blogs to enjoy and use as a model; “frugal” seemed like a good search word for a blog that would hold my attention.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
It is the way I was raised.
Farming meant my parents never knew how much would be available from year to year, so we three girls had a feeling that we were poor. Our parents never discussed money, and we often heard that things were too expensive.
I learned that if I could squirrel away extra money, then I could have more choices, a little more monetary freedom.
I once asked my dad if we were rich, and he said, “Compared to your friend Kelly, no. Compared to Sid (his hired man), no.” Our parents gave us allowances to use however we wanted but there was NEVER a sense that we could ask for more or ask for things.
Living out in the country meant there were very few job opportunities, requiring Mom to drive us to town until we had licenses, which then meant we deprived Mom of the family wagon.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
Learning to make do, being self-sufficient and prepared for unexpected opportunities or troubles, having freedom to be generous and the ability to save up for the big stuff.
5. What's your best frugal win?
Picking a spouse who shares the same outlook on money.
6. What's an embarrassing money mistake you've made?
Redoing the chimney for aesthetic reasons when we needed a new roof.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Plants for the yard, yarn, or books, but even then I buy the yarn on sale and buy the books used. (Oops, that’s three things)
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Vanity - no hair color, tanning sessions, manicures, makeovers, fat lips, botox, fake eyelashes, fancy purses, anything trendy, and I resist updated tech.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
Give 10% and slap the rest into savings for “Someday”.
10. What's the easiest/hardest part of being frugal?
An innate lack of desire to own many things along with a need to keep life simple makes it easy, but on the other hand, a love of beauty in my surroundings, always wanting to make things look better creates temptations.
There’s also the complication of owning a very rustic seasonal mountain cabin, which is over 100 years old in the county’s harshest climate.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
There are very few places to spend money in our little foothill town—no chain stores, theaters, entertainments, or malls (all 35 miles away) We only have restaurants or gift shops geared to visitors, who come to visit Sequoia National Park.
There is a great hardware store, an independent grocery store, and 2 very high-priced places for gas.
12. What frugal tips have you tried and abandoned?
Back in the days of newspapers, reading ads for sales caused me to make lists of “needs”. Ignoring those ads helped me only buy what was truly needed.
I quit couponing when I realized it made me buy stupid things we didn’t need. (and when we stopped getting newspapers)
13. What's your funniest frugal story?
I have two: after my radiator disintegrated last summer, I thought it might be time for a different car. My husband said, “Only 249,000 miles? You have plenty of miles left!” So, instead of starting to look for a car, I upped the towing package on AAA.
The only store in town that carries clothing is a thrift shop. Once a friend brought me a sweater from there and said, “This reminds me so much of you that I had to buy it for you!” I said, “It used to be mine.”
14. What single action or decision has saved you the most money over your life?
Rather than a single action, it is a series of lifelong behaviors: keeping things a very long time, not caring about trends or fads. Knowing one’s colors and styles is very freeing in terms of buying clothing.
I’ve had the same purse since 1995, bought my wallet in 1979, had my ’96 Honda Accord since 2001, and I keep my clothing forever (I could probably clothe a small island nation). I would rather buy used high-quality almost anything than something new and cheap.
Having a great mechanic has made it possible to drive old vehicles; paying off the house has provided a tremendous sense of relief and the ability to both save and give.
15. What is something you wish more people knew?
Most of what we think we need are actually wants; leasing is the most expensive way to have a car; avoiding credit card debt will save you all sorts of money and stress; money problems and money fights are the main cause of most divorces.
16. How has reading the Frugal Girl changed you?
It has helped me to recognize that my approach to life and money is good, not “cheap”; it also causes me to examine life weekly to recognize frugalities and blessings.
17. Which is your favorite type of post at the Frugal Girl and why?
When Kristen just writes about her day-to-day life or answers questions, it is a blend of enlightenment and entertainment.
I love her authenticity and honesty minus the ubiquitous internet self-centered whining, public bleeding, tiresome clichés, or profanity. The Commentariat is full of different approaches to life along with all sorts of opinions and suggestions from all over the globe.
18. Did you ever receive any financial education in school or from your parents?
My parents taught us to save and to give, but not to spend, so there is a weird guilt associated with spending.
They balanced checkbooks and taught us early that if you don’t have the money, you make do or do without. When I wanted extra money, I did farmwork for my dad, and learned early to not get paid in advance.
19. Do you have any tips for frugal travel or vacations?
When renting a vacation home, try to go directly to the manager or owner so you can bypass the VRBO or AirBnb fees. Also, clear your browsing history when seeking airline tickets so that each time you visit the seller's site it won’t know that you have been there and continue to raise the price or tell you that there is only one seat left (may or may not be true, but worth a try)
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Aww, Jana, it was so much fun to learn more about you, since you are such a familiar presence in the comments. Yay!
Readers, if you want to see more of Jana's art, you can view it at her site, Cabin Art. And on the site, she has a blog.
Also....remember when I had that picturesque pear? Jana is one of the readers who painted it, and you can see her painting in this post.
That sweater story is very funny. I have a similar one. When I was in high school, my foster sister bought me a very ugly straw chicken as a gift. I almost never get rid of things, but I hated this ugly chicken so much so I donated it to my parents' church rummage sale. Fast forward about ten years, and my parents had adopted my younger brothers as older children. My youngest brother, who was about nine at the time saw the very same chicken at the breakfast with Santa event at my parents church. This event basically lets kids buy donated items for their parents for pocket change and then wraps them for them. My dad had taken him back into the secret Santa "gift shop," and when he saw the chicken, he just had to buy it for me. This is the story that my dad tells, but I suspect my dad actually saw the chicken and planted the idea in my brother's head because he knew how much I hated the chicken and thought it would be funny to see me unwrap it on Christmas morning. It was funny and my dad is a troll. The end.
@Becca, too funny!! I loved both of these gifting/thrifting stories, lol. Reminds me of how a dear friend who I saw (out of state) recently passed me a very strange hand knitted scarf and asked if I could kindly donate it it "far away" so that the person who made it for her wouldn't accidently see it at their local thrift store.
Jana, it was great to "meet" you! You are clearly surrounded by beauty in so many ways- I enjoyed seeing your tiled table top, homemade chair, wildflowers, and local scenery!
@Becca, I think the moral of the story is to donate things to thrift shops in other towns. And I bet your dad was behind the straw chicken. Maybe you should send me a photo to paint it for a Christmas gift for him!
@PD, thank you! We are surrounded by beauty, except when it is obscured by smog or smoke . . . sigh. Life is a mixed bag no matter where one lives, and I chose to only show you the prettiest season.
@Becca, too funny.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Oh my word, y'all...this chicken was so damn ugly...I bet my dad does still have it though. I'll ask.
Your art is amazing! And the place you live is gorgeous. Wow. What a place to grow up in and get to spend your life. I wish my kids could take art lessons from you. You are so practical and down-to-earth in your art. What a gift you must be to your community. I’m so glad you did the meet-the-reader questions.
@Faith, thank you! I love to teach people how to draw, to take the mystery and woo-woo out of it. If you ever come visit Sequoia, I can give your kids a private lessons at my little studio. 😎
It was nice to meet you Jana! The sweater story is hysterical. I love your yard and how you incorporate nature into your restful place.
I should have been allowed to pursue art as a kid; but that always went to my sister as I had to do the business classes. I do not like to draw like your beautiful pencil drawings, but I should have learned about color and how to look and appreciate things. Now I have an idea for a class when I retire in 17 months when education is free for seniors -- art classes. I can do all kinds of crafts, but I need more of an education on art.
@Maureen, thank you! It is never too late to start making art. There are so many helpful (free) instructional videos on YouTube (so I'm told). Just think about if you like watercolor (on paper, needs to be framed if the painting is worth hanging), acrylic (dries quickly, paints cost less than oils), or oil (dries slowly, but needs turp and linseed or other oil as "medium"). Okay, I decided: try acrylic! And you don't need formal education —watch a few videos, buy only the primary colors + white, a few brushes, and some cheap canvas panels, and just go for it! (Rah rah rah, go Maureen, go!)
Hi Jana! That story about the thrifted sweater was very funny. And sweet. Your friend must know you pretty well. 🙂
@kristin@going country, we worked together for about 4 years, so she saw me wear the sweater until I accidently shrunk it.
I also love the sweater story. I donated a sweater of mine to my hometown thrift shop and found it a year later on the 50 cent clearance rack. So I bought it back and wore it a few more years.
Your cabin is lovely and the scenery there is just gorgeous.
@Ruby, your sweater story beats mine! I have to avoid the thrift shop after I donate in case I am tempted to buy my stuff back.
The cabin is very picturesque, but it is a little too public, so I don't show photos of the whole thing. We try to be anonymous when up there, but it doesn't always work out.
@Ruby, that's a great story. love that you were able to get it back.
@Ruby, this reminds me of a strategy I got from my mom. Basically she called it absence makes the heart grow fonder and she would pack things away and bring them back out 4 months to a year later. Our love for them would grow. It worked almost every time. Once she did this with a shirt of my sisters. When she brought it back out, Sis said she thought it was a made into a rag. It went in the thrift box.
@Amy cheapohmom, that is a brilliant strategy. When I purge my closet, I put the clothes out of sight but still reachable. Then if I find myself wishing for something that is gone from the closet, I retrieve it. If enough time passes, I can unload those rejects without worry about regret.
The sweater story is wow!!! Were you happy to see it again or did you donate it back?
Thank you for sharing the artist’s life.
I wonder how our family’s financial habits are going to affect my kids later. Thank you for sharing such details of your childhood and how it affected you.
@April, the reason I donated the sweater in the first place is because I ruined it! The sleeves were super stretched out, and I thought if I put the sleeves in the washer and left the body out that I could shrink just the sleeves. (Try not to fall down laughing here.) Of course the machine pulled the entire sweater in, so the body became childsized. I never did see if the sleeves also shrunk; I felt sick at heart about being so stupid and wrecking the sweater.
Nice to meet you Jana. I love your pictures and where you live. I think I could live in that small town of yours very easily.
I think about my walks around my suburban neighborhood and your walks around your area and well you get the idea.
One question on your walks what animals have you run into?
@karen, thank you! My walking partner and I often just marvel at how we get to walk without sidewalks or traffic lights. We see deer, hear coyotes, and occasionally see a garbage bear (or at least the results of its actions). And someone now has a pair of ewes that talk back and forth. Plus we have to ditch her cats that often follow us. (Ours are confined until daylight so don't follow me.)
@karen, P.S. Turkeys! They are ubiquitous, so common and plentiful that I forgot to mention them. We also have lots of California quail.
Jana, It's so great to see your face and your place after all these many moons of reading your comments! The photo of Piper and the beautiful green space makes me want to sit in one of those chairs and visit with you for hours. What a gorgeous place! And ditto in the willow chair beside the wildflowers in the pitcher on the porch -- it all looks so homey and cozy. And the purple mountain majesties in the background -- no wonder you're in love with your home county! Love the paintings on the doors and windows of your she-shed and studio. I'm reading this super fast as I'm getting ready for work, but later in the day I'll have more time to peruse it and enjoy the entire "visit." I will also look up your website and blog! Thanks for sharing!!!
@Fru-gal Lisa, thank you! Pippin, not Piper. We had a Piper, one of the many cats that have disappeared through the years. . . sigh. My husband is a HUGE Lord of the Rings fan, so he named his favorite kitten from that batch. I chose Tucker and Jackson for the other two.
Life is always a mixed bag. I have a love/disgust relationship with my county, often wondering why I am still here. Making it the focus of my art and making my mission to be the good things of where we live helps me stay away from the disgust attitude (sort of like Kristen's Thankful Thursdays).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Oops, I got the cat's name confused with the name of my next-door-neighbor's dachshund. My bad!
Reading something at 7 in the morning, our time, I'm still bleary-eyed and half asleep.
But I hear you on the love/disgust part. I feel the same about my hometown.
And Piper IS the name of Lisey's cat, so we've been using that name around here sometimes lately!
It was so nice to meet you. Your photographs of the mountains are beautiful. I’d like to know more about your cabin. Do you use solar power? Do you have a well? Do you have cell service in your cabin? Do you spend all summer there?
I love the sweater story and I don’t spend money on fat lips either.
@Bee, I'm with Bee - please tell us more about summer life in a cabin without electricity, phones, etc. Like - how do you arrange that with your art business - do you come down periodically or just decide to be out of touch for x amount of time?
You create so much beauty in all of your environments! I love all the color and am impressed that you and your husband made the willow chairs. And I'm going to remember the bungee cord dryer door idea if our flimsy door keeps giving us trouble..
@Bee, I also had a few minutes to look at your art and blog. Beautiful!!
@Bee, @Suz, thank you for your kind words and questions!
My retired husband moves to the cabin for the summer. He spends 5 nights up the hill and 2 down each week. I usually spend 3 nights up and 4 down, with a few longer stays. It is hard to paint up there (400 square feet doesn't have many options for an easel or wet paintings), especially when everyone around is on vacation.
Our water is from a creek, we have propane for the fridge, water heater, and a few lights. We used to have a phone, but the price kept going up and I finally started disconnecting it in the winter ($75 x 7-8 months of non-use = Big Waste of $$). AT&T doesn't want rural communities any more and made it all but impossible to reconnect, so now we use the neighbor's phone to check our answering machine on the landline at home. Since my husband looks after so many surrounding cabins and keeps the water system functional, it seems like a fair trade.
When I come home, I blog ahead and catch up on emails and painting and restocking the stores that sell my work.
Since Jana has inspired a lot of us to tell sweater stories, here's mine: While shopping with Ms. Bestest Neighbor at a thrift store in the village near the BNs' Lake Erie house, I found a nice LL Bean cotton cardigan and bought it. It turned out to be part of the load of clothes that Ms. BN had *just* donated (the staff had hung it up very promptly). I don't think Ms. BN will ever let me live that one down.
Jana, along with everyone else so far, I admire your lovely, frugal, self-reliant life. Also, my Nellybelle the Element says hello to your Fernando the Accord and hopes that she too can make it to 249K miles.
@A. Marie, too funny. did not know what to say to your DH burial post. so moving and apecial. my heart is with you.
@A. Marie, thank you!
I too would have grabbed that LLBean cotton sweater! I've been buying from them for at least 40 years.
Change Nellybelle's oil every 3-4000 miles no matter what your mechanic or the manual says. Be sure to get the timing belt replaced, maybe at around 100,000 (can't remember, it was so long ago!)
@A. Marie,
Here’s to having cars with a long life! Mine turned 200,000 miles last month. It’s funny, I have gotten to a point when I’ve started to wonder exactly how far i can drive it before getting a new car. I can overlook all the car’s flaws for now.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, keep an eye on the axles and calipers. Once one axle goes, replace the other one also. Trust me, won't be long before it goes also.
Presume an automatic transmission so no clutch to worry about.
@Selena, good words about the axles, and I never heard of calipers (other than in a medical context) but my mechanic is The Best—only works on Honda and Toyota, and I've been with him since 1983.
YES, IT IS A STICK-SHIFT!! I love manual transmissions, and will be so sad when I can no longer drive one, either due to body-failure or unavailability.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Awesome, I dearly miss my 2004 Accord stick shift. It went to a good home but a not so attentive driver rear-ended the new owner. "Upside" was during the high prices of used cars so the current (and last) owner got $3K (sold it for $750 - family member who fortunately found another Honda stick shift car - YAY!).
I replaced the original clutch at 160K miles and it was still going strong at the time of his untimely demise (car had 240K+ when I sold it, the clutch was barely broke in!).
Better half leaves this earth, I may have another stick shift. Might even be one where reverse then first, second et al instead of reverse being an arm exercise!. After five plus years of driving an automatic, I still have my left knee butted against the dash to remind myself I don't need to put the clutch in. 40+ years of habit is hard to break.
Jana, it looks like you live in a postcard!!!! I can feel the fresh air!! As a city girl I love seeing beautiful pastoral parts of our country. Thank you for sharing!!
@Plaidkaren, thank you! Some parts do look like a postcard. Just like when Kristen showed us the beautiful parts of her world along with the messed up parts (can't remember which post or when), that's how my world is too.
I love your "handle". . . when will you do Meet A Reader so we can learn why you're "plaid"?
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I've loved plaid all my life! A friend once asked what my favorite color was and I said plaid. She said plaid is a pattern not a color but I said it is for me!!
Jana, so nice to meet you at last!
As someone who has neglected her art, you made me remember that I should pick it back up. I like the way you describe your art. That's my style, too.
I'm with the others - how do you manage in the cabin? I'm drawn to it, I admit, but I do have practical questions about managing off the grid.
The sweater story made me laugh, so here's mine: I attended a yard sale put on by a group of women and bought a partially refinished kitchen table and four chairs. I didn't have a way to get them home but one of the women said the set's owner was gone temporarily, however her husband was coming by with his truck and he could maybe help. He came and he was my next door neighbor, so he had no problem taking it home for me. He said he'd give my purchase money back, but I refused.
@JD, thank you! I'm confused as to why your neighbor wanted to refund your money for the kitchen table and chairs.
I answered @Bee and @Suz about the off-the-grid living, but ask me anything else I might have forgotten to say.
Start drawing or painting again!! You can do it, and not everything has to be gallery-worthy. Just like a musician has to practice scales and weird sounding exercises, we have to practice our art.
@JD, So funny! Your neighbor could have saved himself (and you) the round trip if he'd known you wanted the table and chairs! They could have walked themselves over to your place...
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
He said he felt bad, me paying for them when we were neighbors and they would have been happy to have given them to me, had we all known, so that's why he offered to give my money back. I said nope, his wife offered them for sale, I bought them, end of story.
She had bought them second hand and started re-doing them, then got tired of it and sold them. After I finished up the job, he saw them and said, "Don't let my wife see how nice they look now! She'll go out and find another set to start on!"
@JD, that's funny!
I love your pencil drawings, in particular! You live in a very beautiful environment.
@Meira@meirathebear, thank you! I love to draw in pencil more than anything, but oils sell better. It was an economic decision to start painting.
Jana, loved hearing about your life!
Your sense of humor and intelligence really comes through ☺️
@Kim from Philadelphia, thank you! I am a little worried sometimes about sounding like a smart-donkey, so I appreciate your mentioning that you like my sense of humor.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, your "smart-donkey" remark reminded me of a joke my brother once told me: "Why don't more donkeys go to college? Because nobody loves a wise-ass." (True enough of me, but I imagine he had to apply it to himself now and then as well.)
@A. Marie, I've been working diligently on cleaning up my language and get a lot of inner laughs about the phrases I make up as substitutes. I worry (but only a little) that someday I will have a stroke and nothing will remain except cuss words!
Thanks for the joke. 😎
I love the sweater story. My best friend's sister was a professional artist. While thrift shopping, I recognized one of her paintings by the style and confirmed with the signature. I grabbed it for my friend only to find out that she had donated it.
@Ava, thank you for the story! I have instructed everyone I know that if they ever find my art at a thrift shop to buy it and I will refund their money. Do you know how embarrassing it would be to find one's own work in a thrift shop??? Shudder to think. . .
The sweater story also made me laugh. I loved reading about your life! So nice to get to know more about you.
@Hawaii Planner, thank you! I guess my life is kind of interesting from an outsider's point of view, especially since you live in a fancier part of our very diverse state. We are California's "fly-over country", where nobody knows about us and nobody cares, but we have Mt. Whitney, giant sequoias, and we feed the world!
My friend told me once she sat down at the Y next to a woman wearing a sweater she recognized she had donated to Goodwill. She asked her if she liked it but if it was a bit scratchy (which is the reason she got rid of it)! Over the years I have knit so many hats it would be a thrill to see one on someone's head. Your artwork is beautiful, and your lifestyle is an inspiration in appreciating what you have.
@Laurel A, thank you! I agree that it would be fun to see something you had knit on someone else. . . did your friend tell the lady that she used to own the sweater?
I appreciate you thinking my lifestyle might be inspirational for others. Everything is a mixed bag, and I have learned so much from Kristen about seeking out the good stuff.
great post love everything about it. glad you have cats. for me i always wanted kids and am so grateful to have them. my daughter is an artist and she participated in an internship her school helped her get. we live in nyc and she goes to the high school of art and design.
i take things i don't want and put them in the basement of my apt building. one of my neighbors always puts things at my door thinking i would like the stuff. yup it's the stuff i put there.
all the best to you, your hubby and the cats.
@Anita Isaac, thank you! I cannot imagine living in an apartment building in NYC. Sounds absolutely heroically brave to my little country heart.
I can 100% relate to the feeling of guilt over spending money. My parents had the same philosophy about money - necessarily, they made very little when I was young - but it has impressed deeply in my adult brain (which has both pros and cons).
@Elisabeth, yeppers, pros and cons indeed. Sigh.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, mine had if you don't have it don't spend it. But there was no guilt when they spent money. Usually on needs but mom was one for squirreling away money until exactly what she wanted became available at the right price.
Jana your cabin and yard are beautiful. What peaceful looking scenery!
Your sewing machine handle made me giggle because my sewing basket has zip ties as a handle after my handle broke haha.
Also, if it is just your dryer latch that is broke, they sell them for $3-$5. I had to replace ours. That may be worth it to not have to mess with the bungee.
I also would rather buy something of good quality used than cheap stuff new.
@Marlena, thank you!
The handle is intact, but the part that keeps it closed (something mysterious) is no longer functional.
This was fabulous.
@Lulutoo, aw shucks, thank you! My neighbor's cat is named Lulu. 😎
@Lulutoo, I forgot to add that Lulu the cat followed us this morning on our walk so we had to do laps in front of the neighbor's house so that Lulu didn't follow us across the highway and over the river!
You are rich in multi-million dollar views! I bought my house for its mountain views (the appraisal said at the top of the first page "VIEW LOT!") and I never tire of sitting outside with a cup of coffee, soaking up the scenery. And this week the hot air balloons. (The dog is not a fan.) Lovely post! Thank you!
@JDinNM, thank you! Yeppers, rich in views, and like you, I don't tire of just sitting outside (when it isn't hot, probably just like you in NM).
I love the sweater story. I personally like to wait a couple of weeks before going back to my thrift store, so I don't accidentally buy something I have donated.
My splurges look alot like yours. I love books and buy them often. Used from thrift stores, rummage sales and yard sales. I also have a pile so I am never without a "new"' book to read. Since I have moved many times over the years, I don't keep them.
Artist Jana, Many thanks for this glimpse into your delightful life. I’ve found all of the Meet the Reader stories such fun and yours is extra idyllic. My goodness, you are surrounded by visual beauty, how could you not have become an artist! And, you’ve added to the natural beauty with hundreds of your own touches.
Reading this post felt like I was reading a book instead of an actual life. One of those immersive books you wouldn’t mind actually visiting. A summer cabin off the grid!
All this to say, you have a beautiful life that you’ve enhanced by sheer dint of your efforts, (as opposed to with money.)
@ErikaJS, oh wow, thank you! I too enjoy the Meet A Reader posts, and spent a long time figuring out what to include and what to not bore people with, so I really appreciate your kind words.
Jana, you sound fun. 🙂 I plan on checking out your art after I write this comment. What a beautiful area you live in! I got a kick out of your bungee cord solution for keeping the dryer door closed, and I loved the resale-chicken story.
@Kris, thank you! I don't have a lot of art for sale on my site right now because I am getting ready for a solo show and don't want it to sell from the site before the show. (Weird and a little awkward). Currently all my blog posts are about a week I just spent plein air painting in Monterey. Got home yesterday, and still in shock that it actually happened.
I'm the one that bought the pear painting! I loved it when I saw the photo of it on this blog, thought about it for a few weeks, and couldn't believe my luck when it was still available. It was a modest splurge for me, and now it hangs proudly in my home, where I see it daily. I still love it, and love to tell the backstory when visitors admire it.
Jana, your art is beautiful and you live in a beautiful area filled with inspiration. I know the threat of wildfires is great and scary though.
Thanks for the glimpse into your life, and thanks to Kristen for providing this space. I don't comment often, but I enjoy reading most days.
@Suzanne, thank you! You finally appeared on the commentariat. . . I've been waiting and wondering if you would ever speak up. You really made my day when you bought the painting, because the day that Kristen posted it on her blog, my website got hacked. Such terrible timing, but we got through it.
Aww, I LOVE this.
@Kristen, you are Kristen the Konnector of Kommenters.
Jana, reading this made me wish we were neighbors. I too am one of three girls, parents were very frugal, and your three splurges/interests are the same as mine.
My husband, like yours, is very creative and reuses things in interesting ways to make repairs, like your chain sewing machine cover handle. Earlier in our marriage, I was totally invested in the be cool/look-like-everyone-else mindset, and I thought his repairs were makeshift and embarrassing. Thankfully my bad attitude didn't discourage him and eventually I wised up (and am sad it took me so long).
My two sisters occasionally roll their eyes because my stuff looks different from theirs, but now I just laugh. I too am grateful for my aging Honda - it is approaching 200K miles. At the last oil change, my honest mechanic announced "your Honda is just getting broken in."
I hit the yarn jackpot at a neighborhood estate sale over the weekend - a 58-quart sized tub the seller told me to "fill with all the yarn you can for $2.00." I half-filled it and gave him $7 and both of us were happy.
@Book Club Elaine, when you did the Meet A Reader, I said to myself, "Self," I said, "Elaine is my kind of peeps!" Thank you so much for your kind words and for checking in. Tell me more about your car, but don't tell me more about the yarn or I will die of envy.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, the car is an Accord, only 12 years old. The funny thing about it is that it had kind of had bad luck just after we got it.
First, a tree branch fell on it and messed up the hood, windshield, door, and rear-view mirror. We've had the hood repainted twice, but it needs it again and I just can't bring myself to put out the money for appearances only. It was parked between two other cars when a windstorm broke the branch. Both other cars were really old, one owned by missionaries and the other by a seminary student who were staying with us at the time. Neither of those cars got a scratch but mine had $4k damage (covered by insurance thankfully). It made me consider the possibility that maybe I need to do something more positive with my life.
The other weird thing that happened is that we had just moved, and I was not yet accustomed to the steep driveway when I took a turn too fast and drove the car up three concrete steps where it stopped and had to be moved by a tow truck with a crane. That took three days to schedule so all our new neighbors snickered when they drove by our house with a car sitting at an odd angle and stranded on steps.
As for the yarn, it is old acrylic so I'm planning to set it out in the sun to freshen it up a bit and it could be softer, but them's the breaks.
@Book Club Elaine, oh my goodness, your poor Accord. Did you know there are only 2 cars mentioned in the Bible? One is the Accord, and the other is the Triumph. (Yes, silly, but it always gives me a grin).
I despise acrylic. . . thank you for mentioning this because all envy is gone, and now you have my sympathy.
@Book Club Elaine, I missed this story first time around. How wonderful! I would be knitting Hats for the Homeless for months with that.
This may be one of my favorite meet a reader posts! Such a lovely way of living.
Cindi
@Cindi, thank you! There is something about writing it all down that makes me realize what a great life I have. There's bad stuff too, but no one wants to hear that, because we all have bad stuff.
I went to see your art (website), you are very talented!!
@Isa, thank you! "The harder I work, the more talented I become." I stole that quote from someplace long forgotten, and it is so true.
Yes! Innate talent is very little good without consistent practice to hone that talent.
The practice is where the magic is.
@Kristen, spoken like a devoted pianist.
I love your artwork , Jana! I’ve signed up to receive your blogs through email.
You have so much natural inspiration from the area in which you live! I wish we lived closer to one another so we could create artwork together.
Your embellishments ( pillars, stones,etc) to your already beautiful gardens are gorgeous.
I know you live frugally but do you find that you have better results with your artwork if you use better quality paints, brushes, etc? Art supplies can be very costly but I do feel that my work turns out better when I use higher quality supplies. Whenever I teach art classes, I also have my students use the “ better” quality art materials for better results.
Your thrift store sweater story had me laughing out loud!
@Martha O., thank you! It would be fun to paint together. Maybe I could try your looser style for fun.
I haven't ever been able to distinguish among brushes by brand or price. I just toss a few in my cart whenever I go to Blick Art Materials, and then forget what I paid. The ones I like best are the ones that stay compact; when they splay, it is highly annoying. I finally purposely snap them in half and toss them so I don't keep accidentally grabbing them again. At the plein air retreat last week, we were each given 2 Rosemary brushes, and I haven't tried them yet. They are supposed to be the best in the world, so we shall see. . .
So very nice to meet you! Your rustic cabin sounds like heaven!!
@Stephanie, it is why I chose my husband. Well, not entirely, but it certainly caught my attention! I used to say that even if he was 80 and drooling on himself, I would have considered him for the cabin. (He was 32 and very exactly perfect looking for my tastes. How's that for true confessions?)
I love what you write about coupons and ads. I could not agree more!! My family doesn't "need" a lot of things that seem attractive or needed when they pop up in ads and catalogs.
@Lesley, thank you! If we could avoid all ads, we could all save money. But still. . . I was at a weeklong plein air painter's retreat and as soon as I got home yesterday, I ordered a hat online that I had admired on another painter. Sheesh. It was NOT frugal.
Jana, I LOVE the thrift store story. Too funny!
Thanks for being part of Meet the Reader.
@Linda Phillips, thank you! It was fun. Will you do one soon?
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Is that a wood-burning stove in the cabin kitchen photo? It looks just like the one my grandmother cooked on in their little ranch house in Mackay, Idaho years ago. I love your little cabin, and in such a beautiful place! It's the dream I never got, being a city girl all my life. Your photos are stunning!
@Joan, thank you! Yeppers, a Wedgewood. I split a LOT of wood.
I loved Jana’s story thank you for sharing it.
I grew up in the Central Valley in CA, and my grandpa called the Sequoia National Forest his "backyard". It has a special spot in my heart.