Maria del Presidio

Maria del Presidio___5x7 watercolor for Chocolate & Chiaroscuro

Wednesday is my first open "studio" event...if you want to call Joel's a "studio"...I DO!!!
Joel's is where I go several times a week, just to get out of the studio and the classroom. To sit with my artist buddy, or sometimes alone with a sketchbook. Robin Cheers and I solve all the world's problems over coffee, chocolate and sketchbooks...Come see some of our "coffee shop works" and enjoy a casual evening in our "studio". info below.

 



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UPCOMING EVENTS

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NOW thru Nov. 24 -  AWA Show, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

Wednesday, November 20 - Chocolate & Chiaroscuro....and Holiday CHEER
4 to 8 pm at Joel's

an open studio event featuring V....Vaughan and Robin Cheers...and CHOCOLATE

at Joel's Coffee House, Austin
 

Sonidos de Paz

 

Sonidos de Paz___10 x 30 oil on linen___available

 

"Sounds of Peace" is the translation of this title...

It is a painting of the Presidio, La Bahia in Goliad, Texas...

March in Texas is a month of remembrance...The Alamo and Goliad are  solemn places where terrible battles were fought in March of 1836...

Our family was out and about this weekend, and Springtime is EVERYWHERE: bluebonnets, nesting and singing birds, the new greens of grasses and trees, the "hold-out" pecan trees still waiting for "warmer" before they will bud.

 

I will be in Arizona by week's end. If you have friends there, PLEASE tell them to come see me at Cowgirl Up! March 22-24, Wickenburg, AZ

La Bahia Courtyard

La Bahia Courtyard ___study__8x10___click blog image to see details
This was done on location a few weeks ago while I was there painting with art buddies B and C and S....we painted til the moon came up that day! I am using these studies to make bigger works and really enjoying the "immersion" in this landmark.
Funny story for you artists: FOLLOW UP on every e-mail, even if you THINK it is a scam! I recently sold some works to a collector in UK, even though I tried hard to brush them off. They jumped through all my "pretend-hoops" and eventually paid in British Pounds (which Paypal converts to dollars for a fee.....to check people out carefully, just make up stories so they have to respond! I do this every time, and if it's a scam, at least I have fun yanking their chain!....ALSO, I had TWO collectors with almost the EXACT SAME NAME contact me this week! Check carefully before offering to deliver the painting in person! One lived nearby and the other one on a far away ISLAND! It took me a while to realize they were two different collectors! ....
BUT, you probably are safe to toss an email that says "Plis reply me soonest".
Note to collectors: you have my permission to call my bluff when I ask you to jump through hoops before purchasing. Just say "knock it off, lady, I really want the art" and I will behave :) ....Merry CHRISTmas!

Sunrise at La Bahia

Sunrise at La Bahia___8x10 plein air study____click to enlarge___$300
I painted this one on location a couple weeks ago...making a few "oil changes" when I got it home...adding the figures below, which give it some "scale". It was a WARM Texas fall morning and my friends and I spent time soaking in the atmosphere at this important Texas landmark....over 300 Texans were killed here on this spot, which is hard to believe, because it is such a quiet peaceful place, today.

Our Lady at La Bahia

Our Lady of Loreto__at La Bahia___see framed version below...for Whistle Pik Miniatures Show
This is the final miniature for my grouping of paintings for the Whistle Pik Miniatures Show, opening next week in Fredericksburg, TX. The canvas I used is a small piece of linen and it is hand cut and a little bit "rustic" looking...goes well with the frame :)
There is a niche in the front of the chapel at La Bahia (you can see it indicated in the painting I posted a few days ago...click here to see it below the cross on the right...here is a detail and some info from the La Bahia web site....

Located in the niche above the chapel entrance is the statue of Our Lady of Loreto sculpted by Lincoln Borglum, of Mt. Rushmore fame. This centuries-old chapel was where Fannin's men were held during part of their captivity before being massacred. The First Declaration of Texas Independence was signed inside the chapel

El Presidio La Bahia

El Presidio La Bahia___4x8 oil on linen framed for Whistle Pik Christmas Miniatures Show (click blog image to enlarge)

I have a grouping of 4 small works for this year's Miniature Show at Whistle Pik Galleries in Fredericksburg, TX. The small canvases are all mounted and framed the same way (see below, and see yesterday's post). I have been doing a lot of work at the Presidio in Goliad, Texas. This is the site of one of Texas' most important events, and this place brings a deep sense of awe when you are there. I want my paintings to remind viewers of that...I wish you could see them all together!

La Bahia Thermals

La Bahia Thermals___small oil on linen panel, framed for the Whistle Pik Miniatures Show___December

Whistle Pik Galleries in Fredericksburg, TX was one of the first galleries in the country to feature "miniatures" in a big art sale. I posted the one below a few weeks ago, and above is the second one in my small group of four miniatures on display. La Bahia is the subject. Below is the bell at the presidio, and above is the tower with the usual buzzards circling overhead, riding the thermals above the San Antonio River. My paintings are all framed similarly, with the canvas being mounted on a backing that is framed. I like the look! You'll have to go to the show to see them all together, but I will post them individually over the next couple of days.
Whistle Pik's Christmas Miniatures Show is about 10 years old now and a real treat for art lovers! First, just being in Fredericksburg during the holidays gets you in the Christmas spirit! Seeing HUNDREDS of small works by the best artists in the country is fun, too, and a good place to start or add to your art collection without spending a whole lot of money!

Tonito Dulce____for the Whistle Pik Galleries Christmas Miniatures Show___December

Tono Suave__mission bell, dove

Tono Suave__24x24 oil on linen___available



Goliad is a sacred place to Texans, the place where Col. James Fannin and over 300 of his men surrendered in good faith to General Santa Anna, who did not spare their lives as he said he would...it was a terrible massacre...the same month as the fall of the Alamo! You can read more about it here.
This is one of my favorite places to paint..when I am here EVERYTHING seems to "move" my spirit, from the quiet meadows nearby, to the presidio courtyards. The gentle cooing of the white-winged doves is constant, as is the soft sounds from the bell tower....so I titled this one "Tono Suave", which means "Gentle Sound"...



Oct. 21 (Thursday) ALL DAY…till moonrise…..Rockport, TX email quick if you can do this one vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Nov. 17-18 (Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would cout as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School

October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011

"Passing America: The Great Plains"



I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Luz Sobre La Bahia

Luz de la Luna Sobre La Bahía__24x24 oil on linen___ framed for Rockport Art Festival

This painting is being packed up to go to the Rockport Art Festival next weekend. It is another night scene of La Bahia, in Goliad, TX. I hope you will "vote" for the frame you think looks best. See below. One is "warm" with reds, (frame 2) the other has cooler darks with turquoise (frame 1). These are my favorite frame these days...made of special antique tin overlay from those old tin ceilings. The crosses are my addition...Which one looks best? I can't decide...This night sky lighter is than the others I have done at my favorite Historical spot in Texas...yes, I like this place better, even, than the Alamo! It's history overlaps the Alamo, and is even more tragic...Col. Fannin and his men (about 350) were massacred here, after surrendering for their lives. Santa Anna ordered their execution. Some believe their Mexican captors did not want to kill them, but were afraid of their evil dictator....to walk these grounds, especially in the evening hours is a solemn thing, and I stop here to do that each time I am on the way to Rockport . I am usually alone....this place is NOT the tourist attraction that the Alamo is.


Frame 1

Frame 2