Lavender Textures - 1 of 2

Lavender Textures- 1 of 2__6x8 oil on linen panel___$150 or $285 for pair!

Last week I stopped by the lavender farm at Becker Vineyard in Texas. THIS time I brought my camera and snapped a few pics before going to paint a demo for Die Kuenstler (Art Association). It is late in the season...a season with NO rain, so there was NO PURPLE to speak of. This color is all imaginary. I painted two studies from my photos, because I mixed a lot of color at the demo and was able to use the "demo sky purples" in the lavender bushes. This is the first of the two....it so happens that the paintings are VERY similar and actually seem to be a continuation of the same scene. If you get my group mail, I have shown the two works together....even the perspective works right....

I will post #2 tomorrow...but e-mail me if you want to see them side by side....they make a nice "pairing"

**YOU ARE INVITED!...FRIDAY, May 13 I will give a gallery talk in Smithville, TX at a reception for the opening of an exhibit. Thirty of my Farm paintings are there, for a month-long exhibit we call "Missing the Farm". Come, if you can! Stay till Saturday for a special one-day workshop. E-mail me for info vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Warm Summer Morning

Warm Summer Morning__18x18 oil on linen panel__$ 1620...unless you were in the art workshop!

Our second day started before sunrise. The quickly changing light of sunrise can scare a plein air painter, and it's only because things change so fast! I give a lot of instruction on capturing impressions quickly...it is a big theme of my workshop, and I have lots of tips to help. This is the western view from the art school! If you stay in one of the log cabins there, here is what you wake up to...big Texas landscapes and skies!

As I think about it, now, this was one of my more successful workshops, as far as the student's improvement goes! I know this because no one complained! Everyone turned out at least a COUPLE of great starts...I hope they are feeling as great about the workshop as I am! ...This painting above was not quite done after the morning "start", so I hope to hear from a few from the group...what do y'all think? I hope y'all are working from your "starts" this week, like I am!

I heard from Bill Bush today. He runs the Fredericksburg Artists School, and we talked about next year's date. Here is the date for 2011: June 13 - 15...I will have details as soon as we are POSITIVELY sure, but mark your calendars and join us! Sign up early, because I will keep the class small...

Summer Shade

Summer Shade___6x8 oil on linen___$150 workshop demo
I am teaching this week in Fredericksburg...Today featured a typical summer day in Texas...bright warm sunshine (OK..."hot" sunshine), plenty of those puffy clouds delivering shade across the landscape and the constant sound of cicadas. This was my afternoon demo for the group, and all we had to do was step onto the porch to see it. The views are beautiful, here...I spoke on drawing this morning, handed out some "goodies", fielded lots of thoughtful, smart questions and we even enjoyed some of Fredericksburg's famous tree-ripened peaches...best crop in years! ...it's a good, small group of 8, and several came from out of state. (Leigh, from Illinois said our cicadas sound different from her cicadas...) I am loving this!

Approaching the Storm

Approaching the Storm__Coleman, TX_See the trip blog: Passing America...

Have you ever been to the Joslyn Museum in Omaha, NE? Well I have, as of this morning. I will tell about it when I post works from my current trip through Nebraska, but for now, here is another one from last week's trip thru the Texas Plains Trail. Click the link above to read about the route. This was the only bad weather we had ...a huge storm before Coleman and Winters, TX. The sky was black and lightning was all around us. Do those brush strokes seem nervous? I painted this one and another one as we went through the storm. The strokes are even MORE nervous on the other one...I will have to photograph it when I get back. Postings will be sparse for a few days while we head to Denver, Colorado across the plains. WHAT an amazing place!