Creekside OK

Creekside OK___detail_8x10 oil on linen panel for Passing Ameriica: The Great Plains Another scene in Oklahome, as I have been "passing" through the plains, gathering more info and doing "drive-by" paintings from the passenger seat. I think the name of this creek was "Sandy Creek" which crossed under US HWY 81, aka The Meridian Highway. this route has long been an important farm to market road, and passes through every county seat from Texas to Canada...I think. I will update the project blog soon, and the correct details will be there. Yesterday we spent the day along the Platte River near Kearney, NE. The sandhill cranes are there on their migratory way up north. We went to a blind at the Rowe Sanctuary, and watched them come in from the cornfields to rest for the night. I will elaborate on all this, later, but WHAT A SIGHT TO SEE!!!

Hay for Something

Hay for Something_6x8 oil on linen panel__a "drive-by" painting for the exhibit Passing America..., Oct, 2011

Talk about a WHIRWIND trip through the Great Plains! It was decided at the LAST SECOND that we would drive to Kansas on Sunday morning! One purpose was to pay a visit to a college in Kansas that my son is considering for his college football career, and I needed to see it, so we went! Of course I will jump at the chance to do some work on my project Passing America : The Great Plains, so I brought the paints and did some "drive-by" studies along the way!

This little vignette was nestled in the corner of a large, dreary pasture in southern Kansas. The hay was damp, sagging, and probably baled a year ago or more. (As I look at the painting, I think I painted the bales a little bit too much "intact"...It made me wonder what it was baled for? Perhaps a small herd of livestock that had to be sold? The chilly, late winter weather made this scene especially melancholy to me.

Century Tree-State 1

Century Tree_State 1_____for JP

Well I delivered this painting before remembering to take a photo of the final state....Here it is with a heavy emphasis on the warm underpainting...and contrasts are flat...but it was painted as a special Christmas present from J to A....a scene of where he proposed !...

Merry CHRISTmas, y'all!

Aspen Stems__sketch, trees, lesson,

Aspen Stems__#22 from my Colorado sketchbook__auction REAL soon

The thing about sketching is VALUES. It's a "art term" meaning "lights and darks". This sketch has light values, whereas yesterday's sketch has middle to dark values. Another way to describe this is that it is "high key"...the values being high key mean that the painting or drawing has a lot of light...low key means it has a lot of darks...Even though this one is high key, the sketch has enough darks to hold it together.
I learned something on this one...not sure I can describe it, but these trees were backlit, and I wanted to create that impression...One way would have been to make the background very dark so the leaves would appear lighter...but keeping it high key almost makes me squint at the brightness of all the white paper...so I left it this way, and I think it looks backlit, anyway!


Sketching workshop, Rockport, TX, coming this fall. Let me know if you are interested!vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Hint of Gold_6x8_fall, mountains, canyon

"Hint of Gold"___6 x 8 oil on linen panel__available at Act I Gallery in Taos, NM
They say Texas weather is unpredictable, but I think the mountains might top even Texas weather for that category. My buddies and I were at this location for just a few days and we had great fall color the first few days, then the winds came, and then rain and then one day it sleeted all day...Here was a moment of early morning sunshine...These aspen trees had most of their leaves blown off before we left. I am glad I painted them when I did....a special feature of this trip was a FULL MOUNTAIN MOON! Stay tuned and I will post those over the weekend!
I have some one day workshops coming up, if you want to have fun painting.
Next Saturday morning I will be in Calvert, TX for a short half say workshop. Believe it or not, we will cover a lot! Starting with a sunrise demo / paintour....please let me know if you are interested!
V.... vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Aspen Stand__trees, New Mexico, Colorado, fall

"Aspen Stand" 12 x 4 oil study on linen panel____$190

In a few days I will leave for a "road trip" to Taos, NM. This trip will serve a few purposes, but mainly I will be painting there, and along the way....hoping for fall color, but from what I hear, WINTER is pretty close! This little study was from last year's photos, and I will be doing more this week...getting used to "seeing yellow". Saturday, I will be at Act I Gallery, painting a demo from 11 - 1. PLEASE COME BY and enjoy a visit!

October will be a busy month for me. See my schedule below and try to come join me at one of these events, if you are in the area!

OCTOBER SCHEDULE_________________________

Oct. 3___ A Saturday Demo in Taos at Act I Gallery
Oct. 17 Workshop in Calvert, TX. A mini half-day Plein Air Workshop. Sunrise demo, followed by workshop until noon. Primarily in oils, but all media and skill levels are welcome. Officially starts at 8 a.m. and ends with lunch. $45 Contact Cecelia at grannyc_54@yahoo.com for information and a supply list. http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/profile.php?id=1380900702
Oct. 24 Texas Country Reporter show, Waxahachie, TX Courthouse. ALL DAY
Sunday Oct. 25 First Annual Bovine Art Show, Cactus Jack's in Gruene, TX
Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com