Cow Study 2

 

Cow Study 2__7x9 oil on oil paper__$190

 

As I kid I spent COUNTLESS hours sketching HORSES...(if you were once a little girl and were NOT obsessed with horses from age 5-12, I ask you, "REALLY?")

I sketched them from LIFE, from post cards, from my copies of Western Horseman Magazine and from my Walter Foster "How to Draw Horses" book!.I can draw horses from any angle and UPSIDEDOWN!...but cows???

Though I lived on a farm for 30 years with cows on the porch most of the time, I don't feel comfortable drawing them from memory. So, I go sketch them a lot!

Robin Cheers and I recently went cow tipping and sat on the hood of my truck for an afternoon of sketching!

Here is my tip to you artists...lay down the camera and pick up the sketchbook!

I blame my cow deficiencies on the camera!

ACE Egret

Egret Quick-Draw at Southeastern Wildlife Exposition____18x18___sold
Many art events have a "Quick-Draw" event. Artists get one hour to complete a painting, a few minutes to frame it, and then the works are auctioned off for the benefit of a charity or the event itself.
I LOVE these quick-draw events because they feed my competetive nature. Competing against the clock, on a fairly large painting(18x18 canvas size) is a little bit of an adrenalin rush!
This one above is an egret nestled aagainst the grasses in the low country at ACE Basin, near Charleston, SC where I painted last year after the show :)
Tonight was the soire....AHHHH, OYSTERS!!

Harbor Flight

Harbor FLight___24x18 oil on linen___for Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, unless you want it first

I have been in the studio this week, preparing for upcoming shows and travels. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is in Charleston, SC each year and I am almost finished preparing for it. This one is actually a "study" for a larger canvas I am working on...I like working out problems in paint. When I finish the study, I usually "wish there was more"....all the time spent "in the scene" FINALLY comes together at the end and it's hard to "put down the brush" (If you are an artist, you KNOW......this is why we sometimes OVERWORK a painting). Rather than overworking, I prefer to just do another one, to "FINISH" the mood! It's sort of like reading a good book or getting engrossed in a good movie. Just when you get into the story and the characters, the movie ends!....This painting has not "ended" for me, yet....there will be a sequel! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

oat

Spring One Plus Three

Spring One Plus Three___6x8 oil study on linen__$150 Click BLOG image to see thick details
The other day at my friend's ranch I was waiting for Robin to finish her work and grabbed just one more canvas to do this quick sketch. The "one" is the cow, and the "three" are the cattle egrets. I LOVE when the egrets accompany the livestock in the pastures, following closely to snatch up little bugs in the grass. It seems that the egrets on my old farm were more shy than these. These hung close to us all day, giving us opportunity for good sketching and good photos.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To my oldest kiddo, DAVIE! I LOVE YOU!!

Grazing Together_cow, cattle egrets, angus, black

Grazing Together__24 x 30 oil on linen__available

FINALLY, I completed the demo start I did the other evening at the PACT meeting (PACT is an art group in Austin...and I hope y'all can remember how this one started...it was difficult to photograph, but you can click on the image to see details.) This subject might be my favorite thing to paint...really, ANYTHING having to do with farms is my passion. Please see my new blog and project at http://www.vvaughanusa.blogspot.com/  and be sure to sign up to be a follower, as I am making changes  constantly to update the project.

E-mail vvaughan8@yahoo.com
web http://www.v-vaughan.com/
Passing America: The Great Plains http://www.vvaughanusa.blogspot.com/