Invisible Clearly Seen

Invisible Clearly Seen___30x24 oil on linen___Contact V.... for info 

I am a member of a group of artists who exhibit 4 times a year at a church in Austin, TX. This group is VERY DIVERSE, with artworks that explore many different media and methods, including sculpture, metalwork, glass and mosaics. Each exhibit has a theme, and the artists create works based on the theme. We write an interpretation of our work in accordance with the theme. Here is my interpretation of my new painting above:

"God's created handiwork reveals His very character. When we seek to understand Him, He often uses His natural world to "explain" and answer some complex questions. Sunrise happens every morning, and it is often a visual rhapsody displaying His glory! We see LIGHT swallowing darkness, reminding us that God IS LIGHT. Light reflects off of other created things: the moon, fog, clouds: These only reflect and do not generate light or color or warmth."

Come to the reception Friday, if you are nearby!

The Prayer and Creativity Team (PACT) Presents "Visual Rhapsody" a multi media art exhibit at "Open Doors" Gallery at Hill Country Bible Church Northwest Campus in the Worship Center Balcony (Building A- 3rd Floor).

The opening reception will be Friday, September 21 from 7-9 pm

• Free admission
• Excellent, original artwork with a Christian perspective.
• Live music and delicious desserts served.

For more information refer to www.pactofaustin.com or to schedule a gallery tour please

 call 577-3339.

Russell Sky Study

Russell Sky Study__7x5 oil on cotton panel___$100
Yesterday's post showed my "quick finish" painting for the Russell Art in Action, a benefit auction for the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT.
Please see that story and the TV interview! I give the "chamber of commerce" quote of the day!!
...One interesting thing about such an event, is that artists plan very diligently so that their work will hopefully come out good, ESPECIALLY as we work in front of hundreds of sophisticated art patrons! I showd how I arrived with a plan and a start on my canvas, but changed my mind once I got there....this study above was 'Plan "C"'!...I sketched it out on a small panel the night before, but didn't use it for the big canvas. It is a true little study, at a nice little price!
More to come, so please see my schedule!! I will be in Wickenburg, AZ this week!

Left in Kansas

Left in Kansas__8x6 oil on linen panel__for Passing America: The Great Plains
When we drove home from Kansas last Sunday, we left our son there again....couldn't persuade him to quit school and come home to mom....That's a good thing!!! We also left this beautiful END of the moon phase for August. I noticed at sunset last night, the sliver crescent of September's new moon.
This is one of the last ones I will paint for my upcoming exhibit at the University f Nebraska's Great Plains Art Museum. The exhibit opens on October 7, 2011 and runs through December 11. But in a few hours I will pack the truck to drive the works to Nebraska. They need it a month early, in order to check it all in and get the exhibit literature ready...it is an exciting process. Tonight I have had enough of that kind of excitement, though...It is past 1 am and my good friend, Priti just left my studio after spending MUCH time typing in all my titles and information. WHAT A FRIEND!!! Hey Priti...I just counted, and there are 150 paintings, TOTAL....WOAH!!
I will cull out about 20, so the show will have about 130 or so...The strange part will be in the car on the way through the Plains tomorrow, I won't NEED to do any drive-by painting!

April's New Moon

April's New Moon__16x20 oil on linen__for Passing America : The Great Plains, exhibit in the Fall

A few days ago I posted the location study for this painting. Click to see and read about it: http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-moon-enidok.html When I do a small one that "works" for me, I enjoy using that small canvas as reference for a larger work. Since I have no photos of the scene I saw, I could only use the small canvas to refer to. This was fun and freed me up to make changes and play with the subject a little bit. Also, I gave it a new title, that makes the location more generic...just in case viewers cannot relate to Enid, OK...Now, hopefully, the scene will stir up something that others have seen before...something that brings back a good memory...

South Carolina Sky

South Carolina Sky___8x10 oil on linen panel___sold at SEWE

I painted South Carolina Sky yesterday as a demo for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition here in Charleston. It was done from memory of the ACE Basin Wildlife area near here, a place where I have frequently gone to paint after the show. Last year there, I saw this lone palm on a narrow reach of land above the estuary...farther down the road I photographed the FULL moon's reflaction, and thought about a composition like this...I never got around to painting it till this morning! I usually do a demo with something more familiar in mind, so this was risky to try something I had never worked through. One of these days I will probably embarrass myself with this kind of "bravery". Unfortunately, I am the type person who doesn't stop for driving directons. I get lost a lot, but I do it with great confidence!
If you love South Carolina, you are familiar with this view of a palm tree with a crescent...the symbols on the state flag!

Pawnee Morning Star Ritual

Cold Crescent__11x14 oil on linen___available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM next week.

A few days ago I posted a study I did on my Amtrak trip of The Morning star. An artist buddy quickly wrote to me about The Morning Star ceremony of the Pawnee Indians -a ritual sacrifice of a young girl in the spring. It's a shame that such a beautiful phenomena is associated with such a terrible ritual. I prefer the Bible reference to "The Bright and Morning Star" as a special name/description for Jesus.
Michael Ome Untiedt , a great artist and friend told me all about it and sent me some info. He also mentioned that there is a place in Ireland where there is evidence that their ancient peoples followed the movement of Venus, (actually a planet and NOT a star). They followed its very course in the solar system, and studies indicate that they had to keep track of this for some 400 years, handing down their observations to the next generation without the benefit of WRITING...So fascinating that I caught myself "wikipedia-ing" for part of my morning and had to hustle myself back to the Plains....

I decided today to make a larger version of the Amtrak study, and altered it a bit...can you tell how???

My workshop in Rockport this weekend has been postponed. They are expecting BAD WINTER WEATHER there for the next day or two. We are pushing it forward to next week, so NOW YOU CAN plan to come! It might be Monday, Feb 7...maybe Friday Feb 11. I will know the new date on Thursday.

PLEASE e-mail me if you are interested...maybe you can caravan with those of us going down from the Austin area. vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Moonrise By the Vulture

Moonrise by the Vulture___10x8 oil on linen panel___$270

Near Wickenburg, AZ is a mountain called Vulture Peak. I went out there at sunset/moonrise with my pal Monica while I visited Arizona. I mentioned this in the sunset blog post a few days ago...her pals had a little party on the trail and enjoyed wine and chocolate. No one seemed to know where the moon would rise, and I was afraid they miscalculated and it would rise behind the mountain. It would take too long to clear the mountain that way, and by then the sky would be too dark and I'd not have been able to paint it...so I hopped in my truck and drove down the road where I could paint it...when I came back to the group, I saw that the moon had risen BETWEEN the mountains in a perect place to paint. Ah well, I painted it between the saguaros above :)

Regalos_Espiritu Santo, mission, crescent moon, night

Regalos de Espiritu Santo___8x6 oil study on linen pane l___$150

I often paint the Presidio in Goliad, La Bahia. Well, across the San Antonio River is the mission which was one of the First in Texas. It is the place where cattle ranching got its start...wow, what HISTORY in this part of Texas, going back into the 1700's! This is a study for a larger work I am making of Mission Espiritu Santo Regalos de Espiritu Santo means Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and if you look at the bottom right, there are a few shadowy figures bringing gifts to the mission...common, this time of year! Merry CHRISTmas!

Eric R., and Linda just pointed out to me that this is ALMOST my 1000th daily painting Blog Post! I am amazed by that! This one is 998 and on Wednesday, I will post my 1000th. I have never given one away before, but I think I WILL give #1000 away. How about I let you see it first, and if you want to be "in the hat" for it, drop me an EMAIL at vvaughan8@yahoo.com . I will put all the names in a hat and have Linda draw out the name on MONDAY, JANUARY 4....you have till then to drop me an e-mail..this will be fun!