Seven Strokes-a Lesson

Stroke Seven__a workshop lesson to paint FASTER__demo $100

One of my usual lessons to help artists paint faster is called "Seven Steps".

The one above was painted in just seven strokes!...REALLY.The image below is the first 4 steps...it's all about planning ahead QUICKLY, mixing color and trusting your outcome! It helps if the class goes step by step with me at first, then they can go off on their own.

I often (usually) grant "mercy" at the end, allowing for a few extra strokes. One time we did "7 plus 17"....this one is "7 plus 5 or 6"

Here are some locations for a few of my workshops. email me if you want more info on any of these...

And here is a link to a SPECIAL ONE.

I can't wait to see the water go down the drain BACKWARDS there!

July-August ___weekly__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" 

Sept. 15, 2012___Salado TX

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Great Plains Great Day

Great Plains Great Day__6x8 oil on linen panel__for Passing America: The Great Plains
The little sketch above was the last one I painted during my winter jaunt by Amtrak from Minnesota to Montana. The plains were covered with deep snow at that time, and this sketch was in Great Falls Montana....just before I flew home.
I am posting this from a hotel room in Salina, KS, having delivered all the paintings for my solo exhibit to the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The show opens Oct 7 (come meet me at the reception!). It will run through Dec 11. That gives you THREE months to go see it, and I hope you will...Art of the West magazine did a short feature on it (see the Sept. issue, pg 18 )...and I will be posting the complete collection, all my field notes and many photos on my other blog this month. Stay tuned, and I will tell you when to go look there.

Mountain Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee__6x8 oil on linen panel__$190

This little bird was hopping along on the tops of the sage when I was in Taos...a sweet little bird singing a sweet little song in all the beautiful fall color! Here is a link to the GREATEST site about birds. If you want to drive your own cat or dog crazy, play some of the bird sounds here and laugh out loud when your pet tries to figure it out! heehee

Fall is a great time to paint! I have a few workshops coming up in the next couple weeks. Join us if you can!
SEE MY SCHEDULE for dates and details or E-mail for info vvaughan8@yahoo.com

ALSO, my Colorado Sketchbook is going to be sold this week! 6 days left and hundreds of people have asked about it. I think a few are watching the offering closely. Click the link to see all 30 sketches.
or click this ebay link to see a few sketches and watch the sale end on Thursday.

Cypress Fall Study 2_cypress trees, fall color

Cypress Fall Color 2__6 x 8 oil study on canvas__$90
I painted fall color on some rivers this fall...here is one I forgot to post, but I noticed some cypress trees by my mom's place today...still loaded with "fall" color, though here we are on the second day of winter! Our fall color usually stays till about Christmas, here in south-central Texas, then we have about 3 weeks of winter...speaking of Christmas, my niece sent me a link where you can watch that great secret Disney movie I told you about a few days ago. It is an old classic animated cartoon. There are three parts, here is the link to part one. (parts 2 and 3 are there, too) Find someone to share this with you...it's GREAT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGTjbSS8hSc

TOMORROW is my 1000th post, which I have decided to give away! I will leave the art up for folks to see for a few days and will have a drawing for it on January 4th. If you want to be in the "hunt" for it, please click here to e-mail me and let me know. THANK YOU to all who have followed me from the farm to here! Merry CHRISTmas!

Cypress Fall Color_cypress trees, fall color

Cypress Fall Color__8 x 6 study, oil on linen__$90
Texas sometimes does not even get fall color, but this year we have had some. They came earlier than usual, but the cypress trees are just now past prime along the Guadalupe River. Late in the day, the light was on these tree tops...
Now, I just put up a new BLOG last week. Please visit when you can...somewhere in the process, blogger asked if I wanted to use the new setup, so I thought I would try it for my new blog...BUT, It changed this OLD blog, too, and as I copy the content and send the mail to my GROUP, I am hearing that there are glitches. PLEASE, help me fix this by letting me know if your mail from me (at the google group) has glitches.
If you want to be in the google group that gets my daily painting in your e-mail, Please let me know :) Click e-mail below :)
E-mail vvaughan8@yahoo.com
web site www.v-vaughan.com
My new project blog: http://www.vvaughanUSA.blogspot.com

Canada Fall_ Canada goose, fall color

Canada Fall___oil on mat board with frame__Framed size 8 x 10 or so___Framed price $175
I have a little batch of frames that were assembled too small for my paintings, so I am working up a few studies on the matt backing. Here is a little Canada Goose from photos I took in Maryland last fall.
Off to a football game, now! Next week our Round Rock Dragons will be on ESPN-U for their High School game of the week. We will play the state ranked Stony Point Tigers, also in Round Rock...stay tuned! Look for the tall thin QB, my son, a junior back-up QB #14...

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