Reflecting in Rockport

Reflecting in Rockport__12x9 oil on linen____SOLD
Not that I am IN ROCKPORT, or anything...in fact I am at my home computer, now....back from the cool Colorado mountains....reluctantly!
This image was waiting for me in my mailbox...sent to me by the person who bought it a few weeks ago in Rockport. I sold it right off my easel, and never had a chance to photograph it, so I am glad to have this image...even though it is a little bit "rough"....

A Little Paint

A Little Paint___8x10 oil on linen panel__$250 all wet

Here is the one I started at the corrals a couple days ago, and just now finished on the porch. I mentioned it a few days ago... it matches the other painting really well... http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2011/07/shady-wait.html

If you click here you can see both horses along with my painting set-up....Tomorrow we head back to Texas...hot times ahead!!!

UPCOMING SCHEDULE-----------------------------------------------------------------
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Late Summer 2012 Workshop in a COOL PLACE...early August! TBA!

Beaver Pond

Beaver Pond___8x10 oil on linen___$250 wet/unframed

So, I scaled down an embankment to get close to the magnificent beaver dam, and to paint it, but the distance called to me, and I ended up painting it instead...but the pond held back by the dam is here in the foreground...It's a study of a MUCH LOVELIER place, and a good location to go back to!

See my schedule below, and a little hint about next summer's workshop!....
This is the Conejos River and a view down the canyon before a big storm swept in...

August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA! Photo above is a HINT.....

Shady Wait

Shady Wait__8x10 oil on linen___$250 wet

I went down the way to Rainbow Trout Ranch this morning. They always have horses saddled up and ready to go, and plenty of wranglers wrangling them. This beautiful palomino was hitched up on a shady porch and I liked how occasionally he would reach his nose out into the light. Just after I finished this little plein air piece, someone got on and rode away. Below is a picture of the setting where I painted with my model in the background...Tomorrow I will post the study I did of the paint, there. I had to work fast....

Cottonwood at the Fork

Cottonwood at the Fork__8x10 oil on canvas___$290 if it doesn't sell at the FireHouse

Here's a little plein air study near our cabin in Colorado. I went out with painting buddy, Pat Haberman and we knocked out a couple of studies, yesterday. This is a place I WILL go back to! There are views all around: The river bends a couple of times, an amazing beaver dam, wildflowers on the hillsides, monsoon clouds...There are a few paintings left to do here...

If you look at my schedule below, you will see at the very bottom, I will teach a SURPRISE workshop at about this time next summer. Pretty soon I will give details, but hint, hint, hint...the locations where we will paint look a lot like this! Are you interested???

July 23-24___Art on the Conejos__a NEW SHOW, featuring artists who live in the Conejos Canyon, CO
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA!

Poppy Pods

Poppy Pods__8x6 oil on linen

Here is the last poppy painting I did for the Colorado Show. This show was put together by Bea and Peggy, a couple of real art fans and neighbors of at our place in Colorado. The show will benefit the new Fire House which our community built to protect the families here. It is a volunteer fire service, complete with an alarm that sounds each Monday. Hopefully, this fire house will be busy with community activities, (like the art show), and not busy with fires.

My upcoming schedule is below.

July 23-24___Art on the Conejos__a NEW SHOW, featuring artists who live in the Conejos Canyon, CO
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA!

Shy One

Shy One__8x6 oil on linen panel

Like yesterday's painting, this one will be available if it doesn't sell at the Colroado Show over the weekend. If you are interested ($190 unframed, includes shipping), please let me know and I will put your name on it :) It is a poppy from my father-in-law's garden, joined by some daisies that he transplanted a few years ago....neighbors come from all over the canyon to take some of HIS daisies, now, because he has so many! Stay tuned for more works from Colorado and the plains we went through to get here! See my upcoming schedule below....

July 23-24___Art on the Conejos__a NEW SHOW, featuring artists who live in the Conejos Canyon, CO
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA!

Proud One

Proud One__8x6 oil on linen___for CO Show

Taking a break from the Texas heat and enjoying a little time in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. Once again my father-in-law has "glory" in his garden: POPPIES!...as usual, my first Colorado painting was a poppy...in fact, I did three little studies, yesterday. These are ones I will hang in the Fire House for the weekend show. (see below). If it doesn't sell, I will have it for YOU, if you are interested. Please email me to be first in line for it (unframed $190, includes shipping). Check out my upcoming schedule, and come see me someplace!

July 23-24___Art on the Conejos__a NEW SHOW, featuring artists who live in the Conejos Canyon, CO
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA!

SCHEDULE

Little Church__6x8 oil demo__sold

This is another version of one I painted a few weeks ago, but I wanted to post SOMETHING today before I head to Colorado for a few weeks of COOL-OFF-TIME! We have already had 32 days of temps over 100 this summer, and we are JUST NOW getting to the HOT part of the season (our record high was in early September a few years ago). Texans are NOT being flippant or joking when we say "please pray for rain and our farmers!"
I will be posting from Colorado, of course. We are driving a special loop through the plains so I can add a few more "drive-bys" to my works for the upcoming exhibit.
Below is my schedule for the near future...and a little bit beyond! See if you can meet me at any of these!

July 16___THANK You, GOD for the bit of rain in Round Rock this morning
July 23-24___Art on the Conejos__a NEW SHOW, featuring artists who live in the Conejos Canyon, CO
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on...
October 7___Passing America: The Great Plains. Lincoln, NE...Reception and Gallery Talk in the evening
Oct. 8-13___Nebraska Workshops...painting farms en plein air
Oct. 18-Nov. 17___Remembering the Farm, Solo show at Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend Church, Austin
October 27___Remembering the Farm Reception and Gallery Talk 5-8 pm. Riverbend, Austin
Nov. 9-11___Fall Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists' School
June 11-13, 2012___Spring Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School
Surprise Summer 2012 Workshop...early August! TBA!

Where Morning Gathers

Where Morning Gathers_____36 x 48 oil on linen______for Passing America: The Great Plains

This is my largest painting (so far?) for Passing America: The Great Plains
It is a large version of a September sunrise study at our old farm, which was at the southern edge of the plains in central Texas....The bigness of our sky, and this being such a large painting, reminded me of great inspirations along the way on my journeys. Hear the song that has done the most to inspire my project...especially as I travel the plains...the song is not about farming, it is all about the nature of the Great Plains, and its Creator.....Click the link to hear it and to see the lyrics. Many of my paintings have titles from these lyrics .
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/rich_mullins/calling_out_your_name.html

British White

British White__6x6 oil on panel___$290 framed for Passing America: The Great Plains

I was introduced to this beautiful breed of cattle the last time I traveled through Nebraska on my Passing America journeys. I spent an afternoon on the Bohaty farm, where they raise grass-fed British Whites. This proved to be a VERY IMPORTANT visit, as I saw how a family is adjusting to the current farming climate, and is doing something GOOD and NEW! As I move forward soon to update my project blog I will share MUCH more about this farm!

I Love my blogging/ facebooking/ e-mailing friends, and I really know how to pick them! I only pick SMART ones, who also are clever and BEAUTIFUL! (right, y'all???)
A number of you wrote after yesterday's post and said you were giving me your "two cents' worth"...so I now have TEN CENTS and the proper name for the breed of cattle I posted yesterday...it is a Black Baldy...and you will see that I corrected the title on yesterday's post!

Black Baldy

Black Baldy___6x6 oil on panel___$290 framed for Passing America: The Great Plains
I posted a Hereford of the same size and price, yesterday but forgot to hit the "publish" button on the blog. So, if you only see the blog (and not the e-mail) click here to see yesterday's Hereford ...This is "cow week" as I have a small little group of different types of cattle that I have seen across the plains...these are small canvases in matching frames for my exhibit, but they are not "drive-by" paintings. ...This painting above is what we call a "white face", which, I think is a type of Hereford but if anyone knows better, please let me know! I suspect they have a little bit of Angus.

Here Hereford

Here Hereford___6x6 oil on panel___$290 framed for Passing America: The Great Plains
I am not sure why the Angus has taken over the popularity contest for cattle these days...maybe it's a marketing ploy for beef? In my studies for the farm exhibit, I am finding out a lot about our food supply as family farms fade away and the farms become corporations...This does not HAVE to be a bad thing, but somehow it is....
Anyway, When I see Hereford cattle, I think of "Texas"...maybe because that was the breed of choice in the pastures when I was growing up!...as an artist, I really do not care which breed is "best", I just like the VARIETY I have seen all across the plains.
I am seriously HOARDING my paintings these days...to make sure I meet the required numbers of new works for my upcoming exhibit in Nebraska. Pretty soon I will count all the works, and when I have the quantities I need, I will begin selling again :) Anything that is painted for the show will not be delivered till just before Christmas :)

Sharon and Paul

Sharon and Paul____16x12 oil on linen____Sold
This is a portrait of Sharon and Paul. They own and operate a a couple of "wellness" stores in Round Rock and Cedar Park, selling great herbal products, vitamins and such, and educating people about LOTS of things related to health and wellness. I have been shopping with them for YEARS, mainly for a few vitamins and a yearly "cleanse"....but ALL THIS YEAR, I have been working closely with them on REALLY getting healthy! This "project" has coincided with my exhibit work on Passing America: The Great Plains
I have been learning about the demise of our agrarian culture in America, as I travel and paint "drive-by" paintings of family farms in the Plains. This demise has also corresponded with health issues for Americans, and NO ONE can deny that they are FOOD related....so, I have made myself the ULTIMATE guinea pig, and have spent this whole year (since Jan 1) eating organic, drinking alkaline water, and taking a few supplements...the Tsuis helped me lose about 30 pounds and have directed me to literature and experts which have GREATLY informed me as I work on the farm paintings....I will talk more about this in the coming days, as I wind down my artwork for the Nebraska Exhibit in October! Stay tuned!!! It is fascinating stuff!

Pastured Impatience

Pastured Impatience__9x12 oil on linen___Passing America: The Great Plains
I had a difficult time photographing this one and figured out it is because my brushwork was causing some random glares....sorry about that.
A favorite farm scene of mine is when the cattle egrets are in the pastures following whatever moving target is there. They are not picky and will follow a tractor just as often as they will follow the cattle. They get their meals when the moving target stirs up bugs...usually grasshoppers. This egret was impatient...probably because the cow was not helping him stir up dinner...

Hawk Above Mocking

Hawk Above Mocking___9x12 oil on linen___$590 for Passing America: The Great Plains
A few months ago I posted (and sold) the little study for this one. IT is a scene I saw and photographed on our farm a few years ago, and I have seen it played out over and over again at farms all across the plains. The little birds have HUGE tempers when they feel that their territory is being threatened. No matter how big the enemy, these small mocking birds feel no fear when protecting their own!
The Rockport Art Festival was a great show, and my work won an award for best in media: PAINTING...So, now I get to go back next year!

Harbor Life

Harbor Life__20 x 60 oil on linen___For Rockport Art Festival this weekend (click to enlarge)
I posted "state one" of this large work a few months ago. Click to see the first version, but you will be hard pressed to see any big changes. I just added a few nondescript birds... I have been saving it to show at the Rockport Art Festival, in Rockport Texas this weekend. Of course, I like to show my blog friends my works FIRST, and to give you the chance to purchase it first, too. SO, if you need a BIG BIG piece of art let me know quick, because I will show this one as my "flagship" piece over the weekend....I hope to see you there! It looks a LOT BETTER in "real life!
Speaking of "life", I thought you 'd like to see our little "Johnson" who is now our BIG BOY, since the Good Dane Romeo passed away a few weeks ago....Romeo used to put a ball like this under his tongue!...check out the ear!

Cottonwood Chill

Cottonwood Chill___20x16 oil on linen__for Passing America: The Great Plains__$1700 unframed
With Summer here and temperatures in the 100's every day, we can only DREAM of fall! Somehow, though, "dreaming" is a good tool for the artist! ...

I remember being young and BEGGING my parents for a horse! My friends had horses and we lived neat a stable where they were kept. Every day after school and all summer long I would hang out at the stables, brushing the horses, cleaning the stalls (YES, I LOVED doing that!...ANYTHING to be around the horses...I even loved the smells!...you tom-boys know exactly what I mean!).

...my friend Betty Sue would often let me watch her horse Ginger when she was out of town. This was the best of all worlds! I got to spend every moment with Ginger, and I would take her down to a far pasture to ride bareback, to halter her up to a tree and sketch her for hours. Her eyes told me that she loved me better than Betty Sue...(dreaming, remember?). My favorite thing was riding her into the deeper waters of Walnut Creek, and she would swim across with me holding onto her mane...Walnut Creek was cool because it was spring-fed, so this was a great summertime treat!....I never got my own horse as a kid, but DREAMING about them , I think, made me a better artist! I can draw a horse now, from memory, at ANY angle....

BIG Gathering_ Crossing Kansas

BIG Gathering _ Crossing Kansas _24x30 oil on linen__for Passing America: The Great Plains
I am probably not finished with this one, yet...it is a large one for my plains exhibit in the fall. A few weeks ago, I posted the study for this one. It was called "Gathering for Kansas"...click link to see it and compare. The study was a "drive-by" painting, created on the move as we went past the little farm where these cows were crossing.

High Plains Gathering

High Plains Gathering-state 2 ___24x24 oil on linen___for Passing America:The Great Plains
A few days ago I taught a one day workshop in Smithville, TX. THe group had worked with me a month earlier, and I gave "homework" for them to "START" a few canvases. TTHis time, I showed how to work up one of their "starts" to a larger canvas. The version below was state one of a large canvas I worked up from the small. This demo took about an hour (not counting my talking time....plenty of that!!!). The idea was to lay down the largest, simplest shapes of color. State two, above is the next step....I see things that I need to refine, before calling it DONE. This one is posted especially for the "gang" in Smithville....would love to know your comments and what you think I will probably do to call it "done" :)