See the Thunder

See the Thunder___11x14 oil on linen panel___$950

My favorite places are in the west...and farms...with thunderstorms  in the area....at sunset or sunrise....with life nearby....like cows!

So this painting was fun for me because I felt like I was in a favorite place as I painted from a photo I took recently....I painted this it as a demo for my high school art class....Now they are trying their hands at oils!!!

This summer I will teach a few youth workshops, in addition to my usual June workshop in Fredericksburg...now is a good time to sign up for Fredericksburg! The group promises to be a SMALL one, so you will get lots of personalized attention!!! email me for info vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Brushy Waters

Brushy Waters__12x9 oil study on linen panel__$450 unframed

Brushy Creek is where the "round rock" sits...at the crossing of the famed Chisholm Trail. This location is about a mile from my home, as the crow flies. Our recent rains have kept the creek full and clear! I painted there today with Sue and Shirley...we vowed to paint here again soon.

There some spots open in my June 11-14 workshop in Fredericksburg, TX! I am sure it will be a SMALL group, so this is a good time to get some personal help in a beautiful setting in the Texas Hill Country....the peach stands will be LOADED with sweet peaches, berries, and all kinds of produce...come join us, and let's work on "Capturing Impressions Quickly"

vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Herf

Herf____4x6 oil on canvas panel ___$150

I remember when there were hereford cattle everywhere in Texas....I also remember when our herd on the farm slowly became angus....more and more, the black angus has become the "trend"....Not that I mind...but it's nice to still see Hereford around, too!

This one was painted with my students' palette "droppings".

I will be talking and teaching about this in my upcoming workshop in Fredericksburg, TX.  Sign up soon! I also have some youth workshops in June (Middle School and High School)

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Mother's Day__Follow Me II

Mother's Day - Follow Me II___8x10 oil on linen panel___$450 unframed

These horses were photographed on our farm a few years ago. I have never ainted them with "palette droppings" till now. I hope you can see the texture on this picture....

Happy mother's day to everyone who has or is a mother!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Side of Angus

Side of Angus___5x7 oil on canvas panel___$150

Here's a little one from last week's "palette droppings"
Again, it's done with a knife...a technique I will share at the upcoming workshops. We will spend a LOT of time drawing...and not always with a pencil!

Have you ever drawn with a knife?

Will you be in Omaha, Nebraska this month? A group of my works from Last Year on the Farm is on display there. "Simply Agrarian" On exhibit May 2 through May 31, 2012

Florence Mill ArtLoft, 9102 N. 30th St., Omaha NE 6811

Hours are 1-5 PM, Wednesday - Sunday. (closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

Contact: Linda Meigs (402) 551-1233

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Blue Trailer

Blue Trailer II___11x14 oil on linen panel___$850 unframed

I am painting things now for the Phippen Museum Western Art Show in Prescott, AZ. I'll be there in a few weeks with new stuff and visiting old friends! The painting here is another ne using my student's "palette droppings". Zoom in to see some surprise color!

I used a palette knife, here, and painted for another small audience at my mom's nursing home. I like to joke that they are the best audience, because many of them do not see so well, and they were all raised to be polite and say "That's GOOD, dear!" hahaha...

I will teach a workshop in Fredericksburg next month, and plan to show how to work with palette droppings. My theme again is "Capturing Impressions Quickly"...this year we will work outside less and draw MORE! Email me if you are interested! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Trot Away

Trot Away___5x7 oil on canvas___$150

Working from my same "model" as the last two blog posts here is when she finally had had enough and trotted away. This sketch is another one using my "palette droppings" after a week of teaching "rookies". At the end of a few days the oils get sticky so I gather it all up. Hating to waste it, I have learned how to use it...I will teach a workshop in Fredericksburg next month, and plan to show how to work with palette droppings. My theme again is "Capturing Impressions Quickly"...this year we will work outside less and draw MORE! Email me if you are interested! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Horse Whisper II

Horse Whisper II___7x5 oil on canvas___$150 (after it dries)

This one "goes with" the one I posted yesterday (Horse Whisper I).

Right now I am using up some "palette droppings": clumps of leftover paint from teaching all week...

This is the same horse we encountered in Nebraska last fall.

I applied the paint with a palette knife and tried hard to not mix the color....if you want this one it might be a couple weeks before it is dry enough to ship!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Horse Whisper I

Horse Whisper 1___5x7 oil study__$150

I have been teaching oils to my high school students and that means there are plenty of "palette droppings" after class. So I have been doing some knife studies with the globs of semi-dry paint. I have two similar ones of this horse, who I photographed in the sandhills of Nebraska a few months ago. He acted like he had never seen a pick-up truck before!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

A Bend in the Blues

A Bend in the Blues___24x30 oil on linen__$4500 framed
I used a couple of my recent field studies from last month's great bluebonnet "show" to paint this larger work. It will come to a show or go off to a gallery unless someone wants it QUICK!
Here is a link to the yucca painting that I did in the field.
http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/04/double-yucca.html Working outside really makes the difference in "seeing" color and forms. I teach these things in my few workshops each year. Check out my schedule below!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Day Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Head On

Head On___6x6 oil on canvas panel

The other day I painted this one at the nursing home so that my mom could watch. I told about it on my April 26 blog post. She liked it and said "paint another one!" so here is the other one! And below is how they look together. A nice little grouping!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14

High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21

 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Longhorn to the Right

Longhorn to the Right__6x6 oil on canvas panel___$150 unframed

Tomorrow I will post a companion painting for this one...I painted both at the nursing home for my mom. She used to travel a lot with me but can't get out anymore. Her mind is sharp and she is interested in EVERYTHING! Mom always liked watching me draw and paint, so I like to draw for her...the fun for her is just WATCHING! I reminded her that watching me paint is as exciting as watching paint dry...literally! :)

I have some great workshops SOON! Beginners welcome and the fun is guaranteed! Contact me soon for your spot....

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Workshop: Fredericksburg Artists School, June 11-14
High School/Middle School Student Workshops: Austin, TX, June 18-21
 Southeastern Plein Air Festival, works hang thru May, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Grazing Riverside

Grazing Riverside__11x14 oil on canvas panel__available at the Gadsden Art Museum

Painted on location on the Coosa River in northern Alabama. I photographed while still in the field, and never took a picture after I "formed" the horses a little better...so this (above) is a step before "finish"...below is a picture that, when I looked at it later, seems to "line up" with the scene I was painting...

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Works hang till May, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott,

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Morning Memory___9x12 oil on canvas panel__$450

Morning Memory___9x12 oil on canvas panel__$450 unframed  

This was the last morning I spent in Gadsden, Alabama last week...a beautiful morning with the smell of pines in the air.

I love painting early in the morning, and have some workshops that teach that! My June 11-14

Workshop focus is the “extremes” of the day:, . .emerging mornings, sunsets, and day fading quickly into night.  These extremes must be observed and captured quickly in oils. I  teach principles of gathering information and describing it QUICKLY as a painter. We will work outdoors and inside.  to register, e-mail bush@fbgartschool.com or click http://www.fbgartschool.com

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Works hang till May, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Fredericksburg Artists School Workshop___

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Geranium Hanger

Geranium Hanger___8x10 oil on canvas panel___available at the Gadsden Museum of Art

Here's a plein air painting from my trip to Alabama last week. Geraniums make a nice spot of color ANYWHERE. These were in the front yard of a nice home in the Historic District.

The fun part about painting at the Southeastern Plein Air Festival is that the museum is so well prepared, and they direct artists to great new locations each day....I particularly like the VARIETY of challenges. It's how I teach my workshops: bringing some variety of challenges to help artists grow! See my schedule to know what's coming soon! Next workshop is in June!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________
Works hang till May, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ
Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Gertrudis Gathering

Gertrudis Gathering___12 x 16 oil on canvas panel___$950 to the Gadsden Art Museum

I painted with artist Amanda Carder on a nice back road full of farms near Gadsden, Alabama....this herd kept moving that morning, giving me lots of "cow views", and a couple of small studies which I have already posted. All the works are still at the Museum, on display with Amanda's work and some 13 other artists...

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

Works hang till May, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Gertrudis Grazing

Gertrudis Grazing____6x8 oil on linen panel___$250 to the Gadsden Museum of Art
Here is the "right facing" cow I painted on location the other day in Alabama, while at the same time painting a left facing one....It seemed that whenever I worked on the left, the small herd grazed in the other direction. So, I picked up this canvas to paint the view moving right and the herd would switch back...when all was said and done, I let there with 2 and 1/2 paintings! ...the 1/2 was my attemt to paint a cow while it came toward me, but I ran out of time...

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

April 9-13, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Gallant Angus

Gallant Angus____6x8 oil on linen panel_____$250 unframed
This is a Gallant Angus merely because I painted at a farm on Gallant Road today in Gadsden, Alabama. This is a beautiful area in Northern Alabama...mountains, rivers and friendy people who truly enjoy being hospitable to "tresspassing" artists :)
This angus was moving left when I began the painting, but she turned to the right with the whole herd. I picked up a second canvas and began another painting of a "right moving" cow...I was able to complete both paintings by moving back and forth between the canvases as the cows traversed the field...I will post the "right" one tomorrow

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

April 9-13, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Porch Light

Porch Light___16x12 oil on canvas panel___$900

Here is my "quick draw" painting which I did today at the Southeastern Plein Air Festival. We painted in the historic homes area of Gadsden, Alabama....We were given 2 hours and could paint anywhere on the block...I stayed a little long at the morning location which was our own choice...of course I chose to paint at a farm nt far from here. So, on the way to the Historic area of town, I took a coupe wrong turns and came a few minutes late...then I could not settle on what to paint till I saw this little vase on a porch. I had to "scoot" to do this in an hour and a half.

On Friday, the "public" gets to purchase the paintings we have all been doing this week...
See the museum blog for info on the activities, and some of the paintings have been posted...

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule________________

April 9-13, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Coosa Goose____6x8 oil on linen___$250 for the Gadsden Museum of Art

Today in Alabama at the Southeastern Plein Air Festival, we painted along the Coosa River. Gadsden is a beautiful area in the Alabama mountains. It is green and full of that "atmosphere" that is so famous in this part of America...FUN to paint!

_______________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule______________

April 9-13, Southeastern Plein Air Festival, Gadsden, AL

Memorial Dy Weekend-May, Phippen Museum Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ

Summer Workshops in Texas, Colorado and more!

...see my schedule for more dates and events