KnockOuts

Knock Outs___18 x 18 oil on linen panel___reserve price $1500
I painted this yesterday in Gadsden, Alabama. All the artists painted in the historic district, and some really nice works were created...These are called "Knock Out Roses", painted on the canvas that I wiped off the day before when my hat fell on it. This day was less eventfull...my tripod broke but one of the artists had a big roll of duct tape...TGFDT (Thank God for Duct Tape!)

If you want to paint with me in beautiful Fredericksburg, TX on June 5-7 contact me pretty soon. I will give you info and connect you to the Fredericksburg Artists School. The class is filling up but there are still 5 or 6 spots left...I leave the group small, but there is usually a spot or two even at the end...I am excited about this one I call: "Painting Fast Every Day, and What to Do With All Those Studies"....Here is a brainstorm list of words that apply to this workshop: Painting (verb),sunrise, plein air, science of color, gallery, demos, FAST, sunsets, discussion, BLOG, spectrum, moving targets, brushwork, punctuation marks, painting (noun), relative mixing, eye vs.camera....More tomorrow...EMAIL ME for info

Mill Creek Vineyard

"Mill Creek Vineyard"___12 x 16___to be sold at auction, FRIDAY__reserve price $700
click image to see big...call if interested 512.917.0814
We painted here, yesterday. I painted 3, but my big one bit the dust...my hat (yes, another hat drama) slid across the wet paint and smeared it well....so I wiped off the canvas....three hours down the drain....
The Gadsden Museum of art will auction this on Friday night. I have 4-5 really nice paintings in this event to benefit the museum. I have posted a few this week, but if you are interested in some very nice paintings at a really low price EMAIL ME and I will send you the portfolio to preview before Friday night's event. Today I painted beautiful roses...I will post them tomorrow....
If you want to paint with me in beautiful Fredericksburg, TX on June 5-7 contact me pretty soon. I will give you info and connect you to the Fredericksburg Artists School. The class is filling up but there are still 5 or 6 spots left...I leave the group small, but there is usually a spot or two even at the end...I am excited about this one I call: "Painting Fast Every Day, and What to Do With All Those Studies"....Here is a brainstorm list of words that apply to this workshop: Painting (verb),sunrise, plein air, science of color, gallery, demos, FAST, sunsets, discussion, BLOG, spectrum, moving targets, brushwork, punctuation marks, painting (noun), relative mixing, eye vs.camera....More tomorrow...
EMAIL ME for info

Nuccaloola Falls

Nuccaloola Falls__14 x 11....before I put in the sky

I lost my hat over the edge of the falls today and when I went down to get it I decided to paint it...More tomorrow!!!

Bottomland_detail 2

"Bottomland"___detail 2____oil on linen 20 x 60__available at Whistle Pik Galleries

This is the center of a large painting. I have changed the composition since this photo, removing the center (big) cow...it looks better, now, but you'll have to go to Fredericksburg, TX to see it. I delivered it to Whistle Pik Galleries Yesterday, along with a couple other small bluebonnet works and a batch of originals from the "Last Year on the Farm"...Speaking of Fredericksburg...I hope you can join me there for the Ultimate V....Vaughan Workshop.

BE a full-time artist for three full days in he best "art place" in Texas: Fredericksburg....

June 5 - 7, 2009 You will have options to paint sunrises or sunsets or moonrises or ALL OF THE ABOVE in an intensive learning experience "Painting Fast and What to Do With All Those Studies"...I will share all I learned and experienced in my Farm project, and encourage you to find YOUR artistic voice. E-mail me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Bottomland__detail 1

"Bottomland"__detail____original oil painting on linen__20 x 60
click image to see detail of the detail!

This detail might look good as a separate painting...hmmm...I Might do a composition like this when I get home. Tomorrow I leave for Gadsden, Alabama, and the first ever Southeastern Plein Air Festival, where I am one of the featured artists. I can't wait to see my friends Becky and Ronnie and Steve and Elaine and all the gang out there, and to paint the Nuckaloosa Falls and all the other places in that thick Alabama atmosphere...and someone there can give me a spelling lesson on the right way to spell the falls...I will post the new paintings while I am there...stay tuned!

Bottomland_20 x 60

Bottomland__20 x 60 oil on linen___available at Whistle Pik Galleries, Fredericksburg, TX

Click image to see it HUGE!

I am delivering this one today to the BEST GALLERY in Texas, which now represents me! I can't wait to see this painting of my FAVORITE PLACE (the Farm) under the fabulous lights at the gallery. It's been a while since I painted a big one of the farm. A few days ago I posted the first stage of this on my BLOG. see April 18 for the early version. A few people e-mailed to say that I should put more bluebonnets in the foreground, so I did(...and all the white spots in the first draft were future bluebonnets)...if you want a fun road trip Saturday, drive through Fredericksburg to see this and then come over to Kerrville to see my works at the Western Art Museum's "Round Up"...tonight is a special "Meet the Artists" event, but there are festivities all weekend...there is a charge to get in, but the art will hang for a few weeks

Texas Shade_4 x 7

"Texas Shade"___4 x 7 oil on linen panel___$100 if you are first to want it!

Click image to see it HUGE!

Just outside my neighborhood is this nice little ranch. It will not be here long, since this is a busy and growing area. But every morning there are deer here and it still has the look of our Texas Hill Country...for now...

Speaking of the Hill Country: I'll have my most comprehensive workshop of the year soon!June 5 - 7 at the Fredericksburg Artists School. I planned these dates for several reasons. It's the first weekend after the school year, for all you art teachers needing CEU credits. It's also the First Friday Art Walk in Fredericksburg. The town stays up late for gallery openings, demos, wine cheese and music! Our class will enjoy all that, and I'll have a little reception with selections from "Last Year on the Farm"...Many of these small paintings will be on display at FAS for us to look at and study all weekend, so I will encourage the group to go into town and enjoy what Fredericksburg has to offer, including Whistle Pik Galleries...check out this link and the artist page! I am so proud to now be represented there, and look forward to bringing my workshop artists there for introduction to the finest gallery in America....

Click the links for more info...please e-mail me if you need more info about the workshop...remember, I taught high school artists for 19 years, I am quite happy to take beginners as well as established artists...I like to encourage ANY artist who is interested in learning and improving! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

An Art Classroom

Mrs. Holder with my Chicken Demos____Belton, TX Middle School
Today I did some demonstrating for 5 classes full of Middle School kids at Belton Middle School. I was invited there by Nancy Holder, a brand new art teacher, who I consider my protoge!...When I quit teaching a few months ago, it was Nancy who was the beneficiary of much of my lesson plans and samples. She is just starting her teaching career and reminds me of ME! She is student teaching in Mrs. Simpson's classes, and these are the kids I visited today...plus a few selected kids from Mrs. Lane's class. Each of the 5 classes patiently and respectfully listened to my life story ("what's it like to be a professional artist"). They were eager listeners and enjoyed my chicken DEMO (not enough time for them to participate, but we had a drawing in each class for 5 lucky winners who got to take home these paintings! WOW! I painted FIVE today!!!!...and had a great "kid fix", too...such beautiful young people...

La Posada

La Posada__for Tom from Debbie_____a pencil drawing on watercolor paper __click image
Well, I am home late from a ball game, and leaving EARLY to go visit and demonstrate for a middle school in Belton, TX. I will be brief! This is a drawing for some friends. I also am worink on a special painting for them (will post it soon)....I have a lot of great news coming up on the blog, and the thing YOU might like best is I will be giving details about my main workshop coming up in June in Fredericksburg. This will be a FULL BLOWN workshop over three days, and will include MANY aspects of becoming a better painter/artist. The official "title" of the workshop is "Painting Fast, and what to do with all those Studies"...A lot of people ask me about "how-do-you-do-all-that-you-do?"...My answer is simple, but encouraging to ANYONE who wants to put a little bit of creativity and art into their life....stay tuned!!!

Llano Day

"Llano Day"___4 x 7____$150, after I'm done with the reference
Be nice to your art students! That kid in the back of the room who wants to draw NOTHING but fish, might grow up to be a great fishing guide and own his own fly fishing shop!...It wasn't all THAT long ago that Chris Johnson sat in my class each day, thinking of a new way to create a new a fish in order to meet the criteria for his latest art assignment....today this same Chris took me on a great adventure to one of Texas's most beautiful rivers: the Llano. The perfect day during the most perfect time of the year! The bluebonnets were "just right", The water as flowing clear and full, and the fish were biting! Chris is a great fising guide. I have never known anyone so in tuned to life on the river! ...I was always one step behind Chris...not seeing the fish in the water till it was almost gone...or the turtle...or the snake....but especially the fish! Then Chris let me wear his secret "fish finding glasses"...actually polarized lenses...the make the difference in seeing the details under the water....I actually spent the afternoon studying the river ...sketching, making color notes and painting a little bit...here's my first one above~ THANK YOU, CHRIS! (Here are his links below)

http://www.livingwatersflyfishing.blogspot.com/

http://www.livingwatersflyfishing.com/

State 1_ Bottom Land_20 x 60

"State 1_Bottom Land_20 x 60"______compare to yesterday's study

It's a good idea to take a digital image of your big paintings, before you get too far into it. This way you can look at it "far away", evaluate composition, and color and ESPECIALLY values, and make changes before you invest too much time....it's not too late to wipe it off and start over...I painted a small study, first, (see yesterday's post) then did this BIG canvas today. I will now sit on it for a day, keep my eyes off of it...then try to finish it Monday...That's another thing....DO NOT be in a hurry to finish a big one....get it to a point where you can stop and come back later....wiith fresh eyes

The Thunder Lean

"The Thunder Lean"___from my sketchbook____click to see BIG
It was stormy this morning and Romeo, the "Good" Dane does not like thunder. He is always underfoot, anyway, so I didn't notice at first, but the worse the storm ogot, the closer he stood, till I finally had his tail in my lap. He was lean-sitting on me, the way Danes like to do. ..
I used Carbonite this week. Spent about 4-5 days backing up all my files offsite. It seems to have done it's job, but now I notice some glitches, and of course I am blaming everything on Carbonite. First, the PC will not connect to the internet. The browser doesn't work, but I can e-mail....hmmm, now, tonight, the scanner says the USB is not commected....well, it IS...I am frustrated....it's supposed to thunder, again...Here, Romeo!

Bottom Land Study__4x12

"Bottom Land"___4x12 oil on linen panel____$150 when it dries

I just finished this little "sketch"...an idea I have had for a LARGE canvas...I think I will start the big one tomorrow....not sure if it will look like this when all is said and painted, but I like this idea...it's a version of our old farm bottom with a few extra bluebonnets. I think we only had one or two down there, but there were plenty of primrose and blue eyed grass....I already see what I will change for the big one! You artists be thinking about it! when you see my changes, please tell me if I did any of YOUR thoughts (don't we ALL have or own ideas about "making art better"? I am an impatient composer...usually I just dive into a painting and compose as I go. That's what I did on this little canvas, and now it gives me an idea for improvement! Stay tuned!!!

ROCKS

"Rocks"__8x10 oil study on linen____$150 Click to see it HUGE
I painted this with Marla a few weeks ago in Arizona. This little stream babbled at us as we painted. This is one of those paintings I LOVED doing (the experience_a verb), but afterwards I see it as a true "study" (the outcome_a noun). I LOVE this aspect of painting. It is a noun AND a verb!!! A study sis something I regard as a "piece" of a future painting...a "workout"...a "rehearsal"....
"Round Up" is next weekend, April 24-26 at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX. PLEASE come see the finest western art...and mine!

Between the Day_state two

"Between the Day_state 2"____20x60 oil on linen_____available

I posted this yesterday and decided to change the composition a littke bit. The line of the purple cloud was too "level" for my liking, so I turned it at an angle. A composition looks better if all the "main lines" aren't level or going the same direction...VARIETY is the key, but even the variety needs to be well managed :)...another note...this was VERY DIFFICULT to photograph, for the following reasons: 1. the dimension. It's so long that it became distorted with certain settings. 2. the contrast. My meter was reading either on the darks or on the lights, and adjusting the contrast in photoshop just made the colors too dull....I still HATE how this one looks...it's much better in person.

More on Composition___State 1

"Between the Day_state 1"_20 x 60 oil on linen____see a better composition tomorrow!
I hope you will scroll down to refer to the other paintings here, as I talk about them. A couple weeks ago I posted the FIRST state of the bottom painting, "Twilight Gathering"...I told about how important composition is, and made changes. This painting received some GREAT attention at the art show, and just sold. ...That brings me to the middle painting, "Between the Lights". It's a new one ready for the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville's big annual sale called "Round Up". Some of the best western artists will be there, including Mark Kohler and Bill Nebeker, Bill Mittag and others...a gallery owner I know liked this one, but wants to see something with a different proportion, so I tried the one above!!!!
It is a similar painting, but a brand new proportion, and composition that SEEMED like a good idea, but, as large as it is, I see the need to re-compose. I have a GREAT idea (I HOPE!) on how to make this a WAY BETTER composition. I will post it tomorrow to see what y'all think!
I hope the "change" will be the RIGHT one...we shall see!!! I will tell you the "whys" of all this tomorrow...for now, I hope you had a great and meaningful Easter. Don't let Easter get too far away till you take a moment to REALLY think about what it all means....wow

"Between the Lights"__24 x 30 oil on linen __available April 24, at Round Up, Kerrville, TX

"Twilight Gathering"___24 x 24 oil on linen___just sold at Cowgirl Up! in Wickenburg, AZ

Night Prayer_20x16

"Night Prayer"___20x16 Oil on linen___for Round Up, April 24-26, Kerrville, TX
I finished this painting today, and had to photograph it in the dark...not the best thing to do....It is another painting at La Bahia Presidio in Goliad, TX. The place where Col. Fannin and 400 of his men were massacred by Santa Ana. Their mass grave is in the back. It is an historic, beloved and revered Texas landmark, and at night it is quiet and still...you can almost feel the prayers that must have been said there over the years. Goliad is still a quiet town, and this spot feels isolated, though it is right along the highway.
I painted this one for display at "Round Up", the premier event at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX. Below is your invitation to this event on April 24-25. I will be there , so I hope you can come to meet me and see my latest works.... click on the image to enlarge

April 15 on the Farm

"April 15 on the Farm"____from Last YEar...Spring 24____available!
This painting is one of the over 365 paintings I did of our "Last Year on the Farm". For over a year, they were on exhibit at various venues across the USA. Today, you can see them all on my web site. Many have sold, but the available ones are noted. I will have exhibits of certain selections, soon! FIRST, in June, the Fredericksburg Artists School will exhibit them (come to the First Friday Art Walk in June! we'll have a reception then, and you can meet me! Put it on your calendar!). Then, there will be one in August in Austin, and in the Fall in New Orleans....These days, I take a few with me to every show....AND TODAY, I FINALLY hung my OWN collection in my home. My daughter and I have created a gallery in my home, and it features our FARM....we hung dozens, and reminisced all morning...I feel like I have been on the farm all day...feels good!...HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!

Bluebonnet Study

"Bluebonnet Study"____7 x 5___$100 when it dries!

There are more bluebonnets to paint, but this was a little single study I enjoyed...remembering how I used to dissect them when I was little! The white spots on the petals turn dark pink after the bee has taken the polen out. I think it's so that other bees will not waste their time on a petal that is "empty"...this painting has some juicy paint on it...still wet!

I had a TERRIFIC birthday! Each year I say that THIS was my best birthday EVER! But today REALLY was. I had lunch with a new friend and we enjoyed reminiscing about a mutual OLD friend! (THANK YOU FOR LUNCH, Stephanie!)....and then my family took me out to eat and there was a big surprise at the restaurant...my sister and her husband and my niece and her husband and some friends of my kids were all there to join in the fun! What a blast we had!

My children presented me with some GREAT PHOTOS of the three of them together AT THE FARM! They actually went back with a photographer friend and played around on our old property...it was their last time there together and caused a stir with the new property owners....grumpy dudes!...but what a WONDERFUL memory for me!!

Bluebonnet 2

"Bluebonnet 2"...6 x 6 oil on canvas panel....a great companion piece with yesterday's!...$100
I have always felt a close connection with bluebonnets...they always bloom on my birthday (April 8) and so I still get that thrill like a little kid when they bloom. This will not be a good year for the blankets of bluebonnets we usually get in our nearby fields...The rains have to come at just the right time in fall and winter. This past year was too dry....but those seeds are THERE and the very next time conditions are right they WILL pop out all over the place.
These came from a neighbor's yard....I had fun working with lots of paint on these!

Bluebonnet 1_6x6

"Bluebonnet 1" 6 x 6 oil on canvas panel____$100
It's bluebonnet time in Texas! I have a few growing near my house and it's been fun to paint them this weekend...I have another one similar to this that I will post tomorrow....

ONe Minute Kudu

" One Minute Kudu"___from my sketchbook___to make a point
"Painting Fast..." is the first part of the title of my next workshop. June 5 - 7 in beautiful Fredericksburg Texas at the Fredericksburg Artists School. I have some great sessions planned over three days, all geared to help artists paint fast and efficiently..we will start with drawing, and do PRACTICAL THINGS. ANY artist at any level will get a lot out of my "secrets", which I cultivated over a LIFETIME of drawing (Seriously! I will bring drawings that I did when I was SIX! )...This Kudu is not a great drawing, but for one minute the important impression was recorded (accurately)….
There ARE secrets to working fast...."....and what to do with all those Studies!" is the second part of the workshop...more on all that tomorrow!

Granite Mountain

Granite Mountain____3 x 6 or so_____Marla's
My friend, Marla jsut built an amazing studio. She has windows looking out on the ranchland and Granite Mountain. At sunset the shadows creep in from the right until the mountain itself is ablaze...this was my attempt, after a long day:earlymorning flight, gallery visits and a treck from Phoenix to Sedona and back t Prescott....but it was SO PRETTY I HAD to paint!
REMEMBER that....just KEEP PAINTING, even if you are tired, just lasy something down fast, and you might not hate the outcome...I don't hate this one :)
I have a couple of workshops comng up...
April 18 in Rockport Texas. One day
June 5 -7 in Fredericksburg, TX....multiple days with LOTS of painting to do! This one is guaranteed to jump-start your "routine"....
Read some more about my last workshop in February. Nice pics, too, on Cecilia's Blog:
http://cecelia-throughmyeyes.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-pics-from-plein-aire-workshop-in.html

River in the Box_ Study_3x6

"River in the Box_a study___3x6 oil on linen panel____$100 includes shipping
I sat on a rock at the river's edge. This was my second painting, so I grabbed a little panel to just take down some "color notes". This is the Hassayampa River in Arizona, near Wickenburg, where the Cowgirl Up! western Art Show is going on until May 3rd at the Desert Caballeros Museum. Before the day's activities, Monica, my host, took me to the "Box Canyon" along this river to paint.
It was a busy place as the locals like to play in this river. They were all driving their trucks IN the river...some pulling skim boarders behind them. My place on the rock kept the trucks on the far bank, and my painting buddies liked that! ...I would rather have had just the sounds of nature, but the motorized activities looked like something my boys would like to do...the kids were having a blast and not messing things up...and I had no trouble leaving them out of the painting!