"Shadows on Dee's Hilltop"___6 x 8 oil study on canvas panel___$100

Today was my last workshop of the year...My last real event for 2009, and it ended with a bang! We had a FULL workshop who met at the home of the organizer, D. ...the morning demo was from her hilltop, looking across the way to a beautiful ridge of Texas Hill Country....the group has decided to meet there for the full moon on Monday night, and I can't wait!

For you football fans, my young son finally saw action for nearly three quarters of the game last night. I told him that if they let him run the ball he needs to run it to OUR sideline so that I can get good film...what a nice kid...he did it just for me! ...and he threw well, too...and the team played well so the Dragons won...

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...

Seventy Years Ago_cows, angus, farm, landscape

"Seventy Years Ago"___3.5 x 16 oil on linen panel___click to enlarge___$250
I imagine that seventy years ago this farmscape probably looked just about the same. I painted it today from a photo, using a long piece of linen panel I have....It was a pensive moment as I painted this, now looking back on my relationship with a wonderful lady who passed into eternity, yesterday. Her picture is below, taken 70 years ago!!
Helen Vaughan was my husband's Grandmother, my children's GREAT-Grandmother. I counted her as my Grandmother, too, since I lost all mine while I was young. She was from that Great American generation which loved freedom and worked hard for everything they had. She rode and trained Arabian horses til she was past 80! She was the youngest at heart as anyone could be...never getting TOO set in her ways. But her GREATEST ability was that she was able to make YOU the center of attention. She had a way of engaging in conversation that never pointed to herself, and she did this by asking questions. Questions that could NOT be answered by merely a "yes" or "no": "What is your favorite thing to think about?" "What did you enjoy playing when you were little?" "Tell me about your best friend when you were ten"...A few days ago she asked me "what month is this"? I said "It's October..."and had to bite my tongue, because I ALMOST reminded her that in a few days it would be the day that her beloved Eddie, our Pappy died, in 2001....She was a Texas woman through and through, but "all-girl" as she loved dolls, and shoes and accessorizing! ...we all laughed at the contents of her suitcase, which she took to the hospital a few weeks ago: about 300 packets of sweet-n-low and 7 pairs of shoes! I do not remember seeing anything else in that suitcase....Grandmother seemed to wait till she had seen everyone yesterday, and just as the last few family members left for a bite of dinner, she left us....October 28, 2009, exactly one month past her 97th birthday, and EXACTLY, to the day, 8 years after Pappy died...same day...
She loved Jesus, and now is alive like Him, forever....THANK YOU, Lord for Grandmother Helen.
Helen Vaughan (left) and Dorothy Miller, her life-long best friend ...Dorothy just died this week, too....The photo was taken in 1939. Seventy years ago.

Bovine Winner_cows, angus, farm

Looking Forward_ 20 x 30 oil on linen__available!
This past weekend was the first annual show for the American Society of Bovine Artists...yes, Bovine. And yes, I am a (new) proud member! I am also proud to be the first winner of the first show. The painting above is a studio version of my field study from "Last Year on the Farm", my series of 365 paintings of my last year....all 365 paintings are on my web site, if you have not seen them, yet, please go look!
This art is also the image I chose for the cover of my book about it. The book title is "Last Year onthe Farm: A Story of Change. You can see the first 10 pages of the book here http://www.blurb.com/books/196927
...Today is a sad day. My husband's beloved grandmother, Helen Vaughan, who we call "Grandmother", was placed in Hospice care. She may not live long. I will like to tell about her beautiful life...she just turned 97...was born the year that the Titanic sank....wow. She lives very close to me, so I am going to spend the night there tonight and may not be in touch much for a while...please enjoy my links.

Last Full Moon_farm, moon, moonrise, harvest

"Last Full Moon, Last Year on the Farm 10-26-2007"_____________sold
It seems longer ago than just two years when I painted for the last time on our farm...oh, I went back for a "last day", but this was the day before I left and locked the door behind me....my kids later went back and broke into the house with a photographer friend and took pictures which they gave me for Mother's Day...that's another story...especially when they got caught.
I remember this painting so well, because by this time all the furniture was gone and no one was there but me. The night was quiet and I could HEAR every brushstroke.It was a hard, hard time, and I get a lump in my throat just typing this. Please 'feel sorry for me, though. I am one who NEEDS the reflective moments and the sad moments in order to REALLY feel blessed. Hard to explain, but I must confront the hard times head on, and understand them fully before I can accept them. Because of this I was the last one to leave the farm. Sometimes I admire folks who can turn a page quickly and get on with life...speaking of turning pages, I have a link below to my little book "Last Year on the Farm: A Story of Change". Click on the book cover and it turns pages so you can see the first 10 pages or so. You can order the book from this link, too.





http://www.blurb.com/books/196927

Taste of Red_16 x 20_Red poppy, flower

"Taste of Red"__16 x 20 oil on linen__available from me...without the bee

What a great and busy weekend!

Saturday my husband and I got up at 3 am to drive to Waxahachie, TX for the Texas Country Reporter Festival. We had a football game (youngest son) Friday night, so had to leave Saturday... Got there at sunrise and set up on the courthouse square. Thousands of people were there and a bee, who couldn't take his eyes off my poppy painting. He roamed all over both flowers for several hours, coming and going, and finally resting atop the smaller bloom...see him at the top left? So I shot him...with the camera, of course.

Then, today I painted at the first annual American Bovine Art juried show in Gruene, TX. I brought this painting with me and decided to varnish it while it hung in the courtyard. It caught the eye of a beautiful butterfly and I had to stand guard until the varnish dried, shooing the little fellow away so he wouldn't land and get stuck....all in all, I am happy to have the endorsement of bees and butterflies!

Oh, and my painting for the Bovine show won first place... Thanks to Kay at Cactus Jack's for hosting a great show!!!

Across the Way_school bus, country road, farm

"Across the Way"___5 x 7 oil on canvas___$150 if you want it first... add $50 for the great frame I have on it

Well, I just put this one and yesterday's bus into a couple of matching 5 x 7 frames I didn't know I had. Nice black frames with a gold liner...matches the bus! To put this one side by side with yesterday's bus, you can trace the path they took as they skirted our farm each morning and afternoon.

I heard bus musings from SO MANY PEOPLE after yesterday's post! Poor H. tripped getting on once and STILL remembers it!...J. had her shoelaces tied to the seat and fell on her face, too, at the hand of a class bully. R. decided to walk the two miles to school after FIVE years of riding with all the riff-raff...I forgot to ask her if it was barefoot, in the snow, up hill both ways....

Speaking of school, some of you have asked...my son's school was hit so hard by that swine flu. Most of the football team missed at LEAST a game or two, and it killed our chances at the playoffs. SO...they moved my son to varsity for good and are grooming him to be next year's QB...Friday Night Lights for us from now on!

So I framed these busses...wet...and am putting them in my art show, tomorrow. Come see me if you are in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area of Texas! This is my last art show of the year...I think...

Or JOIN ME at one of these events this month:

TOMORROW! Saturday, Oct. 24 in Waxahachie, TX at the Texas Country Reporter Festival ...then ,Oct 25, I will be in Gruene, at the first annual Bovine Art Festival, painting on location at Cactus Jacks.Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.comMark your long range calendar to take a break from the winter cold!Come to my FEB 5 - 7 , Workshop in Texas at Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...painting fast is the theme....how to see and put it down and trust yourself capturing the moment!

Topping the Hill_school bus, country, telephone pole

Topping the Hill___5 x 7 oil on canvas panel____$150 if you want it first
Fall is back to school time...I never took the bus, and neither did my children....except for field trips and travel to footbal games with the team...I do not really like them, except that I like the way they look. They are always the BRIGHT focal point whenever they are in view...And busses riding over country roads are especially bright and cheery, somehow.

JOIN ME at one of these events in October:
THIS Saturday, Oct. 24 in Waxahachie, TX at the Texas Country Reporter Festival ...then ,
Oct 25, I will be in Gruene, at the first annual Bovine Art Festival, painting on location at Cactus Jacks.
Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com
Mark your long range calendar to take a break from the winter cold!
Come to my FEB 5 - 7 , Workshop in Texas at Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...painting fast is the theme....how to see and put it down and trust yourself capturing the moment!

Little Drive_cows, Cowboy, horse, cattle drive

"Little Drive"__4 x 8 oil on linen___$120

That's it! Just four calves. They needed to be moved from one pasture to another, so here was Bobby, moving them on horseback. I painted this from a photo of our farm. I miss the constant activity there...and the open spaces....and the change of seasons. I have noticed that in a neighborhood, the cycles of life and seasons and even weather are not very apparent...I am eager to be back on the land some day....looking!

JOIN ME at one of these events in October:

THIS Saturday, Oct. 24 in Waxahachie, TX at the Texas Country Reporter Festival ...then ,

Oct 25, I will be in Gruene, at the first annual Bovine Art Festival, painting on location at Cactus Jacks.

Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Mark your long range calendar to take a break from the winter cold!

Come to my FEB 5 - 7 , Workshop in Texas at Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...painting fast is the theme....how to see and put it down and trust yourself capturing the moment!

Phone Call_sketch, girl on phone, woman

"Phone Call"__from my sketchbook
It all starts with sketching. Want to be a good painter? Start sketching! Want to sculpt? Begin by sketching! Put away the camera for a few minutes and pick up a pencil or a brush. (I know some of my pals are rolling their eyes at me, because I ALWAYS have a camera or two (three if you count the phone) in my purse. I am a happy snapper, BUT, I am a voracious sketcher, too. Doing a sketch is EXPERIENCING the subject...your eye has to fall on each part, you MUST make judgments about every detail compared to every OTHER detail, and you become FAMILIAR...whereas SHOOTING it is a fleeting moment and your eye approaches the subject as a WHOLE. Heck, I rarely focus my eyes when shooting, preferring to see the whole composition....sketching frequently will make you a better artist....more on the subject tomorrow...
JOIN ME at one of these events in October:
THIS Saturday, Oct. 24 in Waxahachie, TX at the Texas Country Reporter Festival ...then ,
Oct 25, I will be in Gruene, at the first annual Bovine Art Festival, painting on location at Cactus Jacks.
Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.comMark your long range calendar to take a break from the winter cold!
Come to my FEB 5 - 7 , Workshop in Texas at Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...
painting fast

Daybreak in Calvert_farm, cow, fenceline, shadows, green

Daybreak in Calvert_6x8 oil study on linen_____$150
Whenever I teach a plein air workshop I always schedule a sunrise demo...this painting gets everyone out of bed, and loosens me up for the day! The Backroads around Calvert, TX are full of small farms and familiar looking scenes...I love it! The sun rose behind us. Since the sky was crisp and clear, I knew the light would hit FAST and chose to look WEST for sunrise. The long shadows drew slowly toward us, till the foreground finally got lit up. My painting shows the foreground still in shadow, with sunlight hitting just the tops of the trees and the cow. While I painted, the class sat in lawn chairs and enjoyed the break of day! ...a new experience for a couple of them, I think!
As I prepare for my upcoming exhibit "Passing America..." I will be staying home more, working in my studio, and taking care of my partner/galleries. I have a few shows I will keep doing, but I am trying hard to NOT look for new opportunities....It turns out that my October is fairly full, so if you want to get out to see me, this month is your chance!
Sat. Oct 24 - Texas Country Reporter Show, Waxahachie, TX (by Dallas) 9am - 5 pm
Sun. Oct 25 - Bovine Art Show, Gruene, TX at Cactus Jack's
Sat. Oct 31 - Workshop, near Austin, TX...I think it's full, but call me if you are nearby and want to come vvaughan8@yahoo.com
Feb 5 - 7, 2010 Workshop at Fredericksburg Artists School. 3 days of sunrises, moonrises and plein air!

Victorian Tea_house, lawn, tea,Victorian

Victorian Tea - Calvert, TX___20 x 16 oil on linen___SOLD at auction
Yesterday I attended a Victorian Tea in Calvert, TX, and painted the festivities for a couple of hours! This is an annual event, and I was asked, along with Robin Cheers to paint the events of the weekend. Robin did the evening shift at the gala...I worked at this afternoon tea. The day was PERFECT, the people were BEAUTIFUL, and the setting was inspiring!...My thanks to the Hensarlings, who bought this one at auction, and introduced me to Zack and Rompy, the young man and his dog on the upstairs porch!
JOIN ME at one of these events in October:
Saturday, Oct. 24 in Waxahachie, TX at the Texas Country Reporter Festival
...then Sunday, Oct 25, I will be in Gruene, at the first annual Bovine Art Festival, painting on location at Cactus Jacks.
Oct. 31 All Day Workshop with Austin's PACT. Limit 20 students email me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com
Mark your long range calendar to take a break from the winter cold! Come to my FEB 5 - 7 , Workshop in Texas at Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...painting fast

Farm_Two Years Ago_cows, white face, angus

"Farm_Two Years Ago" __Oct 16, 2006____From Last Year on the Farm___available
I actually painted this three years ago, but it was two years ago this month that we left the farm. Several people new to my blog have asked me about the story...please browse my web site and see all the art and read some of the articles there...it's still precious to my heart.
Tomorrow I am spending the day in Calvert, TX (over by College Station.) I will be painting at the Calvert
Victorian Tea, and my friend Robin Cheers will be painting at the evening Gala. Robin and I will be staying with Barbara and Cecilia...native Calvertonians, and I have made a cherry pie for our meal together!
I am teaching a short workshop in the morning...sunrise and Kolaches are beautiful in Calvert! Then I will head over to paint the ladies at the tea. (I am betting on ladies, since it's a big college football day tomorrow!) We anticipate a beautiful scene, with people in Victorian dress. The events will be in a couple of the restored Victorian mansions of Calvert. Robin is great at this sort of thing...I might bail and paint a landscape with cows.... Victorian Cows, of course!! :)

Passing America: Windy Plow_John Deere Tractor, plains, farm,

"Passing America: Windy Plow"__6 x 8 Drive-by painting for Passing America:the Great Plains

On the way home from the mountains last week, I planned for us to frive through the southern Great Plains, so I could officially begin my next museum exhibit, "Passing America: The Great Plains". We pulled off the road on a lonely stretch. I forgot why (Nancy and Barbara, please comment below and remind me wy we pulled over!)...It was fiercely windy and a little bit cold. I turned around to look over the land, and saw this cloud of dirt in the distance. When we finally drove off, I made sure we drove by slowly so that I could sketch John Deere coming at us. Here is my small canvas sketch. I wanted it to look windy.

Passing America: The Great Plains is an exhibit which will continue my work of "Last Year on the Farm". As I gave gallery talks about my farm works, I met many hundreds of people who have similar stories of families having to leave the farm way of life...for various reasons. I realized tht there was more to say about this "passing" way of life. Small farms are disappearing, and it's most obvious in the Great Plains. So, for the next two years, I will travel the plains to document what I see and study. To underscore the theme, I will be creating the paintings WHILE ON THE MOVE, "PASSING" by...I call these my "drive-by" paintings. (I am in the process of trademarking that phrase.)

I have been laying the groundwork for the exhibit for a year, now, and am finally mapping out my travels.

A new blog will communicate the progress....please let me know if you want to follow that. It will be "live" soon. I am working on putting it up NOW!...There's a lot more to say about my "drive by" paintings....soon!

Join me at a workshop or event, soon, if you can :) See yesterday's blog for dates.

Passing the Edge_daybreak, subnrise, mesa, New Mexico, Southwest, plains

"Passing the Edge"___8x10 oil___a drive-by painting, Passing America: the Great Plains
Driving east from the southern Rockies there is a definite "LINE " where one can actually SEE the Great Plains . Just south of Las Vegas, New Mexico on US 84 this view stood out before us at sunrise. Click to zoom in, and you can see the line of the plain, which I emphasized by a bead of paint made by pressing down on a loaded brush...hard to explain, but I can "show it" at a workshop...if you can come!...my schedule is below...
This painting begins a new project I will talk a lot about in the coming days.
It is called "Passing America: The Great Plains".
OCTOBER SCHEDULE_________________________
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 DAYSunday
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
FEB 5 - 7 , Fredericksburg Artists School...sunrise to moonrise...painting fast

Moonlit Cabin_sketch, mountains, night,

Moonlit Cabin__from my Colorado Sketchbook
I sketched this last week in Colorado. Our neighbors were gone for the winter, so there was no light at their cabin, except moonlight reflecting off their roof.
You can't see your palette at night. It takes LIGHT to see color....color is in the light! And if you take a little light with you outside, it's almost as difficult to see the colors on your palette, because the lights themselves are all incomplete as far as the spectrum goes. ( I go into this in depth at my longer workshops...I even touch on this at the one-day workshops)...SO...to work outside at night I usually start with a value study...and a lot of memory. This takes practice, but it's a worthwhile exercise... Here is the rest of my workshop schedule for 2009...
OCTOBER SCHEDULE_________________________
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 DAYSunday
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

Nestled in Gold__moonrise, mesa, night lights, New Mexico, Colorado

"Nestled in Gold" 11 x 14 oil on linen___available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM
This is MY FAVORITE painting from last week in the mountains. Our place is so closed in to a canyon, that it takes the moon a couple of hours to rise above the mountain tops. So, since I knew there's be a full moon, I dragged my buddies out for a little drive. As soon as we rounded a bend away from the low mesas at the mouth of our canyon, THIS SCENE presented itself... We quickly found a place to pull off and I got my gear out in a hurry. I hate wrangling a lot of equipment, and never even took out my easel for this one. I just held the canvas in my hand and threw my palette on the ground and hunkered behind a tire to block the wind...I got all the major colors and shapes down in a hurry and painted till I couldn't tell white from yellow (that's how I know it's too dark to paint :) If you can come to a workshop, I will show you how!
(click the image to see it bigger)
OCTOBER SCHEDULE_________________________
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 DAYSunday
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

Drawing the Gate_sketch, cowboy, horse, ranch

"Drawing the Gate""Drawing the Gate" "Drawing the Gate"___from my travel sketchbook...driving by the Birdwell Ranch in New Mexico
STOP THE CAR!!!!
Yeah, I guess I might say that from time to time as I travel as a passenger across the plains...God bless my friend Barbara who was driving this leg, and who was so agreeable to "obey" hahaha.
This was a precious scene we came upon, as the mounted cowboy turned his horse, grabbed the gate and drew it shut. Then he loaded his horse in a trailer and drove off. Behind them was a small group of hereford cattle that we guessed were either dropped off or rounded up.
This scene reminded me of the frequent "wranglings" at our farm, where some of our family members were cowboys and rodeo riders and did the practical cowboying of moving cattle from pasture to pasture....I miss those days!

Moonlight Wash_11 x 14_ Colorado, mountain, moonlight, fall

"Moonlight Wash"___11 x 14 oil on linen...available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM
After painting yesterday's moonlight scene, I went inside (it was COLD in the mountains!) and observed this scene out the window... By now, the moon was high, and full and there was a LOT Of light washing over the mountain. I could even see the cloud shadows moving across....I took mental notes (and a few scribbled ones on paper) and painted this the next day.
It's hard to photograph dark oil paintings...there tends to be a sheen on the surface where the sky ought to be dark....sorry about that! I will be teaching a NIGHT SKY workshop...and other topics, in beautiful Fredericksburg, TX, early next year...Feb 5 -7, 2010....it's a great time of year to get out of the "cold" if you live up north! Our February weather can be cold, too, but sometimes the flowers are already blooming....
Let me know if you want info! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Mountain Lights_11 x 14_moonlight, mountain, Colorado

"Mountain Lights"__11 x 14 oil on linen panel___available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM

We had a full moon while we were in Colorado a few days ago....the moon was up when I painted this, but it was behind the clouds. There was plenty of light to paint by on our porch, so I stayed there a while and studied the clouds and the movement of shadows onthe mountain. I titled this not just for the moonlight, but also for our neighbor's porch lights (at lower left) and the beautiful pinpoints of starlight, too.

I did three moonlight painting, so I will post them for the next few days. I would LOVE to know which one you like best!

I am teaching my techniques for painting at night...please check my workshop schedule if you want to come try it!

OCTOBER SCHEDULE_________________________

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

Hint of Gold_6x8_fall, mountains, canyon

"Hint of Gold"___6 x 8 oil on linen panel__available at Act I Gallery in Taos, NM
They say Texas weather is unpredictable, but I think the mountains might top even Texas weather for that category. My buddies and I were at this location for just a few days and we had great fall color the first few days, then the winds came, and then rain and then one day it sleeted all day...Here was a moment of early morning sunshine...These aspen trees had most of their leaves blown off before we left. I am glad I painted them when I did....a special feature of this trip was a FULL MOUNTAIN MOON! Stay tuned and I will post those over the weekend!
I have some one day workshops coming up, if you want to have fun painting.
Next Saturday morning I will be in Calvert, TX for a short half say workshop. Believe it or not, we will cover a lot! Starting with a sunrise demo / paintour....please let me know if you are interested!
V.... vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Change in the Air_mountain, river, fall, winter trees

Fall in the Air__6 X 8 oil on linen panel__Available from Act I Gallery, Taos, NM
This was the first little study I did in the canyon last week. I "settled" for this version, as the clouds traded places with sunight off and on all morning. In this moment, the end of the canyon began to be filled with rain....before the day was over we had seen sun, rain, sleet and wind. By the time we left a few days later, the leaves on the cottonwoods were gone. PLEASE check in this week to see the rest of my paintings of fall in the mountains.

Nestled in Taos__12 x 16, adobe, church, southwestern

" Nestled in Taos"__12 x 16 oil on linen panel__available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM
click image to see details
HELLO AGAIN! I have been in the mountains with no email or phone....painting the change of seasons in the Rocky Mountains. PLEASE stay tuned for a few sweet little paintings from this COLORFUL trip!
It started last Saturday, as I spent the day in Taos, doing business with my gallery there, ct I. I stayed on and painted this on a PERFECT DAY to paint outside! This little church is across the street from Act I, so I was able to send people inside to see finished works (just in case I flubbed the demo)...
After the demo we drove north into Colorado, to stay at my in-laws summer home along the Conejos River. Fall was in full force, so getting three artists to go 70 miles was quite a task....stopping every few minutes or so to snap pictures tends to slow you down...we'd still be out there if it weren't for dead cameras (sorry B.) and more dead batteries than you can imagine, (right N.?)....Tomorrow I will post the first one from Colorado.

Fall Textures_fall color, sage, pines, cottonwood, miniature

Fall Textures__3 x 10 oil study on canvas____$100

Tomorrow I will be on the road, again...as Willie would say....off to Taos with a couple of painters and we plan to paint the town! The venture will take us into southern Colorado. We are hoping the leaves and color is still there. It might be hard to post there, so enjoy your "time off" from me!
THANKS for all the home remedies! :) Vitamin C, Zicam, Chicken Soup and lots of water saw me through the worst of it...which never was too bad. I finally took my son in to the doctor today. He has a sinus infection after the weekend flu...yes, we had the swine flu! yikes! It was not bad at all, thankfully...hopefully we will not get the other flu after this...
off to bed!...below is my busy October schedule!
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