After Brownwood

After Brownwood___6x8 oil on linen for Passing America: The Great Plains

Here is a "drive-by" painted for my project. This area of Texas is TECHNICALLY in the Great Plains, along the western edge...I painted it back when the grass was green. These days we are all suffering here, and breaking records for the number of days we have had temperatures over 100...my area is on day 75, I think. We hit 112 the other day, an ALL TIME record.

In a few days I will take 100 paintings to The University of Nebraska's Great Plains Art Museum...I will have more info about it, and will be updating my project blog in time for the October 7 opening! Please come if you can!

The Vast

The Vast__8x10 oil on linen panel for Passing America: The Great Plains

Believe it or not, we left yesterday for Kansas, and are already back to Texas (at 2 pm!) it was a whirlwind trip! We started at Round Rock Donuts, picking up a few dozen of those warm world's best donuts ...a special order from my son. I am proud to say EVERY ONE OF THEM made it to Kansas...not proud to say that I do not think I trained my son very well in the art of SHARING :)
The Kansas Wesleyan Coyote football team had their first inter-squad scrimmage game. There were about 120 men on the sideline, including SIX quarterbacks...my young freshman played about half of the second half, and did really well in a "hurry-up" , "no-huddle" offense, running plays that he had never seen before 10 days ago...The highlight of his night was a 60 yard TD pass (only about 40 of it in the air, the rest of it was from the legs of the receiver)

On Thursday, I will leave for Nebraska, to deliver the works for the exhibit, which opens on October 7.

High Plain Span

High Plain Farm Span___6x8 oil on linen panel for Passing America: The Great Plains
I painted this one last spring...back when it was green...These days my nearby "plainscape" is various shades of brown and gold.
In a few hours I will venture north to Kansas...painting the sunrise and HEAT along the way, I hope!...I have a few more quick trips to gather some last minute drive-bys, before the opening reception of my solo exhibit, Passing America: The Great Plains

Kansas Ridge

Kansas Ridge__6x8 oil on linen panel__for Passing America: The Great Plains__$490 framed/shipped
Another winter painting from my upcoming solo show.
Passing America: The Great Plains consists of about 100 paintings in oil, created mostly while ON THE MOVE through the plains. Small farms are passing away, and my works tell the story of these passing American impressions.
The exhibit opens with an artist reception (that's me!) at the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln on October 7. You can see the works there from Oct. 7 through December 11. Please tell your friends! Especially the "Corn Husker" types...October 7 is the beginning of Homecoming weekend for the U of N! Please let me know if you are coming, so I can look for you!

Plain Cold

Plain Cold___6x8 oil on linen panel for Passing America: The Great Plains
It will be a few months before the plains look like this again....Of course I painted this on a winter drive headed west across the Great Plains. I LOVE ANY drive in this direction, because there is a DEFINITE BOUNDARY of the plain, as it STOPS at the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Often the line is severe an you can see the mountains coming from MANY miles away, like this scene in southern Colorado....My Central Texas is looking forward to another week of record breaking heat: 107 and 108 are predicted for the next few days...can you imagine?...just a few years ago, when I painted my Last Year on the Farm, I waited all summer to paint the farm on a day over 1oo degrees, but we went the whole year never getting to 100! I was disappointed!

McPherson in Kansas

McPherson in Kansas____6x8 oil on linen panel___for Passing America: The Great Plains
I had planned to post this one today, anyway, and a nice coincidence happened!...A collector FROM MCPHERSON, Kansas contacted me to purchase a couple of my recent Kansas paintings. It is not every day that I hear from someone in McPherson, but now I have a new friend there! Not only that, but the college in McPherson is a rival of Kansas Wesleyan University, where my son is playing football!...We are headed up there Saturday for the first scrimmage of the year, and since I heard it is supposed to be 101 (HOT degrees) during the game, I thought I would post a painting that I did when the weather was cooler there!
I am pretty sure that my Texas boy brought the heat with him to Kansas...I sure hope they don't hold this against him!
OK, OK, I know a few of you artists were looking for something about Kevin McPherson, the great artist...I do not mind if that is what made you read this far...he is a hero of mine, too!!!

New Mexican Plain

New Mexican Plain____6x8 oil on linen__-for Passing America: The Great Plains
This one was painted on the way out of the mountains, heading east and into the Great Plains. The farms there are mainly places that grow feed for the herds of cattle...Ranches, really...I enjoy the discussion about the difference between a "farm" and a "ranch" ...weigh in , if you want to ad your two cents!

Colors of Drought

Colors of Drought___6x8 oil on linen panel for Passing AMerica: The Great Plains
Driving through this southern end of the plains where I ive in Texas, is fairly depressing...somewhere in northern Oklahoma, the green appears a little bit, and it is nice and green in Kansas, but our Texas Plains are suffering from the aweful heat and drought...ONE GOOD THING, that only an artist would appreciate, is that there is more "color" with drought...when things are "normal", there is a lot of green this time of year. THe frought gives us many browns, purples, gold and warm colors to complement the blue skies...

Sandia Plain

Sandia Plain___6x8 oil on linen for Passing America: The Great Plains
In my Great Plains studies, I've been amused by the various (and MANY) versions of the boundaries of what we call "The Great Plains". Every "expert" map shows a different line on the eastern boundary, but almost all agree that the Great Plains' western boundary ends where the Rocky Mountains begin.
My favorite drive through the plains might be on I25 where there is a HARD LINE between mountains and plains! ...THe painting here is along that route. Driving along Sandia Peak near Albuquerque, the plains are clearly in view from some of the ridges, as you look of to the east....and when you are out on the plain, one of the most thrilling things is to peel your eyes, hoping for the first glance of the mountains in the distance....

Moonset Elevators in Kansas

Moonset Elevators in Kansas__8x6 oil ___for Passing America:The Great Plains
I just now compared this one with the painting I posted yesterday...Both are "drive-by" paintings, prepared for my upcoming exhibit. Both were painted along the same stretch of highway, about 30 minutes apart. The time difference is evident by the color in the sky! As the sun got higher (at my back), the full moon dissolved into the clear sky...The morning moonset is one of my favorite subjects, and is a focus of my upcoming workshop ...I hope you will come paint with me in November...get some sleep first! We will paint the "extremes" of the daylight :) Email Bill for info: bill@fbgartschool.com

Moonset Morning Over Kansas

Moonset Morning Over Kansas ___8x6 oil on linen panel___for Passing America...exhibit reception in Oct.

I just now returned from Kansas...we took our son to college. This is my last one, and it feels a little bit strange. For the first time in over 27 years, I do not have a child at home, nor am I waiting for one to "check in" with me tonight!....I do not like how this feels at ALL...
We left the boy with his football coaches last night and went back to the hotel. I was up all night, taking my son's dog outside every few hours (she had a stomach issue....probably missing her boy)...so I saw the full moon at all stages of its trek across the sky!
On the way home this morning the full moon was going down as the morning was rising behind us...It's one of my FAVORITE things to paint! I will be teaching THIS in early November! Check your moon calendar and you will see that the full moon is on the 9-11. PLEASE JOIN ME in Fredericksburg, TX, and we will focus on this and Nocturne painting! It is a BLAST to paint the extreme ends of the day. e-mail Bill for info bush@fbgartschool.com

View to the Bottom

View to the Bottom___16 x 20 oil on linen for Passing America: The Great Plains
At the farm, we called the area where the water drained to, "the bottom"... It was always greener there, of course and the light seemed brighter and warmer in that direction, so I painted it often.
I used a photo and lots of great memories to paint this work. At 16 x 20, it is a larger one than most of the paintings for my upcoming solo show in Nebraska...as you read this, we are on our way to Kansas, to move my son into the dorms for college....GO GET'EM, SAM!!!

Plains Moon

Plains Full Moon___6x8 oil on linen___for Passing America: The Great Plains
Today I "cleaned up" this little drive-by painting from a couple years ago. Click here to compare the old version with this one. http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2010/01/blue-moondrive-by.html
When I noticed tonight's moon, I noted how the colors of the landscape from in winter painting are very similar to the summer version I saw tonight. Our draught is so bad, the landscape has the dry color of winter...
Tonight is the last night for my youngest son to sleep at home...tomorrow we take him away to college...I feel a little sad, but am so proud of him and excited FOR him...I remember how wonderful it was to be out on my own for the first time! God Bless You, Samuel!!!

Snowpaths

Snowpaths___8x10 oil on linen panel___for Passing America: The Great Plains, exhibit opens in October
The record-breaking heat in Texas has me remembering the good cold days many months ago!. This little drive-by was in the Texas High Plains on a bright, clear winter day.
My "location" work on this one was a quick oil sketch as we drove by. I finished it farther down the road, and only recently made a "painting" out of it...all from memory, letting the first IMPRESSION on canvas speak to me to complete it....
Guess what, y'all....I will be teaching a LOT real soon!...get ready!

My Schedule-----------------
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!

Plain Flurries

Plain Flurries__6x8 oil on linen panel for Passing America: The Great Plains
As I wrap up the details for my upcoming exhibit, I cleaned up this little "drive-by" painting, today...I painted it last year as we came out of the northern New Mexico mountains and had our first view of the plains. Just then, the clouds opened up and let down some light flurries of snow...
By the way, all the plains paintings are for sale, but I will not be able to deliver them until after the event is over (late December)...That gives you time to pay off a lay-away purchase if you want to take your time paying it off....a number of collectors are doing JUST THAT, right now...just e-mail me if you see one you like ! vvaughan8@yahoo.com
My workshop and show/event schedule is below....
My Schedule-----------------
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!

Edge of the Plain__8x10 oil on linen panel___Passing America: The Great Plains___$550 framed
I am pretty sure I posted this one, too...early on in my project about "Passing America...."
But over the weekend, I began to "finish" the works for the exhibit...I did some adjusting of contrasts to make this a better painting, and not just a "study"....One thing I left "as is": the bead of paint on the flat horizon line...it magnifies the effect there in northern New Mexico where the plains SUDDENLY span away from the foothills. Most people would say this is boring scenery, butI think it is a big thrill to see the great plain distance for as far as the eye can see....





My Schedule-----------------
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!

Plains to There

Plains to There___6x8 oil on linen panel___for Passing America: the Great Plains
For the next few weeks, I am gathering together all of my "drive-by" paintings of farms across the plains. Here is one I painted RIGHT at the beginning of my project. I seem to have a number of paintings created along the edge of the plains (where the edge is OBVIOUS: next to the Rocky Mountains). I am intrigued by the CONTRAST: one side is flat as far as the eye can see, and the sky almost matches the land...featureless, while directly opposite are the mountains with great towering clouds and the upslope which catches light and shadows....this one is at the southern edge, near Santa Fe. The summer sky builds like this every day, watering the mountains, and leaving the farms mostly dry...But the water is there! Available to the farmers for irrigation.
So I am rounding up the small works, to varnish them, tweak the rough ones, clean up the edges and put them in frames. The rest of my frame shipment comes in this week.

My Schedule...
August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!

Step Ladder Sky

Step Ladder Sky___8 x 10 oil on linen panel___for Passing America: The Great Plains
I was going to post this one today, anyway...a drive-by painting in the plains of northern New Mexico. But, this is the first time I have given a title like this...the title goes with that step ladder of cirrus cloudy sky, but it also goes with a LANDMARK EVENT in my life.
For 27 years, I have been a FULL-TIME MOTHER (doing a little art on the side)...This week, my youngest (a 6'4"+ football athlete) goes away to college and the "new normal" begins!...
So, the FIRST THING I noticed about this "new normal", is that since all my TALL KIDS are gone, I do not have easy access to the top shelves, anymore....yesterday, I had to go to Lowes and buy a step ladder....

August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!

Breaking the Plain

Breaking the Plain__8x10 oil on linen panel__for Passing America: The Great Plains

This is a "drive-by" painting, created on the way home from Colorado's cool summer a few days ago. We left before daybreak so that we would be hitting the western edge of the Great Plains at daybreak. PERFECT!
Just east of Santa Fe, the plains open up, and here is where I started my farm observations this time. I like to imagine what is going on at the farms where the little lights are.
My exhibit will be delivered to The University of Nebraska's Great Plains Art Museum next month for the opening of the show on October 7. Y'ALL COME!! Between now nd then, I am finishing up the paintings, and FINALLY posting the studies on the project blog. Click to see the project overview....


August___Painting the Plains...I will be ALL OVER The place, finishing my project which opens on Oct. 7...
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
Summer 2012 Workshop...early August, 2012! TBA!