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

First Sunset

First Sunset___6x6 oil on linen panel___benefits the Gadsden Museum of Art__$100
I am in Gadsden, Alabama for a few days of plein air painting at the Southeastern Plein Air festival. It was fun to catch up with old friends here tonight, and especially fun to MEET artists that I know from blogging, but whom I have never met in person. One friend, Kevin, took me up the hill to see this sunset! Gadsden is gorgeous!
The other artists have been painting for a few days already. Tomorrow we will paint on the Coosa River....I will be posting each day, so if you buy anything, a big percentage of the sales price will benefit the Museum here....so let me know if you see something you like!!

_______________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

The Backfield

The Backfield___10 x 30 oil on linen___available soon


I am in the middle of a blitz of western and wildlife works for my galleries...summer is SOON so I want to equip them with some good new works, plus I have a couple of shows I will bring new works to!


Of course there will be plenty of longhorns and horses, but if you have ides, let me know!


THIS WEEK, though...I am headed to Gadsden, Alabama for the Southeastern Plein Air Festival...can't wait to see friends there that I have not seen in about 3-4 years!
See y'all on the Coosa!

_______________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

Dusky Blues

Dusky Blues__6x8 oil on linen___$250
Tuesday I told about a thing I do (and TEACH) about location painting: capturing QUICKLY the first thing that will change...see the post and "lesson"...

This study had a fading sky with dramatic color that was going away fast. so, I

started here...then I grabbed the contrast before it mellowed into an "average".

Plein air painting has a certain STRATEGY. My strategy helps artists to SEE and capture things

FAST! I plan my workshops around interesting sky (and astronomical) features, always hoping that the sky cooperates! It usually does!...check out my upcoming workshops and join us

"out there"!

_____________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

Double Yucca

Double Yucca___6x8 oil study on linen___$250
I have been painting springtime in the Hill Country, going out with friends
into the fields and creek beds of Central Texas. I grew up on Walnut Creek,
which winds through East Austin. We LIVED there on those limestone banks, and
I have many stories of getting stabbed by these yucca plants, stepping on
mesquite thorns, and even sitting on prickly pear....I dreaded these sharp encounters
but I always thought these are the prettiest plants around!....Come paint with me
at a workshop this summer!

_____________________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

Up a Creek

Up the Creek___6x8 oil study on linen___$250
Yesterday's post was looking down the creek before the fog lifted. This one is
"up the creek" just after the fog lifted.The fog cloud burned off quickly,
leaving blue skies for the rest of the day.
Blue skies are sort of boring, so I am glad I put these in FIRST.One thing I stress
when I teach is that a painter needs to FIRST paint the thing that will change the quickest.
It might be the color of a sunrise, or livestock moving by or fog, like this day. I teach painters
how to anticipate these changes....It delves into science at times, as I am
fascinated about "why"....I have some great workshops in great locations coming up!
Please sign up and come paint with me!!

_____________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

Blue as Fog

Blue as Fog___6x8 oil on linen__$190

Saturday we greeted the sunrise along a Hill Country creek near Marble Falls. I had hoped for sunrise color but this fog was a nice change. I had not painted "en plein fog" in awhile and it was fun this time, because we had some long views in a tight canyon.

If you take a workshop from me, be ready for some EARLY mornings. It is my favorite time to paint, because there are ALWAYS surprises!...our surprise this time was that Kay and Carol brought a tent to set up so that they could stay out of the sun and paint all day. While they set it up, I went traipsing around our perimeter, looking for things of interest. It is always good to do a "walk through"before painting. When I was a soccer coach, I always scoped out our field, from end to end and all the way around, noting things like where the sun was, and which way it was tracking....which way the wind was blowing, and if the field had any bumps or holes or even glass or rocks on it!....as a painter, I look for dangerous things like wasp nests, fire ant mounds and snakes...and if we have cell service or can get out quickly if "bad guys" show up. It all looked great till I noticed a sign on a tree right by our cars! "POSTED, no tresspassing"...Kay's tent was already staked in, so we got our stories synchronized and stayed put....ready to ask permission if someone busted us!....just to be safe, though, I left early! So, I hope they ended up OK! hahaha

_____________________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule______________________

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

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

...see my schedule for more dates and events

Long on Blue

Long On Blue____6x8 oil on linen____$190___SOLD
For the past 4 days I have been tromping through the Texas Hill Country, getting my fill of SPRINGTIME in TEXAS. It is a spectacular show of wildflowers this year, so for the next week or so, I will post a bunch of little ones from my adventures. If you see one you like, contact me early, because I will send them to galleries asap....ALSO, I am painting big versions from these studies!...
Please bear with me for the next few days as ATT tries to figure out why my internet is down. I will be camping out at Starbucks catching up on mail as often as I can!
I am formalizing details of upcoming workshops, so let me know if you want info on the painting opportunities ahead...including a "holiday" in New Zealand, where we will tromp around with the "LOCALS" and get a PERSONAL look at that beautiful place! see schedule below...

_____________________V....Vaughan Spring Schedule______________________

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

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

...see my schedule for more dates and events