14_Little Dove

Little Dove__8x8 watercolor sketch for BIRDSEED PROJECT

 

I posted this just before I "formalized" my little project to provide bird seed to my mom's nursing home. So I have made this the 14th bird posting (officially) with the promise to only post NEW WORKS from now on!

Over the next few weeks I will focus on "wildlife" and "farms" due to upcoming show works I need to produce, but there will still be a scattering of little bird paintings! Read about the project HERE and tell your bird loving friends! If you do a search on my blog you can see all of them at once. Search "birdseed" ...

I know holidays can be tough for many, as we remember days and years and "by gones"...Tomorrow starts a NEW DAY, a NEW YEAR, that I hope will bring encouragement to all of you, my friends. May this little dove remain a symbol of peace...

God Bless you, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!



#13 - Little Blue Dove

Little Blue Dove_#13 for Birdseed Project__8x8 watercolor pencil__$250 includes shipping 

The Birdseed Project ... "A Wing and a Prayer"

 

For several years I have been feeding the birds at my mom's nursing home. She and my dad always fed birds at home, so I have tried to keep the tradition. Her room and "family room" windows have a view of a small yard which can be enjoyed by residents and guests, so I have put out bird feeders, and a bird bath.

Recently, other residents have told me that they love the birds! They ask me to sprinkle seed here and there so they can see the birds better. 

To afford more seed for the hungry birds and these precious older people, I decided to do a short-term project. I have photographed birds all over America, and now I am painting some small bird studies.10-20% of the sales price is "seed money". I hope these small art works will fund the filling of the feeders a little bit at a time.

If it catches on, perhaps I can link with a bona fide charity, and donations can be made, but for now, I will post an occasional bird painting that I hope you will like. Tell your bird-loving friends!...if you would like more info or price and cost numbers, please e-mail me

To see all the paintings, click on my blog, and type in a search for "bird seed".

http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com

Boat_Gone By

By Gone__8x10 oil on linen panel__$350 unframed

Several weeks ago I took a quickie trip to Rockport, TX with a friend, Terri Wells, who is a great watercolorist...We spent a few hours at my favorite boatyard on Cove Harbor, and I did this little oil sketch...8x10.

This boat is a little break from my Bird Seed Project, as I gather the latest works and photograph them to post. But, there ARE birds in this painting! ...The nursing home has a good "stash"  of seed for now, but I have many more little bird studies to post! Keep a look-out and tell your bird loving friends about my project!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#12 Scissor Tail

Scissor Tail Flycatcher__8x8 watercolor pencil sketch__$250 includes shipping

# 12 for the Bird Seed Project

Early summer brings these scissor tails to my part of Texas....I have many memories of seeing them at the horse stables when I was a little girl, and they loved the telephone wires at our farm. Last summer I kept my camera nearby ON PURPOSE to try to get good pictures of this bird SPECIFICALLY...It was then that I found out that they are hard to shoot, because they are very wary and fly away!. Tonight I was browsing some bird photography sites, and noticed that the other photographers had pictures similar to mine: far away and sitting on a wire....

Merry CHRISTmas!

****

Ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime!

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#11 - Ibis Drip

Ibis Drip__8x8 watercolor sketch__$250  includes shipping
# 11 for my bird seed project

On a recent trip to the coast there were plenty of these pretty white ibis..."ibises"? In flight, you can see their black-tipped wings. They are not as shy as the scarlet ibises, and I wonder why?...Part of this purchase will benefit some sweet elderly citizens at the nursing home where my mom lives....they LOVE to watch the birds, and the birds LOVE to over-eat! ...a 20 pound bag is $8, and fills the feeders twice, lasting just about 3 days. We spread out the feedings so the bag lasts about a week... :)
With cold weather coming tonight, I will step up the feeding a little bit...my CHRISTmas present to the birds!
Merry!!!
 

****

 

Ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime!

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

10 - Blue Jay Song and Dance

Blue Jay Song and Dance__8x8 watercolor sketch__$250

#10 to benefit the Bird Seed Project

at least 10% of the price buys seed for the elderly...

 

Blue Jays must have a wide range because they are all over my area of central Texas. And, my artist friend, Kelly Dodge has befriended many of them at her place in CANADA!

(click to see Kelly's blue jay in flight...wait for it to scroll by).

I have sold a number of these little bird posts, and now have a little "nest egg" to supply birdseed to the nursing home where my mom lives. The residents just LOVE watching the birds at the feeders outside. If the "nest egg" gets big enough, I will put a few more feeders out for Christmas!

 

****

 

Ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime!

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#9_Whooping Crane Liftoff

Whooping Crane Liftoff__6 x 8 oil on linen panel__$190 includes shipping

Birdseed Project #9

 

Here is a rare whooping crane from the eastern flock that spends a little winter time on the Donnelley Wildlife Refufge near CHarleston, South Carolina....I photographed them there last winter, and hope to do it again in February...Please tell your birding friends about my little project...I will post more birds over the next month or so...

 

_______________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

8__Gigi's Girl

Gigi's Girl__8x6 oil __$190 includes shipping

#8 for my Bird Seed Project

 

My grandpa Pedro rescued a cardinal and called him Gigi...Gigi was a brilliant red bird who lived in a cage in grandpa's house. In the morning Gigi would sing his distinctive cardinal song, which sounds SO LOUD inside that it seemed to come from loud speakers. ...In the day, grandpa Pedro would bring the cage outside, open the door and watch Gigi fly into the trees where he continued singing all morning....later, Gigi would come back to the cage and sleep inside the house all over again

This little cardinal bird just might be Gigi's girlfriend!

_________________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

7-Pelican PairPair

Pelican Pair ___8x8 watercolor sketch___$250 unframed. Includes Shipping

#7 in my Bird Seed Project

 

I hope you know about this special project I am doing to keep birdseed in the nursing home bird feeders! Today was the FIRST DAY that I filled the feeders with seed provided by this project...actually, I provided the big bag of seed today, and I brought my camera there to shoot the first visitors, but I forgot to snap the pictures!...ah well...I will do it soon, if someone REMINDS ME!

 So far I have posted original oil paintings, but I also am doing watercolor pencil sketches of the birds....This pair was flying by when I painted in Rockport, TX last month...Rockport is beside the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, where THOUSANDS of birds spend the winter. It's one of my favorite places this time of yer when the big flocks return.

_________________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#6- Egret Fisherman

Egret Fisherman__6x8 oil__$190 includes shipping

Birdseed Project #6

 

These Great Egrets stroll the marshy edges and have their meals! Of course I don't need to buy seed for them!  At LEAST 10 % of this purchase price will go into the bird seed fund, and I hope it starts the ball rolling on approaching some local businesses to also donate seed. I find that there are many funds "for the children"...but not many for the greatest generation...Here is a little story about Dan:

Dan visits his wife Jan every day. She lives in my mom's nursing home. Dan has spotted me filling the bird feeders and several times he asked me to scatter some seed on the ground for the birds who prefer to feed there...I did this a few times, then realized that my mom, in her wheelchair cannot see the low-birds. Dan knew this and started handing me a $5 bill every few weeks "to cover some seed for the low-birds"...

THIS is the story that sparked my seed project, and inviting YOU to join!

_________________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#5_Turkey Trio

Birdseed Project #5

Turkey Trio___6x8 oil ___$190 includes shipping

Here is a young turkey with a few pals gobbling in the background. Wild turkeys are all over my area of central Texas....these actually FLEW away after I photographed them...not a graceful sight!  :)

I have received the first "seed money" for my little bird seed project...something I am doing during these cold weeks, to keep the feeders full at my mom's nursing home! During these weeks where I will post bird paintings and sketches, I am putting over 10% into a fund to supply feed for the birds...the old people LOVE to watch the birds!...Later in the week I will Actually purchase the first bags of seed...I will post pictures then and give a few more details about this place...several of you have asked how you might give...I will get info on that, too ....Any more ideas for a name for my project? I have gotten some great ideas!

Merry CHRISTmas! 

_________________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#4_Young Whoop

Young Whoop___6x6 oil for the "Birdseed Project"___$190 includes shipping

On Dec. 3, I kicked off a special project to benefit a nursing home and its backyard birds!!

This is #4 in the series...

WHOOP!

If you are from Texas, you know how beloved the endangered whooping cranes are. When I was a little girl, there were only a few dozen left in the whole world. I never thought I would see one in the wild, but they are making a comeback! For the past several years, I have been blessed to see whooping cranes from both the eastern flock AND the central flyway. This is a young whooper I saw in Texas...

The other WHOOP happens at Texas A&M University! Just mention "A&M" and if  there is an "Aggie" within earshot, you will hear a loud "WHOOP"...and with the announcement of the next Heisman Trophy winner, there might be a LOT of "whoop" in Texas!

_________________________

AND...

How about ART for Christmas?

See my new fine art prints

 http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#3-Mocking Berries

Mocking Berries__6x6 oil for the nursing home birdseed project__$190 includes shipping

SOLD

See my new fine art print for Christmas http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#2 Bird_Mockingbird Sage_6x6

 

Mocking the Purple Sage__6x6 oil__$190 includes shipping

Here is #2 for my Bird Seed Project mentioned yesterday!

I barely hit "send" and the little bird sold...dear Anna and Allen from the

 Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art were with me when I shot many pictures of mocking birds...they were passing through central Texas on museum biz when I nabbed them and dragged them off to San Antonio. While at the San Jose Mission, we were followed and serenaded by several mockers, and I shared this project idea with them...Knowing Anna, she was waiting by her computer for the first little painting...MORE TO COME!

_________________________________________________________________________

Consider a fine art print for Christmas! http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

#1-Bug for Breakfast

Bug for Breakfast__Texas Mockingbird___8x6 oil on linen__$190...includes shipping
SOLD

Today I begin to share a little project very near to my heart! For the past few months...to occupy my grumbling self while fuming over my lost hard drive, I began to paint little birds!...In all my travels, I have scores of great photos of all kinds of birds. Birds seem to be a constant from place to place. I have enjoyed them in the mountains and marshes, in the desert and coastal areas...but the birds that I am doing this project for are birds that bring LIFE and amusement to the friends I have made at my mom's nursing home!... I will tell more about this as I move through the "Bird Show" over the next month or so...but FIRST I want you to know that at least 10% of the price for each one sold will be used to buy seed for the feeders at the nursing home....these little birds have become spoiled and, well, they are morphing into pigs!...Maybe I will paint the "pig-birds" one day...but for now, please tell your friends to look in, and consider purchasing a little gem...The first one, here, is our beloved Texas Mocking Bird enjoying a bug for breakfast... 

I need suggestions to name this project!

_________________________________________________________________________

AND...

Consider a fine art print for Christmas! http://vvaughan.blogspot.com/2012/10/son-of-sun.html 

or ask Santa for the adventure of a lifetime

A Painting Holiday in New Zealand March 3-9, 2015

Twilight Transit

Twilight Transit__16x20__available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM

Boy do I have a lot of art to share!  ...and other stuff of life! 

Where to begin??

For now, I will share some art, and hope you enjoy!

A few weeks ago I did this painting as a demo for some great artists of the

Hill Country PACT.  

Below is the start of the demo...above is the finish. If you were there, tell  me what you think!

Since it a twilight scene, I am sending it to Act I Gallery inTaos, for the winter exhibit called "Twilight". 

Since this photo, I have added the "morning star", Venus, as it looked a few months ago during the rare Venus Transit. So that explains the title!

Tomorrow's post begins a little series I have begun. It is special to my heart, and will benefit some lovely elderly people I know! Please check in tomorrow!

Merry CHRISTmas, Joey!! 

Birdseed Project

#6 Egret Fisherman__for the Birdseed Project__6x8 oil __$190 includes shipping

 

The Birdseed Project ... "More Than Many Sparrows"

 

For several years I have been feeding the birds at my mom's nursing home. She and my dad always fed birds at home, so I have tried to keep the tradition. Her room and "family room" windows have a view of a small yard which can be enjoyed by residents and guests, so I have put out bird feeders, and a bird bath.

Recently, other residents have told me that they love the birds! They ask me to sprinkle seed here and there so they can see the birds better. 

To afford more seed for the hungry birds and these precious older people, I decided to do a short-term project. I have photographed birds all over America, and now I am painting some small bird studies.10-20% of the sales price is "seed money". I hope these small art works will fund the filling of the feeders a little bit at a time.

It has caught on, and I have linked with a bona fide charity! Now, TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donations can be made without having to purchase a painting!
Threefold Cord Ministries are "Friends of the Forgotten". They will accept ANY donation you would like to make, and will send 90% of the moneys to the Birdseed Project. They will use 10% to administer the details. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE SUBJECT LINE of your payment...Make checks payable to Threefold Cord Ministries, and on the ENVELOPE you may reference "BIRDSEED". Then they will send funds to me. Or click their link and ASK!!! These are AWESOME people, and good friends of mine. If you have a loved one who is in the "Last Season" of life, I urge you to get their book:
 "Finding Life in the Last Season"....You will be encouraged!
ALSO, I am working on the BOOK! It will be out in a few months...more to come!
For now, I will post an occasional bird painting that I hope you will like. Tell your bird-loving friends!...if you would like more info or price and cost numbers, please e-mail me

To see all the paintings, click on my blog, and type in a search for "bird seed".

http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com

Son of Sun

Son of Sun___18 x 18 oil on linen___for American Women Artist's Show, Tucson, AZ

This is a familiar image for me!...one I have derived works from since taking a similar photo a few years ago. This version faces left whereas a previous version faces right (see below-on blog)... This square format original is my piece for the American Women Artists Visions of the Southwest Show. It opens in a few weeks at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ on November 2.

I am orffering the giclee reproduction for a short time. It is a NICE giclee on paper, signed and numbered in a VERY small edition of 20. Please consider a gift of fine art for Christmas!

 

 

 Sunny One __12 x 16 Giclee Reproduction on paper__Click here to enlarge

Limited edition of 20. Signed and numbered ___Price $80 includes shipping (USA)

Sketch-Team Ropers

 

Team Ropers- Sketch with Watercolor Pencils...see State 1 Below

I have a workshop coming up in Fredericksburg in a couple of weeks. We will send a lot of time sketching and of course tracking the sunrises and moonrises! CONTACT Fredericksburg Artists School RIGHT AWAY if you are interested! There are spots open as of today! bush@fbgartschool.com

Below is the first state of this one. Drawn with watercolor pencils, then "washed" for the finish....a technique I enjoy!

Mission San Jose Sketch

Mission San Jose___watercolor pencil on paper___10x10

Great friends are visiting us from Nebraska and the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art.

Anna and Allen have been exploring Texas this week, and Saturday we met at the Missions Trail in San Antonio, where I did some sketching!...I have dragged them all over to see the sights! Things like my old farm, the urban bats of Round Rock, the Monument Cafe, Round Rock Donust and the Oasis....It has been a fun week, and I hate to send them back to Nebraska...they are both a great treasure to me and I can't wait to get them to come back and do the things we didn't get to do this time around!

I will be teaching some of my sketching techniques, and "capturing Impressions Quickly" in Fredericksburg Oct. 28-30...sign up soon! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Resting

Resting ___Watercolor pencil sketch

 I was notified this week that one of my "Romeo" sketches won FIRST PLACE in an art show, and I will get a little bit of prize money! This one was a "quickie" sketch from a recent drawing workshop I taught in Texas.

I have a book called Last Year on the Farm: A Story of Change. It is published by BLURB.com and they recently had a price increase...so, click the link to see the book. Use the code FANS at checkout and you get 20% off books from now until October 23, 2012. http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196927  let me know if you get one!

Dove Sketch

Dove Sketch___a workshop demo in water soluble graphite and colored pencil

"Chiaroscuro" is defined as:   the distribution of light and shade in a picture...in art it is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'.

"Chiaroscuro and Chocolate" is the title of my little workshop series at Joel's Coffee Shop (aka Rocksports). In over 20 years of teaching part-time, I have plenty of tricks to help artists see and sketch better, faster, and with a variety of media. Chiaroscuro describes the outcome perfectly!  Brad Payton, the owner of Joel's is also an artist and a Chocolatier, so we indulge in his chocolate creations whenever we can while working out our drawing problems! My pal Robin Cheers, a "regular", likes the Hot Chocolate, while I will take a pecan truffle or two (or 30...really). Brad recently perfected his toffee, which is Billie's favorite!

We will have some more sessions in November...please contact me if you want to come. And if you want a more indepth, concentrated workshop, sign up for three days with me in Fredericksburg at the end of this month....soon! Info below...

_______________________WORKSHOPS_____________________

November__Austin___ "Chiaroscuro and Chocolate" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon at Fredericksburg Artists School, contact V...,.

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2015___February-March ___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it

Wes' Wolf

Wes' Wolf Demo___from the workshop

My informal sketching workshop in Austin Might resume in NOVEMBER if a few people are interested...just let me know! Above is one of the sketch demos I did with my wolf-loving-student, Wes....Mine is a quickie, rough wolf...you should see Wes' ...he is an amazing young artist with a superb eye for detail :)

_______________________WORKSHOPS_____________________

November__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon at Fredericksburg Artists School, contact V...,.

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2015___February-March ___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it

Skull Study__demo

Skull Study__demo with watercolor pencils on paper

The photo below this one shows "step 1". Watercolor pencils are a fun medium for sketching. We are working with these in my high school art classes, and ALSO in my month-long weekly evening drawing class "Chiaroscuro and Chocolate"...tonite is the last class, and I look forward to the "new folks" who are coming!...We have had a blast! I supply the drawing materials, and a little bit of encouragement, Brad supplies the chocolate (and coffee and teas) and the artists bring their paper...

If you would like to know about this series, EMAIL ME and I will put you on the info list...we will resume again in a few weeks...maybe!...below are the locations for my other workshops...

 

_______________________WORKSHOPS_____________________

September 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon at Fredericksburg Artists School, contact V...,.

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

 

Some Sophomores from Hyde Park Baptist School, Austin, TX...on Tuesday I helped this group serve at the Reveal Ministries Food Pantry...this group helped unload, and distribute 13 tons...yes TONS of food, like potatos, cabbage, carrots, onions, cereal and other things...and they sorted thousands of childrens' clothes for distribution to some of Austin's needy people...This is the "after" photo!!!... yes, they did it with a lot of JOY!!!

 

Rest of the Horse

Horse Rest__Oil Pastel study

As we explore sketching in all different methods and media, I am doing demos for each lesson. This was done with oil pastels and a mineral spirit wash...The last sketching workshop (Chiaroscuro and Chocolate) is this Thursday in Austin, TX....contact me if you would like to join us!

_______________________WORKSHOPS_____________________

September 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon at Fredericksburg Artists School

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Chiaroscuro and Chocolate___a workshop sketch of Brad

I did this sketch at last week's drawing session at Joel's Coffee Shop. My new favorite medium is water soluble graphite and carbon. COOL SUPPLIES that I found and am sharing at the workshop. I call it "Chiaroscuro and Chocolate". You furnish the paper, Brad pours the tea and coffee, and everyone helps themself to all my drawing supplies. I do a lot of demonstrating and the only way to shut me up is to keep me eating Brad's great gourmet truffels and drinking the coffees he prepares...Our last session is this Thursday. See more workshop info below... 

_______________________WORKSHOPS_____________________

September 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon in Fredericksburg Artists School

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Antler Demo

Antler Demo___For Students and Chiaroscuro and Chocolate Workshop__Sept 27
My September focus has been on DRAWING. Both in my professional workshops, my high school teaching and also with contest entries.(more on that later).
Here is a quickie demo I enjoyed doing for some high school students. They really got into this one, which I did with water soluble graphite....I hope you can zoom in to see the detail, which is quite RUGGED :)
At Thursday's drawing session "Chiaroscuro and Chocolate", I have been sharing all these cool drawing materials...this isn''t "LINE DRAWING", but my approach is very different...LET ME KNOW if you want to join us for a few hours Thursday in north Austin, TX. Cost is $30...plus chocolate fees  :)

__________________________________________ 

Here are some locations for a few of my workshops. email me if you want more info on any of these...

See this SPECIAL ONE. ...I can't wait to see the water go down the drain BACKWARDS there!

September 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__Full Moon in Fredericksburg Artists School

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Invisible Clearly Seen

Invisible Clearly Seen___30x24 oil on linen___Contact V.... for info 

I am a member of a group of artists who exhibit 4 times a year at a church in Austin, TX. This group is VERY DIVERSE, with artworks that explore many different media and methods, including sculpture, metalwork, glass and mosaics. Each exhibit has a theme, and the artists create works based on the theme. We write an interpretation of our work in accordance with the theme. Here is my interpretation of my new painting above:

"God's created handiwork reveals His very character. When we seek to understand Him, He often uses His natural world to "explain" and answer some complex questions. Sunrise happens every morning, and it is often a visual rhapsody displaying His glory! We see LIGHT swallowing darkness, reminding us that God IS LIGHT. Light reflects off of other created things: the moon, fog, clouds: These only reflect and do not generate light or color or warmth."

Come to the reception Friday, if you are nearby!

The Prayer and Creativity Team (PACT) Presents "Visual Rhapsody" a multi media art exhibit at "Open Doors" Gallery at Hill Country Bible Church Northwest Campus in the Worship Center Balcony (Building A- 3rd Floor).

The opening reception will be Friday, September 21 from 7-9 pm

• Free admission
• Excellent, original artwork with a Christian perspective.
• Live music and delicious desserts served.

For more information refer to www.pactofaustin.com or to schedule a gallery tour please

 call 577-3339.

Hillside Glow__12 x 12 oil___workshop  demo__sold

Saturday was a FULL day and a FULL workshop in Salado, TX with The Salado  Village Artists group. We packed in a lot of art as I shared my favorite themes and tips on oil painting. I really enjoy teaching my own concepts and watching how artists apply it to their natural strengths.

I think my FAVORITE part of teaching is SEEING the "fruit" of what someone HEARS me say. Sometimes I see it immediately, but often I see an artist years later and they show me their work that has evolved in a direction TOTALLY different from mine, but I still "see"  my influence. It might be the colors, or the brushwork, or a sensibility, but it's a thrill to have a part in someone else's creation!

I have recently viewed college portfolios of a couple former young students...And tonight I saw a new painting by an artist who has worked with me a few times, and who is now doing ABSTRACTS!!! I was blown away!!...and will talk about that tomorrow :)

__________________________________________ 

Here are some locations for a few of my workshops. email me if you want more info on any of these...

See this SPECIAL ONE.

I can't wait to see the water go down the drain BACKWARDS there!

September, 20, 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__at Fredericksburg Artists School

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Whooping Cranes Dance at Dusk

Click image to enlarge

Dance at Dusk__10 x 30 oil on linen__available at Wind Way Gallery in Rockport, TX

Here is a new painting I just delivered to Rockport's Wind Way Gallery. They had a wonderful reception for my guest exhibit opening on Friday night. LOTS of my Rockport pals came in, and I also got to make a whole bunch of new friends.

This painting is one I have been dying to do since February when I was lucky enough to photograph a pair of whooping cranes as they took flight at dusk. My photos were terrible usual, but I could piece things together for this painting.

Whooping cranes are HUGE. They are very endangered and rather difficult to happen upon. My earliest memory of whooping cranes is that when I was 10 years old, I learned that there were only about 20 of these birds left in the whole world! I remembered being very sad about that, and hoping I could see them one day! Now there are over 300, but that makes them very very endangered. Disease or bad weather can wipe out many at a time...My friend Deam Harrigal in South Carolina is the Biologist at the Donnelley Wildlife Refuge, so he had been watching this pair for a while, and took us there to see them.

....THANKS DEAN!!

__________________________________________ 

Here are some locations for a few of my workshops. email me if you want more info on any of these...

See this SPECIAL ONE.

I can't wait to see the water go down the drain BACKWARDS there!

September, 20, 27__Austin___ "Chocolates and Chiaroscuro" contact V...,. 

Oct. 28-30__Texas__at Fredericksburg Artists School

2013___New York City, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania...

2014___February 23-March 1___New Zealand

**BE SURE to tell me if you sign up! I like to send things to my students to get them ready, keep them "seeing", and thinking, and talking about it!

Boat Trailer

Boat Trailer__6x8 oil on linen__$350 at Wind Way Gallery, Rockport (framed)
Across from the gallery in Rockport, TX, was this little boat. When I was there a couple weeks ago, I did this little painting that will hang in the show which opens tomorrow!
Join us Friday, September 14 from 5 to 8 pm for a reception, and the unveiling of another NEW WORK that I will post on Saturday night...

Lifeguard

Lifeguard__from my sketchbook

Today, Sept. 12 is my drawing workshop...Let me know if you want to join us for Chiaroscuro and Chocolate  at Joel's Coffee Shop in Austin's Lakeline Mall area. $30. You can just show up, but drop me an email! One of these sessions, Brad will actually work in his kitchen and we can sketch while he works.

ALSO, there is a FULL DAY workshop, in Salado, TX on Sat., Sept 15 Contact Belinda
AND a THREE DAY detailed workshop, Oct. 28-30 at Fredericksburg Artist's School

I spoke briefly in chapel at school, this morning.

Great high school students at Hyde Park in Austin! I told them I would post this "before" and "after" shot of them enthralled with my speech....OK, I posed them a little bit in the "after"...

Before

After

Chicken Pate'

Chicken Pate'__a sketch at the cooking school___with extra detail sketches

This chef made chicken pate' which we sampled afterwards...I liked drawing his hands :)

Wednesday, Sept 12 is the second meeting of my September drawing class. Last week we went in depth on PERSPECTIVE problems. As a high school art teacher for over 20 years, (I teach at Hyde Park High School, now...just a couple morning classes), I have  a BUNCH of drawing lessons that are easy to understand and take the mystery out of that scary blank page or canvas. My FAVORITE thing is when an artist "gets it" with an "ah ha"!!! Let me know if you want to join us for Chiaroscuro and Chocolate in September at Joel's Coffee Shop in Austin's Lakeline Mall area. You can just show up, but drop me an email! One of these sessions, Brad will actually work in his kitchen and we can sketch while he works.

ALSO, there is a FULL DAY workshop, in Salado, TX on Sat., Sept 15 Contact BelindaAND a THREE DAY detailed workshop, Oct. 28-30 at Fredericksburg Artist's School

 

Brad the Chocolatier__My sketch class demo__JOIN US Wednesday!

The second installment of "Chiaroscuro and Chocolate" is THIS WEDNESDAY, Sept 12, from 6:30 - 8:30 sharp at Joel's Coffee Shop (and tea and truffles and tees!) It is a great location for sketching, talking art and enjoying some gourmet goodies!

I hope this sketch is right side up...a little glitch shows it sideways, but this is Brad, our host and chocolatier! Email me if you want to come...cost is $30 and includes tea, coffee and my drawing supplies...you supply the sketchbook!

Signed with Polenta___a sketch

Took a little diversion today when I went with my pal Robin Cheers to sketch at Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School. We sketched during a couple of cooking demos. Here, Chef Shoyer prepares Italian Polenta, which, of course we all sampled at the end....I decided to "sign" my sketch with the Polenta and my fork...starting a trend, maybe???

 

Next week's Austin sketch workshop is WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12. 6:30 - 8:30 at Joel's Coffee Shop.

email me if you want to come! vvaughan8@yahoo