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!

Colorado Sketchbook-page 3

San Luis Valley Mesas - From my Colorado sketchbook, 2010 -
On the way "in" to our canyon and summer house, the land changes from farm valley, to mesas to the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. I did this sketch in the mesa area, near Mogote and Fox Creek....The trees there, mark the path of the Conejos River.
This is a really remote area of wildflowers, wildlife and certainly CRICKETS!
Not that I have seen many (mostly small grasshoppers, which I noticed while out painting yesterday), but I mention crickets, because I read a funny and thought provoking essay about "Cricket Places"...I pasted the link below...

http://www.insight.org/library/insight-for-today/devotional-archive.html
Friday, July 16

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

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