St. Francis

St. Francis Study             8x10 oil study                 SOLD

I sat in the car with a friend and we chatted and sketched this pretty little church in Waco, Texas...Something about the PINK cast on the walls appeals to me, so I might do another version!...When you paint outside, you need to trust what you see, COLOR-WISE...did I really see pink???

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL!

Maria del Presidio

Maria del Presidio___5x7 watercolor for Chocolate & Chiaroscuro

Wednesday is my first open "studio" event...if you want to call Joel's a "studio"...I DO!!!
Joel's is where I go several times a week, just to get out of the studio and the classroom. To sit with my artist buddy, or sometimes alone with a sketchbook. Robin Cheers and I solve all the world's problems over coffee, chocolate and sketchbooks...Come see some of our "coffee shop works" and enjoy a casual evening in our "studio". info below.

 



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UPCOMING EVENTS

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NOW thru Nov. 24 -  AWA Show, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

Wednesday, November 20 - Chocolate & Chiaroscuro....and Holiday CHEER
4 to 8 pm at Joel's

an open studio event featuring V....Vaughan and Robin Cheers...and CHOCOLATE

at Joel's Coffee House, Austin
 

Solemn Shadows - Goliad

Solemn Shadows - Goliad___5x7 graphite wash__available at

 

Chocolate & Chiaroscuro

My first Open "Studio" event with artist friend Robin Cheers is WEDNESDAY.
Robin and I meet each week at Joel's to sketch, and paint and share artist life. That's how this event came to be...We always have coffee (me) and hot chocolate (her) and some of Joel's wonderful artisan truffles (both of us). PLEASE JOIN US for our first studio event!
We will be sketching anyone who wants to sit for us! An original, personal sketch makes a nice gift...we are keeping this event focused on affordable, smaller works and sketches, just right for unique gifts...We hope you can drop by

 



***

UPCOMING EVENTS

***

NOW thru Nov. 24 -  AWA Show, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

Wednesday, November 20 - Chocolate & Chiaroscuro....and Holiday CHEER
4 to 8 pm at Joel's

an open studio event featuring V....Vaughan and Robin Cheers...and CHOCOLATE

at Joel's Coffee House, Austin
 

St. Mark's Shadows - Cuero, TX



 

St. Mark's Shadows__Cuero, TX___water soluble graphite on paper

One of many small watercolor originals available at our Joel's event.

PLEASE COME if you can! Info Below.

 



***

UPCOMING EVENTS

***

NOW thru Nov. 24 -  AWA Show, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

Wednesday, November 20 - Chocolate & Chiaroscuro....and Holiday CHEER

an open studio event featuring V....Vaughan and Robin Cheers...and CHOCOLATE

at Joel's Coffee House, Austin
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Here is an updated video for my demo yesterday....

STILL NOT QUITE TOGETHER, BUT MY FRIEND BEV IS HAVING FUN PLAYING.

 

 

Goliad Storm Brewing

Goliad Storm Brewing___8x10 oil on linen panel__$450

 

A few short weeks ago, just before my mom passed away, I went on a little painting jaunt with artist pal, Robin Cheers. The storms chased us away from Port Lavaca, and we stopped at Goliad on the way home...we started painting there, but before I finished, the storms got us again!...I finished it from memory and a picture....

Another painting of this "mission" is my entry in the American Women Artists National Show opening FRIDAY, November 1st (now!) in Fredericksburg at RS Hanna Gallery.  Click here to see the show painting, as it appeared in this month's Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine (at the bottom middle of page). Join me, and the best women artists for some wine and cheese and great art FRIDAY from 6-9 pm!

If you miss the opening, head over to Fredericksburg later on. The show hangs till November 24th.

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EVENTS

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NOW thru Nov. 24 -  AWA Show, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

Wednesday, November 20 - Chocolate....Charcoal....and CHEER

Mission Sketch and Cheery Birds

Mission San Jose Sketch

 

A few weeks ago I spent some time in San Antonio....mostly photographing, but I managed a QUICKIE sketch with a water soluble graphite stick (above)...Click image to see this one BIG...it's better bigger :)

 

Below are a couple of BIRD WORKS, by my first "guest artists" for the birdseed project!

Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing either of these! You will recognize the famous artist's name - Robin Cheers....the other artist is her mother! That explains Where R.... got her talent!!!

Please contact me if you would like to purchase one of these for the benefit of the

Birdseed Project.

 

Robin by Robin___By Robin Cheers__6 x 6 oil___available for the Birdseed Project

  

 "Sparrow" by O....Cheers__6x6___available for the Birdseed Project

 

 

 

Vuelo del Dia

Vuelo del Dia__30 x 24 oil on linen

This larger painting of the Mission San Jose (San Antonio) will be ready soon for a big celebration at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX.

I still have some little things to do to it, but you might not notice the changes...

This will be my last post for a few days as I head out to Arizona for Cowgirl Up!!

Please tell your friends ! 

Wickenburg is close to EVERYWHERE in AZ...The show will be up at the Desert Caballeros Museum till the end of May

Sonidos de Paz

 

Sonidos de Paz___10 x 30 oil on linen___available

 

"Sounds of Peace" is the translation of this title...

It is a painting of the Presidio, La Bahia in Goliad, Texas...

March in Texas is a month of remembrance...The Alamo and Goliad are  solemn places where terrible battles were fought in March of 1836...

Our family was out and about this weekend, and Springtime is EVERYWHERE: bluebonnets, nesting and singing birds, the new greens of grasses and trees, the "hold-out" pecan trees still waiting for "warmer" before they will bud.

 

I will be in Arizona by week's end. If you have friends there, PLEASE tell them to come see me at Cowgirl Up! March 22-24, Wickenburg, AZ

Paloma en la Noche

 

Paloma en la Noche___24 x 24 oil on linen___available at Cowgirl Up!

The "Dove of the Desert" is San Xavier Mission in Tucson, AZ. "Dove in the Night" is my painting of this solemn place under the moonlight.

Cowgirl Up! kicks off in about a week. It is the best gathering of western women artists in the country... an event full of fun and fabulous art.

For the next three days, I will post the large works I created especially for this event.

_______________________

 

Below is a special piece of art created by my art student, Ethan, for a big contest. It came out SO WELL, I just HAD TO post it!

 

Mallard in Flight over the Shallows by Ethan Wiggins__9x12  oil on panel

Ethan's entry for the Federal Jr. Duck Stamp Competition, Texas event 2013

Good Luck, Ethan!

Puertas

Puertas___10 x 10 watercolor pencil sketch

 at Mission San Jose, San Antonio

Springtime is headed our way in Central Texas...my favorite time of year!

 Texas Independence Day is March 2...REMEMBER THE ALAMO!, Goliad is remembered at the end of March...and EASTER...Bluebonnets will be here any minute now! San Jacinto Day is

April 21, then Cinco de Mayo...Who can tell me the date for THAT?....ah, it's GREAT to be Texan!



Tonos Dulces

Tonos Dulces__30 x 24 oil on linen__for Cowgirl Up! Wickenburg, AZ, March 25 - May 8

The title means "Sweet Sounds", referring to the bell and the song of the doves.
I have painted several versions of the bells at San Xavier in Arizona, but this one is my favorite because of the doves. THe mission itself is known as "the Dove of the desert"..I might change the title to "The Dove of the Desert". See a detail below.
If you are near Wickenburg, go to the Desert Caballeros Museum to see the show! Cowgirl Up! is a great gathering of the best women artists working in western themes...I have 3 large works there this year, and a couple of small things...now I am trying to re-wrangle my schedule so that I can go out to the show for a couple days.!

Monzon San Xavier

Monzon San Xavier__36 x 36 Oil on linen__available at Cowgirl Up! Wickenburg, AZ, Mar. 25- May


A couple weeks ago I posted my small study for this big painting. Click to see the study.

The title means "San Xavier Monsoon", referring to the big rains over Mission San Xavier. I have seen the monsoons which water the dry Arizona landscape in late summer, and I can imagine what a blessing they are to the people of the desert.....This is my biggest painting for the show, and I wish you could see it in person! The frame is a heavy, distressed, black with an antique-looking gold liner. I have a real hard time photographing the big canvases! Below is a detail...

Monzon San Xavier__detail

A Study for...

San Xavier Monsoon - study____8x6 oil on linen___available when I am done with it __$190

I like to work out my paint problems on a small scale, before diving into a large canvas. This painting has been "brewing" for a few years as I have traveled through Arizona...

I am working from my own reference: photos of the Mission San Xavier, pictures of monsoon clouds in Colorado, and sunset pictures from Arizona...it is a work in progress!

Took a quick trip to Kansas this weekend...do any of my blog friends know anyone in Salina, or Wichita, KANSAS...just curious!

:)

Bahia Dusk

Bahia Dusk____6x8 oil study on linen panel______$190 for CHRISTmas!
This holy presidio looks especially sacred at night, when there are spotlights trained onto the facade. Before the sky got too dark we stayed and painted studies there a few weeks ago when I was there with artist friends Barbara, Caro and Susan....I didn't finish this one out thee, but made notes of color onto the canvas and just now got around to finishing it. It's good to do this, because once you are away from the visual "standard" of having the "model" right there before you, yu can BE A PAINTER, and complete it the way you FEEL....not trying to hold to the standard of "the truth" that your eyes see.
So there you have my lesson: Lower your standards, forget about "truth" and do what you FEEL. ....PLEASE only apply this to art, and do NOT raise your kids this way! hahaha
Merry CHRISTmas!

La Bahia Courtyard

La Bahia Courtyard ___study__8x10___click blog image to see details
This was done on location a few weeks ago while I was there painting with art buddies B and C and S....we painted til the moon came up that day! I am using these studies to make bigger works and really enjoying the "immersion" in this landmark.
Funny story for you artists: FOLLOW UP on every e-mail, even if you THINK it is a scam! I recently sold some works to a collector in UK, even though I tried hard to brush them off. They jumped through all my "pretend-hoops" and eventually paid in British Pounds (which Paypal converts to dollars for a fee.....to check people out carefully, just make up stories so they have to respond! I do this every time, and if it's a scam, at least I have fun yanking their chain!....ALSO, I had TWO collectors with almost the EXACT SAME NAME contact me this week! Check carefully before offering to deliver the painting in person! One lived nearby and the other one on a far away ISLAND! It took me a while to realize they were two different collectors! ....
BUT, you probably are safe to toss an email that says "Plis reply me soonest".
Note to collectors: you have my permission to call my bluff when I ask you to jump through hoops before purchasing. Just say "knock it off, lady, I really want the art" and I will behave :) ....Merry CHRISTmas!

Sunrise at La Bahia

Sunrise at La Bahia___8x10 plein air study____click to enlarge___$300
I painted this one on location a couple weeks ago...making a few "oil changes" when I got it home...adding the figures below, which give it some "scale". It was a WARM Texas fall morning and my friends and I spent time soaking in the atmosphere at this important Texas landmark....over 300 Texans were killed here on this spot, which is hard to believe, because it is such a quiet peaceful place, today.

El Presidio La Bahia

El Presidio La Bahia___4x8 oil on linen framed for Whistle Pik Christmas Miniatures Show (click blog image to enlarge)

I have a grouping of 4 small works for this year's Miniature Show at Whistle Pik Galleries in Fredericksburg, TX. The small canvases are all mounted and framed the same way (see below, and see yesterday's post). I have been doing a lot of work at the Presidio in Goliad, Texas. This is the site of one of Texas' most important events, and this place brings a deep sense of awe when you are there. I want my paintings to remind viewers of that...I wish you could see them all together!

La Bahia Thermals

La Bahia Thermals___small oil on linen panel, framed for the Whistle Pik Miniatures Show___December

Whistle Pik Galleries in Fredericksburg, TX was one of the first galleries in the country to feature "miniatures" in a big art sale. I posted the one below a few weeks ago, and above is the second one in my small group of four miniatures on display. La Bahia is the subject. Below is the bell at the presidio, and above is the tower with the usual buzzards circling overhead, riding the thermals above the San Antonio River. My paintings are all framed similarly, with the canvas being mounted on a backing that is framed. I like the look! You'll have to go to the show to see them all together, but I will post them individually over the next couple of days.
Whistle Pik's Christmas Miniatures Show is about 10 years old now and a real treat for art lovers! First, just being in Fredericksburg during the holidays gets you in the Christmas spirit! Seeing HUNDREDS of small works by the best artists in the country is fun, too, and a good place to start or add to your art collection without spending a whole lot of money!

Tonito Dulce____for the Whistle Pik Galleries Christmas Miniatures Show___December

Luz Sobre La Bahia

Luz de la Luna Sobre La Bahía__24x24 oil on linen___ framed for Rockport Art Festival

This painting is being packed up to go to the Rockport Art Festival next weekend. It is another night scene of La Bahia, in Goliad, TX. I hope you will "vote" for the frame you think looks best. See below. One is "warm" with reds, (frame 2) the other has cooler darks with turquoise (frame 1). These are my favorite frame these days...made of special antique tin overlay from those old tin ceilings. The crosses are my addition...Which one looks best? I can't decide...This night sky lighter is than the others I have done at my favorite Historical spot in Texas...yes, I like this place better, even, than the Alamo! It's history overlaps the Alamo, and is even more tragic...Col. Fannin and his men (about 350) were massacred here, after surrendering for their lives. Santa Anna ordered their execution. Some believe their Mexican captors did not want to kill them, but were afraid of their evil dictator....to walk these grounds, especially in the evening hours is a solemn thing, and I stop here to do that each time I am on the way to Rockport . I am usually alone....this place is NOT the tourist attraction that the Alamo is.


Frame 1

Frame 2

Xavier Study

Xavier Study____6x8 oil on linen___$190 or I am taking it to Phippen!
I just painted this. See the photo below for the "real" view. I shouldn't show these together, but click the image above and see the quick strokes of color...this is a SKETCH in oils, meant to gather color and the impression....but sometimes the impression is not all that "IMPRESSIVE".....I spent the morning at the "Dove of the Desert", San Xavier Mission in southern Arizona. This is near the Mexican border...a BEAUTIFUL place of such diversity. I also spent sunset there last night...and saw the moonrise...it was here that I discovered that I FORGOT all my painting gear, except a small pouchade box still loaded up for my drive-by paintings! Better than nothing!. So I am typing this 90 miles up the road at a McDonalds in Phoenix, hoping to squeeze in a visit with a former student who lives here (CALL ME JULIE!), and will bide my time at the Jerry's Artarama, buying new paints etc., so I can do the quick-draw at the Phippen Museum Art Show on Saturday-Monday. WHEW! Come see me!
OR, come to my workshop in Fredericksburg June 14-16 or 17. We'll be learning to sketch like this and MORE! vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info