2016 Colorado Moon Light Workshop

North Star   12 x 12   oil

PLAN AHEAD for SUMMER, 2016.

Five days in the San Juan Wilderness Area will include the 

FULL MOON of July 19.

Reserve your place early with a deposit that is refundable till July 1, 2016

Itinerary will be similar to the 2015 Workshop.

Already I am working on a SPECIAL NEW FEATURE, TBA

Click here for 2015  overview and follow all the links!

If you are ready to hold your spot, CLICK HERE 

or email v....

Colorado Workshop Registration

"Nestled in Gold"  (moonrise in Mogote CO)      V....Vaughan

Copy and paste this into an email to:

vvaughan8@yahoo.com

V….Vaughan Colorado Workshop, July 28-Aug. 1, 2015

REGISTRATION: email immediately 

to confirm your spot

Fee: $400

Please enclose $100 deposit to V….Vaughan.

 NOT REFUNDABLE after July 20

Call or email me vvaughan8@yahoo.com  for PayPal link, if you prefer to pay with credit card

V….Vaughan Contact Info:

Cell Phone Before Workshop:  (512) 917-0814

Phone in Colorado During  Aug 6-11 :  (719) 376-2062

Husband, David’s cell phone:  (512) 695-8540

E-Mail:  vvaughan8@yahoo.com

NAME________________________________

e-mail_________________________________

your website?___________________________

PHONE (cell)___________________________ 

Address________________________________

City___________________________________

State________________Zip________________

Emergency Contact:

Name__________________________________

Phone__________________________________

Where I am Staying During Workshop

( if you don’t know, yet, I will fill this in later)

_______________________________________

Contact Phone Number During Workshop week:

______________________________________

NOTES and CONSIDERATIONS ( In other words: WHAT DID I FORGET TO ASK?, or what are you dying to say? )

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Colorado Workshop 2015 Itinerary

V....Vaughan's 2015 COLORADO Workshop Itinerary

CLICK HERE FOR OVERVIEW DETAILS AND PICS, Or click to  REGISTER

Date:Tuesday, July 28 - Saturday, August 1, 2015

Place: Near Antonito, CO, 81120. Just over the border from Chama, NM. 
Taos is 70 miles away. I recommend planning a day in Taos after we paint!

Lodging: options vary from great campgrounds to upscale resorts. (if available)

Email V.... for specific questions vvaughan8@yahoo.com

ITINERARY: DRAFT

E-Mail:  vvaughan8@yahoo.com

WORKSHOP LOCATIONS will all be on or near the Conejos River, between Rocky Mountain Lodge and Antonito. This is a 30 mile span, but we will only go to one general area a day, and not do a lot of driving once we get there.

Three FULL DAYS will be divided into two sessions. Two half day sessions on the first and last days. Our sessions will include Artist Demonstrations by V….Vaughan, some hand-outs, brief discussion and theory instruction while V…. paints. An entire session or two will be devoted to SKETCHING: working either on canvas or in sketchbooks. Perspective Problems will be tackled! Capturing impressions QUICKLY… drawing without lines…I have a LOT to say about sketching!!!

The locations have wonderful variety. Things you will choose from: Mountain Vistas, River Color, Warm GREENS,

Big Monsoon Skies, Sage Brush Meadows, Dark GREENS, Old Churches, Crumbled Adobe, Barns, Dude Ranch Corrals, Light GREENS, Cattle, Calves, Horses and Foals,  Cowboys and Cowgirls, and Cool GREENS.

A SPECIAL TOPIC I ALWAYS COVER IS HOW WE SEE LIGHT, and WHAT IS COLOR, ANYWAY? We learn a lot about these by intense observation at the extreme ends of the day: SUNRISE and SUNSET. I have planned this class to coincide with the FULL MOON, so we will also observe and paint MOONRISE AND MOONSET, which will happen at the same time as the sunrise/sunset! It is a FASCINATING study and is sure to cause a leap forward in your painting progress, if you have never studied such things…I HAVE FUN WITH IT, TOO! Having taught high school artists for over 20 years, I know how to keep it simple, so that you can do what you like to do most….PAINT!!!

Here is a ROUGH DRAFT of our workshop…You will receive a detailed itinerary when we meet on Tuesday. There will be maps and phone numbers and other details… OUR EXACT LOCATIONS WILL BE GIVEN WHEN YOU REGISTER!

TUESDAY, July 28

Afternoon INTRO:  Demo and Discussion.  Locations in review.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29

Session 1. 

Mid-day Break

Session 2.  Afternoon

THURSDAY, JULY 30

Session 3.  Sunrise

Session 4. Sunset

FRIDAY, JULY 31-FULL MOON DAY

Session 5. EARLY MORNING…On this day we will meet EARLY to paint the Moonset at Sunrise. OR BOTH.

We will have a mid-day break…I suggest naps!

Session 6. EARLY EVENING till DARK, and beyond, maybe…At this time we will have Moonrise at Sunset!

SATURDAY, AUG. 1

Session 7.  A last session will wrap up with a critique time, and you’ll be on your way by 1 pm

V....Vaughan COLORADO 2015 Workshop OVERVIEW

V....Vaughan COLORADO 2015 Workshop

SIGN UP SOON! Click HERE for info and registration!

I am currently in Colorado, painting the full moon and sunrises to prepare for the workshop BLUE MOON of July 19!  

The pictures below are actual locations.

email me right away if you are interested!.I keep these workshops SMALL!

vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Jazz and Desi

Jazz and Desi - Looking for Monica"

A watercolor gift for my sweet Wickenburg pal in AZ.

LOVE BEING HERE, Monica!!!

I have a crazy travel schedule this week.

From Texas to Wickenburg, to Prescott to Phoenix to Omaha to David City, Nebraska back to Omaha and then Phoenix and then Prescott and then home to Texas again....all in seven days!

Yes! I will see you somewhere!

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UPCOMING FOR V....

Phippen Museum Western Art Show___Prescott, AZ___May 23-25

Ballad of the Farm: Then. Now. Tomorrow__OPENING__David City, NE__May 23

This event is a VERY SPECIAL exhibit, that I have put my heart into since October, 2014. I will have a month of TARGETED blog posts about this topic, and "unveil" my special painting very soon. Visit Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art for more, and PLEASE follow my journey...soon!

Start SOMETHING

Willie Study in watercolor and colored pencil...I posted this on facebook  
 a few days ago. A scribbled study for my student "A....", who took a good photo of Willie at a concert. I was showing her how to see color in her "tonal" photo......and have you heard
Willie's new song "What'll I Do"?.... CLASSIC WILLIE!!
Below, I mention a DIFFERENT painting of him...

One good thing I learned in my art was to just START something!..I might only have 30 minutes till the kids needed me. So I would START.... and when I had to leave, that little "start" would call to me..."HEY! Here I am...come baaaaaack"....Whereas, when I stayed up all night to finish something, then there would be such a feeling of "DONE", that it was hard to start something new, later! I once stayed up for 72 hours STRAIGHT, to finish a job for Willie Nelson...(a promo poster for one of his albums)

 My best efforts have been projects that had lots of little pieces. An idea written on a napkin. A doodle in a doctor's office scribbled on a magazine subscription card...these were taken home and tossed into an "idea box"...the 1980's version of Evernote was a shoe box :)  Eventually, the little ideas would repeat themselves and I would take the little notes out of the box to put together! SO! My advice is to "doodle" at it...START something...it will be calling to you!!! ..."come baaaaack"!

On Facebook, I am "Virginia Pedro Vaughan"

Vijay

 

Vijay  aka  V....J

This handsome man was my first model at last night's art event at Joel's Coffee House! I've been talking about this event, "Chocolate and Chiaroscuro", and invited people to brig a "life" for some "LIFE Drawing". My friend, Priti brought in her son, Vijay, who I have known since he was a newborn!  He was real fun to sketch, because he never sat still or stopped talking! I LOVE that about Vijay...he is FULL OF LIFE...just perfect for LIFE Drawing!

It is not natural for a little guy to sit for something like this, so when I finished, I honored Vijay by "dotting" him!

His name is now "V....J"

With four dots!

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Below is  my "signature" chocolate bar, by Austin Truffle Company, the chocolate company housed at Joel's Coffee House. Brad, the owner, created a special label dark chocolate bar for last night's event!

Let me know if you want one...$3

 



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

***

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
 

Vacquero Study

Vacquero Study __9x12 watercolor

 

Watercolor pencils are my latest toy for demonstrating drawing techniques to my special students! This one is helping me solve some problems with a studio piece I am working on in oils!

If you read the art magazines you'll see some of my work there this month. Both

Fine Art Connoisseur and Southwest Art Magazines used my works within the stories they did on the AWA Show opening this Friday.

Come meet me and other artists on November 1 at RS Hanna Gallery in

Fredericksburg, TX. You will love this wonderful gallery, and PROMISE ME that you will make a spoecial effort to meet Shannon Hanna, who has put together a fine show for the American Women Artists.

Yellow Horse Study

Yellow Horse Study__watercolor__available

 

I am catching my breath after a month of sadness.

THANK YOU, my friends for your continuing "hello, how are you" notes.

One thing I realized through losing my mom and then a brother-in-law, and then ONE MORE setback, is that it HELPS to spend some of the grief-time doing something that is enjoyable. For me that meant long visits with those closest to my heart. Yet, USUALLY I was not the one reaching out...You who came alongside KNOW WHO YOU ARE, and I WILL NEVER FORGET...

 

Doing artwork has also helped get me back to "life".

I gathered my works from the last month, and had to chuckle over what variety can spill out of a grieving, creative mind! From sensitive watercolors to irreverent tee shirt art!

The sketch above is a nice outcome from teaching a class...an upside-down watercolor demo like what I used to do for mom.

 

It has been YEARS since I designed a tee shirt! The shirt below is an idea I had after recently taking my usual walk in the neighborhood, getting LOST, somehow, then making the mistake of sharing my confusion with a dear old pal who still makes fun of me for it!

Ah, what are friends for, if not to cry with you, laugh with you and laugh AT you!

 

 

To Order this fun shirt click here or contact

 http://wwwshirtaday.com/shirt./missing-elderly/2118

53 - Flamingo

Flamingo ___12 x 9 watercolor pencil

#53 in The Birdseed Project

 

Click the blog image, to see some detail on this, and how the watercolor pencils work...I enjoy the drawing aspect...just LOVE scribbling...then finishing it off with the unpredictability of WATER!...add to that, the component of doing this "live" for my mom, while she sits by...watching quietly....

It brought back many memories... painting with mom watching. Almost ALL of my art memories as a child include mom there.

I was the youngest of seven kids, so there was never a "secluded" place to be doing my art. I often sat at the kitchen counter, with family coming and going...ALWAYS taking a chance that something would spill on my masterpiece...sometimes it was mom's coffee!

Mom chose this flamingo from a stack of my photos that I brought to the nursing home...it reminds her of her long legged daughter, and reminds ME of MY longER legged daughter!So, we sat on the hot patio, while other residents smoked nearby. Mom prefers to sit alone with me in the gazebo, but the sun was beating down at an angle, and the roof of the gazebo provided no shade, so we sat on the smoking patio.

Mom was especially quiet and several times I stopped to ask if she was OK?...bored?...hot?...she assured me that she was LOVING to watch....just like mom...

39 Arizona Roadrunner

 Roadrunner__ in Arizona__10x10 watercolor pencil__$250 unframed

#39 in my Birdseed Project

 

YESTERDAY'S POST was put up hastily, because I needed to post before midnight and it was 11:58!

So I didn't identify the bird: a beautiful golden orange and black bird that I saw in Arizona. THE FIRST ONE to respond to my call for "help" was the greatest bird artist I know,
 Adele Earnshaw. www.adeleearnshaw.blogspot.com She is an active blogger and frequently paints birds...GO SEE!!!!...Adele is a real pal and lives in New Zealand, after many years in Arizona. New Zealand is her homeland and she achieved her dream to move there for good! (well, for HER OWN GOOD....I say it's BAD for the rest of us!!) In March 2015 I will teach a workshop in New Zealand, and Adele will be our host....CAN'T WAIT!

Tomorrow I will share my heart about a few recent struggles I have had, and why I have been a spotty blogger....so many of you care and ask....I just want to get my thoughts together before "sharing"  :)

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!



29- Mom's Heron

Mom's Heron

#29 in the Birdseed Project

Here is one that is NOT available...

A few days ago, I visited my mom at the nursing home and it was a GORGEOUS day, so we sat out by the bird feeders in the gazebo...her favorite place. I brought along my new favorite toys, watercolor pencils, and a photo of a heron I took in South Carolina last year...Well I was actually showing off for mom, and scribbled this out in my lap UPSIDE DOWN, so she could see it happen...she was so entertained that she couldn't stop "gushing" about it, so I let her keep it on her wall...I actually think I overworked it, but it was so fun watching her enjoy the cheap entertainment...brought back a lot of memories! I used to draw at the kitchen table a lot, and she enjoyed watching me way back then...Have you ever wondered where the phrase came from:

"As exciting as watching paint dry!" ??



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!



#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

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!

Buffalo Lounge

Buffalo Lounge___a Watercolor Sketch___7x9 on paper___$170

More from the zoo!

Below is the field sketch...drawn with watercolor pencils. The finish is above, just add water!

Please see my complete schedule on website, but a few upcoming events are below...All the links work, including the map to Gruene. Come Tuesday and enjoy some Texas fun...art show-style!

Buffalo field study___watercolor pencil

_____________________

V....Vaughan Spring Schedule

Feb. 14, Artist Reception for Passing America...Cactus Jack's, Gruene, TX
Show runs through April

Feb. 17 - 19, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Charleston, SC

March 15-17, C. M. Russell Museum Auction, Great Falls, MT

March 23-25, Cowgirl Up! Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ

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

...see my schedule for more dates upcoming