Rockport Day___Click to bid

"Rockport Day Off" ___8x6 oil on linen panel___Click to bid
This was a nice relaxing painting, despite the fact that I locked my keys in the truck as I got out to paint. Somehow, I knew I had no place else to go, so I relaxed and enjoyed the process, while waiting for Scotty's lock and key to come to my rescue! It was a beautiful day in Rockport, TX.

THANK YOU for walking through my Farm Story with me these past few months! The ebay auctions of my Last Day on the Farm are expiring one by one for the next few days. The 365 paintings of my Last Year are now in Alabama this month. See them all and read the field notes on my web site,
http://www.v-vaughan.com Many of those paintings are STILL AVAILABLE...

http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com

24 of 24 Last Day on the Farm_Click to bid

"24 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours_ Last Day on the Farm___Burn Remnant".......6x8 oil on linen panel__Click to see auction or bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140243931717

I finished this "Last Day" on April 21, and if you have been following, I already posted this one, commenting about the fire that caused the burn in the background...the black is all gone, now, the new grass is in, and life goes on at the farm.
Many have asked what is happening at the land NOW, with us gone...Well, the developers who bought the farm from our family have put their big project on hold. They have leased the property to another farmer who is grazing these cows there, and keeping the hay cut and baled. No telling when development will come, but it is inevitable. That will be an awful day for me, but it's in the future, and maybe I will have another piece of land to get attached to by then!
THANK YOU for walking through this with me! The auctions of this Last Day are expiring one by one as the 365 paintings of my Last Year travel to Alabama this month. See them all and read the field notes on my web site, http://www.v-vaughan.com

Many of those 365 paintings are STILL AVAILABLE...
Next week I will start showing the latest coastal stuff I have painted in Rockport, TX.
http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com
New paintings, new places are ready to be posted, starting Wednesday so stay tuned!

23 of 24 Bus Pass _ Click to bid

23 of 24 in 24 Hours_ Last Day on the Farm___Bus Pass".......6x8 oil on linen panel...Click to see auction or to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140243723882

It was time for the clouds to break...new light on the farm...the school busses passed by on their morning runs, just like before...I was getting sad as I finished up my last day on the farm...
***Next week I will start showing the latest coastal stuff I have painted in Rockport, TX.
http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com
***Only 1 paintings left for my Last Day on the Farm....New paintings, new places are ready to be posted, starting Wednesday so stay tuned!

***The 365 paintings "Last YEAR onthe Farm" are now in Gadsden, Alabama! (About 50 miles NE of Birmingham. The opening reception for the exhibit is July 19. The show will be there from July 1 until August 15. PLEASE Go see it if you can! This might be the last venue where all the paintings will hang together.

22 of 24 Last Day on the Farm_Click to Bid

"21 of 24 in 24 Hours_Last Day on the Farm_Rain Skips By"----Click here to bid
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140243435000&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123
Please scroll back on the BLOG to see the previous 21....

This was the beginning of the warm sun as the morning clouds lifted. I loved our FULL VIEWS of the skies on the farm...you could tell what the weather would do, ahead of time. Here a little rain shower skips by to the west. The clouds broke up and the day was HOT!
ONLY 2 FARM PAINTINGS LEFT TO POST!
Next week I will turn the corner on new adventures....ROCKPORT, Texas will be the first new scenes...I have some new paintings from there....then the mountains of colorado....and some still lifes (lives?) in between! Stay tuned!

21 in 24 Last Day on the Farm_ Click to bid

"21 of 24 Last Day on the Farm__Routine Resumed"__6x8 oil on Fine linen panel__Click to bid
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140243103749
This painting was about the time when the sky was lifting and the sun began to shine....My very last day to paint the farm was coming into its last hours and I started to get a little bit sad about it. The cows resumed their routine from the far pasture....OH, DID YOU KNOW that if you click on this picture, you cans see a bigger image??? OK, Malachy, this one is yours if you want it!
***Hello from Rockport, TX, where I am as I post this. A beautiful day on the Texas coast. Join me at Cove Harbor tomorrow for the sunrise! I'll teach all day, starting there and moving on to take on the great Rockport Oak Trees. See you there, Barbara!

20 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm_Click to bid

"20 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm_Layers of Fields" 6 x 8 oil on fine linen panel_Click to see auction or to bidhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140242852037

No sun, yet, as I got into the later hours of 24 paintings in 24 hours...It was early morning,the light was flat, but I enjoyed the challenge of "seeing" something interesting, even though it was a drab morning.....see the previous BLOG entries for the other 19 I have posted so far. Only 4 paintings left for my Last Day on the Farm....New paintings are ready to be posted, so stay tuned!

***Saturday is a workshop day in Rockport. Really that means, COME AND PAINT ALL DAY WITH ME! We start at sunrise, break for great food, learn a lot, and enjoy the Texas coast! It's not too late to join us, but call me quick :) 512.917.0814

***for you folks who like to plan ahead, There might be one spot left for the Austin one day workshop on July 12, 2008.

***to REALLY PLAN AHEAD, I will teach a 3 - 4 day REAL workshop at a great place in Central Texas duruing BLUEBONNET SEASON. April 13-16 is the probable date. This is my first notice. Come take on the PERFECT Texas landscape! vvaughan8@yahoo.com for details

19 of 24 Last Day on the Farm_click to bid

"19 of 24" Last Day on the Farm__Solitude"___6x 8 oil painting on fine linen panel __Click to see auction or bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140242647498
19I enjoyed the solitude that morning...too overcast for sunrise color, so I "zoomed in" on some distant trees...workshop note: if the light is bad and the contrasts are weak, zoom in on something that has interesting shape or forms...these are a couple of the trees I often painted in the distance below the pens, but I peinted them from a different angle, at all times of the day and all seasons.

18 of 24 Lst Day on the Farm_Click to bid

"18 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours_Last of the Moon!"__6 x 8 oil on fine linen panel___Click to see auction or bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140242382548
When I painted 24 paintings in 24 hours for my Last Day on the Farm, this was the last of the moon...it disappeared for the night after this...the clouds closed in. See the blog and scroll down to see the first 18...stay tuned for the last 6 of the 24!
Only 6 paintings left for my Last Day on the Farm....New paintings are ready to be posted, so stay tuned!

***Rockport workshop day is THIS SATURDAY, June 21. Join me if you can!

17 of 24 LAst Day on the Farm_click to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140241978573

"17 of 24" Last Day on the Farm_____Click above to bid!
This one, the one before it and the one to come after it, were all started within 15 minutes of each other. I painted them FAST and furiously, because I could tell the sky was closing up for good over the moon for the night.

***Rockport workshop day is THIS SATURDAY, June 21. Join me if you can!
***”Last Year on the Farm” is DONE in Rockport. THANK YOU to all my friends there and patrons who visited! What a great show it was!
***Gadsden, Alabama will exhibit the “Last Year….” Paintings from July 1 – Aug 15. I hope my friends in the East will go see it…Reception details to come!

16 of 24 Last Day on the Farm_click to bid

"16 of 24" Last Day on the Farm_____Click to see auction or bid.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140241971413

This was the most amazing ring around the moon! The whole sky seemed alive, ...click the auction link to read more...

Only 8 paintings left for my Last Day on the Farm....New paintings are ready to be posted, so stay tuned!

15 of 24_ Last Day on the Farm_ Click to bid

15 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours" My Last Day on the Farm_6x8 oil on linen panel click link to bid or see the auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140241594256

The sky was so thick with humidity that night. I was sure the moon would be gone at any moment, so I painted fast! The sky changed so fast that at one point I had 3-4 paintings going at once! These I will keep if no one wants them!
More moon paintings to come!

***I'll be teaching my method of "capturing the Impression" in a couple of "one day workshops" this month and July.

June 21 in Rockport, Texas...starting at sunrise at Cove Harbor (by Off the Hook Restaurant)...This has become my "thing" for teaching in Rockport. It's where we always begin the day. I am finding a similarity between Cove Harbor and my farm: FAMILIARITY brings growth as a pwinter. Come paint with us here a couple of times, adn you wil experience it!...fascinating

July 12 in Austin- at the Hill Country Bible Church on RM 620. Only room for a few more in this class so call quick if you are interested. Brought to you by the HCBC PACT !

email me asap for details on either of these workshops. I love teaching and give away all my secrets! ;)vvaughan8@yahoo.com

14 of 24_ LAst Day on the Farm_click to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140241438959

14 of 24 in 24 hours : The Last Day"_____6 x 8 oil on fine linen click above link to bid or LOOK AT auction

The second of the moonlight paintings from my "Last Day on the Farm". The moon paintings are some of the best in the bunch...The auctions are expiring one by one. Now is your chance to get a V....Vaughan painting at the lowest price ;)10 Day Auction.

***See yesterday's blog for news of upcoming Rockport workshop day...

***AND there is a one day workshop in NORTH AUSTIN on July 12. It is FULL but we can take 2 more, because they just got a bigger room! Be an IMPRESSIONIST for a day!!! contact me for details vvaughan8@yahoo.com

13 of 24_Last Day on the Farm_Click to bid

13 of 24 in 24 hours : The Last Day"_____6 x 8 oil on fine linen__Click here to bid
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140240464436&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

This starts the moonlight paintings from my "Last Day on the Farm". The upcomig paintiongs are some of the best in the bunch...The auctions are expiring one by one. Now is your chance to get a V....Vaughan painting at the lowest price ;) If they don't sell, I get to keep them , frame them and sell at shows or galleries...or just keep them :)



*** Sign up for the first Rockport workshop of the summer...it might be the last one, too! until August, due to a busy travel schedule. June 21, one full day, full of demos, discussions and lots of painting and fun! vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info

*** June 25 begins ALL NEW PAINTINGS!!! The beach, the road trips, the mountains, dead fish!....stay tuned

12 of 24 _Last Day on the Farm_Click to Bid

"Last Day on the Farm_12 of 24 in 24 Hours"____"Day is Done" 6 x 8 oil on fine linen panel___click to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140240464436

After painting all day, FINALLY some "color" and contrast came, just before sunset. There were a couple ducks flying by before settling on the tank for the night... Soon, the moon would be up...The next SIX PAINTINGS will feature the AMAZING MOON we had that night...my Last Day on the Farm.

***NEWS FLASH! If you haven't been to Rockport to see the Last Year on the Farm (all 365 paintings) now is your last chance! The last day of the show is June 14. All the big ones have sold! Now I just have to sell about 300 more little ones :)
***Speaking of Rockport...JOIN ME for a workshop day on Saturday, June 21. Sunrise at 6:32 am at Cove Harbor, followed by a morning of painting the famous Rockport Oaks! If it's hot, we'll have a cool day at the Art Center. Come and meet Barbara! She hasn't missed a workshop, yet. I made her class president ;)

11 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm_click to bid

"11 of 24 in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm"...."Last Grazing Before Sunset".......6x8 oil on linen ...click to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140240454423
As I neared the halfway point of painting 24 paintings in 24 hours for my Last Day on the Farm, I saw the cows hurry back into the near pasture, and graze all they could before it began to get dark. They went back and forth from pasture to pasture all day! (Just two more days till the moonlight paintings).

***NEWS FLASH! If you haven't been to Rockport to see the Last Year on the Farm (all 365 paintings) now is your last chance! The last day of the show is June 14. All the big ones have sold! Now I just have to sell about 300 more little ones :)
***Speaking of Rockport...JOIN ME for a workshop day on Saturday, June 21. Sunrise at 6:32 am at Cove Harbor, followed by a morning of painting the famous Rockport Oaks! If it's hot, we'll have a cool day at the Art Center. Come and meet Barbara! She hasn't missed a workshop, yet. I made her class president ;)

10 of 24 _ Last Day on the Farm - Click to bid

"10 of 24 in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm"....Click here to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140240206351

"10 of 24 in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm"....Click here to bid
The sun started breaking through at the end of the day and some visitors came by! First some old friends, then the last of the Sand hill cranes heading north.

***NEWS FLASH! If you haven't been to Rockport to see the Last Year on the Farm (all 365 paintings) now is your last chance! The last day of the show is June 14. All the big ones have sold! Now I just have to sell about 300 more little ones :)

***Speaking of Rockport...JOIN ME for a workshop day on Saturday, June 21. Sunrise at 6:32 am at Cove Harbor, followed by a morning of painting the famous Rockport Oaks! If it's hot, we'll have a cool day at the Art Center. Come and meet Barbara! She hasn't missed a workshop, yet. I made her class president ;)

9 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm - Click to bid

"Last day on the Farm - My Studio Deck - 9 of 24" - click here to bid
This is the deck where I painted from for all those years, particularly the Last Year on the Farm. I loved our old farm house, made of logs (except this North wall), and I had a great studio upstairs, which I really miss.

If you click this image, you should see a large view. Or see it by clicking the link.
Nine down...17 to go! Stay tuned!

Oh, if you missed #8, it's my fault! See yesterday's BLOG for info, and there are only a couple of days for the auction...that's OK, because it's my favorite painting and I want to keep it if I can!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140239614617

7 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm - Click here to bid

"Graze-By" #7 of 24 in 24_____6 x 8 oil on fine linen panel _Click to bid

Click the "bid link" to read the field notes, and to see another image...a DETAIL of part of the painting.

Click this image also to see a detail version...

...and now for a preview of tomorrow's #8 auction. Because somehow #2 was duplicated, I revised it to the #8 painting, which was coming up tomorrow . (revising it saved me from having to pay twice)...it's a bad thing for anyone watching the auctions, because the #8 auction will only last about three days....BUT it's good for me, because the #8 painting is my favorite, and maybe no one will buy it, and I can KEEP IT!...I will post it tomorrow, but here is the preview link and the auction is ON!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140239235827&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

Only a few more days of auctions, and then I will start posting new works from Arizona and the COAST!...I wonder when I will paint farms again....

6 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm_Click Here to Bid

6 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours "Grazing Solo".....Click to bid

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140238801140

This one black cow was easy to spot among the 50 white ones that roam the pastures at the old farm. She was the most noticeable of the bunch! After watching the farm "die" last year, it was so nice to paint one last day among all the LIFE again!
This is #6...18 to go!

5 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm_Click here to bid

"One Last Day on the Farm_'What Fence?'_5 of 24"_6x8 oil on fine linen panel. Click to bid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140238796046

Twenty-four paintings in 24 hours! One Last Day on the Farm..
Here is the fifth one I painted, just a couple weeks ago...
...
On the overcast day that I painted 24 in 24, the cows moved from pasture to pasture...T H R O U G H this fence. I see them do it all the time, and wonder how they keep from getting cut up....I think it's the "leather outfit" :)That's the explanation for this sub-title...they don't seem to be bothered by barb wire.

I love your comments! ...by the way...if you get my daily e-mail, did I send you the #3 auction link???? My "outbox" says "no" and there is NO WAY I will re-send it, (I am afraid to annoy my friends more than I already do!)so please go to the blog, or click the link if you missed it...

4 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm_click to bid

"4 of 24 - Last Day on the Farm".....6 x 8 oil on fine linen panel....Auction starts today

Click here to bid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140238011842

I told about this painting when I previewed it in April...click here to see the earlier blog post (4 of 24) and another picture of how I started the painting. If you click on the painting above, you can see a large, detailed version.

Right now and for the next couple of weeks, I am letting these "Last Day..." paintings go...one by one...in an auction...I expect there to be some "good deals", and I will be shipping the art to the winners as soon as the auction is over! Whereas, the 365 paintings of our "Last YEAR on the Farm" will be shipped in January, I want these little ones to go to their homes immediately....These are my dandelion seeds, being blown to the wind...little pieces of my farm scattered to new places...

3 of 24_Last Day...click to bid

"3 0f 24_Last Day on the Farm"__Round Ones__oil on fine linen panel___click to bid
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140238009191

Click image to see large version and detail.

From May until November last year, we had record rains, and yet there were no farmers to cut or bale the hay, because our farming had come to an end. The other families had left the farm, but my family stayed on as we searched for a new home someplace. I painted every day, and saw the farm "going away slowly"...the cows left in January...the egrets disappeared from the landscape, the hay grew and grew, and weeds began to choke the place. The hand of the farmer was gone, and the countenance of the place really suffered. By August, you could hear the constant drone of bugs in the brush, well watered and sheltered by the tall grasses. At least they symbolized "life"...and then, one day, some new cows appeared! Another farmer had leased the place for his herd! With the cows came the cutting of new hay...these are the bales that bring life back to this old empty farm!

2 of 24_ One Last day on the Farm_click to bid

"2 of 24_One Last Day on the Farm_Brilliance"__6x8 oil on fine linen_ click to bid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140238006871

Here is #2 of 24. The auctions will last 7 - 10 days, and the winner will have the painting as soon as possible! No waiting for "Last Day" paintings...

Click image to see large version and detail.

The 365 "Last Year..." paintings are in Rockport till June 14.

I will teach a one day workshop there on June 21. This time we will paint the famous oak trees there...after our usual sunrise at Cove Harbor.

1 of 24 _ Last Day on the Farm_ Click to Bid

"1 of 24_Last Day on the Farm"__oil on fine linen panel__to bid click:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140237500720&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=004

Here it is...for the next couple of weeks I will let these little parts of my farm go....

please e-mail if you have questions: vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Click image to see details...

Sunset Hour By Charlotte's

"Sunset Hour by Charlottes'"___6x8 oil on fine linen panel____$150

The moon was just coming up as the sun set behind me. I painted this from the Fulton Inn second floor walkway, while cool breezes moved the palms. (in the Rockpot, TX area)

***Next Rockport workshop day, June 21...please join us! We'll paint the famous oak trees, after a morning at Cove Harbor...contact me if you can come: vvaughan8@yahoo.com

***I just returned from a great trip to the Phippen Museum Western Art Show in AZ. My oil painting, Egret Thunder won third place in the oil category...my friend Denise's Pastel won first place in pastels!

***Hello to new friends in Amarillo! The workshop day at Palo Duro was a blast! Literally! We were "sand blasted" by a dust storm at the end of the day, Thursday, but went back for great paintings on Friday...I'llpost some of the painting demos soon...

***TOMORROW starts the Last 24 auctions :)

Cove Yellows

"Cove Yellows" ___6 x 8 oil on linen ___Click to bid
I do not often sell these daily paintings with auctions, but for the next few weeks, there will be an auction a day of my "Last 24 hours" on the farm. Each auction will last 7-10 days....And so today is a PRACTICE auction....let's see if I can do all the ebay details to make it easy...just click on the link and make a bid! Or click here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140237506021 If you see anything weird, please tell me!!!!
This painting above was my morning demo at the last workshop day in Rockport, TX. I teach there almost every month. We have ONE LONG DAY of plein air painting, and take on different challenges. But one thing stays the same: we ALWAYS greet the sun at Cove Harbor. It's a little bit south of town and ALWAYS gorgeous at sunrise. The next workshop day is June 21. It will likely be a hot saturday, and the plan is to do the famous rockport oak trees, but we have the Art Center to escape to, if the heat is too mean.

***Tomorrow will start the auction for the 24 paintings of my "Last DAY on the Farm"...this group of paintings is NOT traveling with my 365 paintings of "Last Year on the Farm", so I am selling them NOW, and keeping the project separate from "Last Year..."
Here is the link to the first farm auction...a preview just for my friends! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140237500720

State 1_ Jake_UNFINISHED

*Last 24 paintings in 24 Hours from the farm will be auctioned, starting Sunday, June 1. Each painting will be offered for one week, to the highest bidder. The Corpus Christi Caller Times ran a story about the "...Farm" exhibit. Please read this nice, short article!
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/may/29/transformations-on-the-farm/
















"Jake - state 1, unfinished commission", 16 x 20....sold
After alal the recent farm paintings it is fun to start some new daily paintings ...I hope you like them!...This one is "Jake", after working on it for about a day, there is a lot to do, but Jake's family likes him so far!

24

"24 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours - One Last day on the Farm"....auction on #1 of 24 starts June 1...please scroll back on the BLOG to see all 24 and plan which one(s) you'd like to bid on. I expect a few to go for a really good price. If you all bid high, I'll get to buy another farm!!! haha

I finished this "Last Day" about a month ago, and if you have been following, I already posted this one, commenting about the fire that caused the burn in the background...the black is all gone, now, the new grass is in, and life goes on at the farm.

Many have asked what is happening at the land NOW, with us gone...Well, the developers who bought the farm from our family have put their big project on hold. They have leased the property to another farmer who is grazing these cows there, and keeping the hay cut and baled. No telling when development will come, but it will be inevitable. That will be an awful day for me, but it's in the future, and maybe I will have another piece of land to get attached to by then!

THANK YOU for walking through this with me! As I have mentioned, the LAST 24 paintings will be auctioned starting June 1. Watch here for a link each day to each painting. It should be fun. The winner will have the art shipped to them immediately...as for the 365 paintings that started all this, they are still on display at the Rockport Center for the Arts until June 14. An IMPRESSIVE display! I will keep you posted on the latest as the show travels...Many of those paintings are STILL AVAILABLE...see them all, and the field notes at

http://www.v-vaughan.com

23

"23 of 24 in 24 Hours_ LAst Day on the Farm".......Auction begins June 1

It was time for the clouds to break...new light on the farm...the school busses passed by on their morning runs, just like before...I was getting sad....

I am in Sedona today...on the way to Amarillo tomorrow! Will teach a group of painters at Palo Duro!

See y'all there!

22

"22 of 24 in 24 Hours_Last Day on the Farm"----Auction starts June 1

Please scroll back on the BLOG to see the previous 21....This was the beginning of the warm sun as the morning clouds lifted. I loved our FULL VIEWS of the skies on the farm...you could tell what the weather would do, ahead of time. Here a little rain shower skips by to the west. The clouds broke up and the day was HOT!

Speaking of HOT, it is NOT hot in Prescott. Of course I packed for warm weather and it never got above 62 all weekend. My WONDERFUL friend Sheila loaned me half her wardrobe and she and Hermon made us feel like family!!!...Hello to so many new friends I have made in Arizona. They say Texas is friendly, But Arizona might have us beat! ...The Phippen show was a good one for me this year....I cannot wait to go back...but now it's on to Sedona to paint all day tomorrow, then we go down the road to Amarillo for some painting in the Palo Duro with a great group of painters...then HOME!!!!!!! YAY!....I love America, and seeing all I can...Thank God for the USA and happy Memorial Day

21

"21 of 24 in 24 Hours-Last Day on the Farm"__Auction Starts June 1

Welcome to the new friends I have looking in today!!!...I painted one last day on the farm, recently on April 20-21. Please look back on blog posts from the past couple of weeks as I have shared the paintings one at a time, giving a preview before I auction them off....starting June 1.This painting was about the time when the sky was lifting and the sun began to shine....My very last day to paint the farm was coming into its last hours and I started to get a little bit sad about it. The cows resumed their routine from the far pasture....OH, DID YOU KNOW that if you click on this picture, you cans see a bigger image???
Tomorrow is the last day of the Phippen Museum Western Art Show. I have had an amazing time here...THANKYOU to all my new friends and people I have had the great joy of sharing many laughs with!!!!! The quick-draw auctions today were a BLAST...The weather finally cleared up,...I got to meet and talks with some of the finest western artists in the country! It is Artist Heaven out here!

20 of 24 in 24 Hours

"20 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm" Auction starts June 1 on the last 24

No sun, yet as I got into the later hours of 24 paintings in 24 hours...The light was flat, but I enjoyed the challenge of "seeing" something interesting, even though it was a drab morning.....see the previous BLOG entries for the other 19 I have posted so far...I will start to let these go on June 1.

***NEWS - Right now and for the next week I will be in Arizona. Tonight , at the Phippen Museum Western Art Show, I was awarded 3rd place for oil painting...Chris Morel from Taos who is a good friend and sat at my table won third...I tried to trade ribbons with him, but he liked his blue better than my yellow. My friend Denise won the pastel award and many other friends were honored, too! I'm in booth 76, if you are in the area!

19 of 24 in 24 hours

"19 of 24_Last Day on the Farm"....Auction starts June 1

After a few hours sleep in Britta and Glen Herzog's barn, I left Lin~da and Teri sleeping while I got up to try to catch the sunrise at the farm...one last time....It was April 21, Lin~da's BIRTHDAY! Only a loyal friend would sleep on a barn floor and keep her pal company for 24 hours straight! She and Teri are life-long BEST friends, and I am the lucky one who gets to be the third wheel!...I enjoyed the solitude that morning...too overcast for sunrise color, so I "zoomed in" on some distant trees...workshop note: if the light is bad and the contrasts are weak, zoom in on something that has interesting shape or forms...these are a couple of the trees I often painted in the distance below the pens, but I peinted them from a different angle, at all times of the day and all seasons.

I am in Prescott, AZ this weekend for the Phippen Museum Western art show....Please come see me in booth 76, by the gazebo!

****Last Year on the Farm news!...The exhibit is getting many visitors in Rockport! It will be there until June 14.

***Click here to read the American Artist Interview about the "Last Year..."

***Austin Monthly Magazine has a whole spread featuring all 24 of these LAST 24 in 24 hours in the June issue, on sale now. Please tell me if you see it! It wasn't on news stands when I left town, but it is now!

18 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours

Last of the Moon!

When I painted 24 paintings in 24 hours for my Last Day on the Farm, this ws the last of the moon...it disappeared for the night after this...the clouds closed in. See the blog and scroll down to see the first 18...stay tuned for the last 6 of the 24!

Bid on this and the other 23 starting June 1! See all 24 in the June issue of Austin Monthly Magazine, which should be out now, though I am in Prescott, Arizona for the Phippen Museum Western Art Show!

Oh...one more thing!!! My "story" is featured on the American Artist Magazine web site this week!

http://www.myamericanartist.com/pleinair.html Please take a look and tell me what you think...they tell the story from a different perspective!

17 of 24 in 24 Hours

"17 of 24" Last Day on the Farm_____Click above to bid!

This one, the one before it and the one to come after it, were all started within 15 minutes of each other. I painted them FAST and furiously, because I could tell the sky was closing up for good over the moon for the night. I worked the area around the moon, then it changed, so I started the next one, then IT changed...in about 25 minutes the moon was covered and I took a few minutes to finish three paintings at once!...Still buzzing with adrenaline, and maybe a little bit of shrimp chile relleno, I persuaded my buddies, Lin~da and Teri to PAINT with me...so I gave them a "Chicken Clinic"!!! You have to take a workshop from me to learn what a "Chicken Clinic" is...I will tell you this...It is a way I PROVE that ANYONE can be an oil painter!

***TRY IT in Amarillo! My friend, Denise Mahlke and I will teach a one day workshop ful of demos in Amarillo, at the Palo Duro Canyon NEXT WEEK (Friday, May 30)...E-mail me if you wnat to sign up, it's only $50 for two great "show-offs" demo-ing the SAME COMPOSITION in oils and pastels at the same time...should be fun !!!

***Between now and then, I will be at the Phippen Museum Western Art Show in Prescott, AZ...please come by and see my latest paintings!!! Sat, Sun and Mon (Memorial Day)at the Courthouse in Prescott, AZ. BOOTH 76

16 of 24 in 24 Hours

"16 of 24" Last Day on the Farm____auction starts JUNE 1

This was the most amazing ring around the moon! The whole sky seemed alive, that night. By the time I painted this one, I was really tired, and had been at it for about 15 hours. I was tired, but my second wind kicked in when the moon gave me a GREAT show, before disappearing behind the clouds...

I PROFOUNDLY APOLOGIZE to those of you waiting to bid on this last 24 farm paintings! I have decided to start the auction on June 1. Between now and then I will post them all, one by one, as a "preview"...then I will start again at #1 and repost them with the auction link, which will last a week. ALSO, you can see them all together in the June issue of Austin Monthly Magazine. It will be on the news stands any day now!!!

American Artist Magazine interviewed me this week, and will feature "Last Year on the Farm" in a little story on their web site THURSDAY. I will have a direct link there tomorrow.

Today I drive to Arizona for the Phippen Museum Western Art Show. Hard to believe it has already been a YEAR!

Now....about this moon painting!...

15 out of 24 in 24 Hours

"15 of 24 Paintings in 24 Hours" My Last dy on the Farm____Bid on this one Monday

The moon is much higher compared to yesterday's painting, because we went and ate dinner at the great Ramos Restaurant, in Manor. If you live near Austin , Try Ramos' shrimp chile relleno!

My husband and my friend Lin~da like the fish tacos...my son likes the chonchanga, whatever that is....back to the moon....note the heavy sky in this painting....I like the difference between this "Last Day 24 " paintings of the moon, compared to the "Winter Day 24" paintings of the moon. The entire color of the sky is different, even though the moon and time of night is the same!

***TODAY is the Artist Reception at the Rockport Center for the arts. I will be there from 4 - 7 pm, and give a talk at 4:30 and be there to answer questions, sign books and visit . But the STAR of the day is the 365 paintings of "Last Year on the farm". Please try to see the exhibit, which will be there until June 14.

14 of 24 paintings in 24 Hours

'14 of 24 in 24" from my "Last Day on the Farm"______Auction on the 24 starts Monday!

Same Location as yesterday's post....same story as yesterday's post! But compare the paintings and see how different the "light" is after just a few minutes! I painted 6 moon paintings in this series, and each one is UNBELIEVEABLY unique!!! You'll see!

Monday I will start putting ebay links on the posts for the last 24 paintings, so that I can sell them! It will be an auction for each painting, with a new one added every day. You will have a week or so to bid on these, if you want one. I am expecting some to sell for CHEAP (because people will miss them) so keep your eyes peeled!

I am headed to Rockport today to paint with some friends and get a sneak preview of the "Last Year on the Farm " exhibit hanging at the Rockport Center for the Arts! Will I see you there, Saturday? If not PLEASE try to go while the show is up, now thru June 14. ...It's still not too late to plan to follow me around for a morning "en plein air" in Rockport. I will do demos and tach a little workshop...and I'll bring the Kolaches, Barbara!

13 of 24 in 24 hours : The Last Day

"13 of 24 in 24 hours : The Last Day"_____for sale on MONDAY..check BLOG for auction link

As I prepared to post this last night, some AWFUL weather happened, and I had to take the computer downstairs! ..

But this starts the moonlight paintings from my "Last Day on the Farm". After completing the one before (see yesterday's post), we waited and waited and waited...the moonrise was to be at 8 or so, I forgot the exact time. I painted the foreground, which was at the edge of the tank, where the cows drink. The sky was heavy and thick and once I got as far as I could, the moon still was not showing, so I figured the clouds were too thick!...so we went to drop stuff off at the Herzog's barn (where we had made camp for the night) and as soon as we pulled up THERE IT WAS! This big red moon on the rise! Because we were starving, and Ramos Restaurant in Manor was calling our name, I made mental notes and painted the moon (and reflection) after dinner!

***ROCKPORT, TX this weekend! I will be there to do a demo or two Saturday morning. Come watch! Or come paint with me and a few others at a little mini workshop! From 4-7 there's a nice Artist's Reception at the Art Center, and a "Gallery Talk" at 4:30...hope to see you there! e-mail me for info

12 of 24 in 24 Hours

"Last Day on the Farm_12 of 24 in 24 Hours"_____Auction starts Monday, May 19

After painting all day, FINALLY some "color" and contrast came, just before sunset. There were a couple ducks flying by before settling on the tank for the night... Soon, the moon would be up...The next SIX PAINTINGS will feature the AMAZING MOON we had that night...my Last Day on the Farm.

My friends keeping me company became a little loopy about now, and drove around the pasture like George Washington crossing the Potomac....you have seen the illustrations, right? Standing tall in the canoe...Hand shading the eyes...now imagine that in a pickup truck....

After I finished this one, we went to the BEST MEXICAN Restaurant in Manor...RAMOS'.

I will start auctioning these last 24 on MONDAY, May 19...Watch for details!

****Please make your way to Rockport, if you can! Come Saturday, May 17 to say hello to me, or any time between May 14 and June 14...the art is there, all 365 Farm Paintings...The Texas Country Reporter told the story better than I EVER could! I hope to have a link to their great story, soon...Bob's questions were good ones, very pertinent, and really drew the emotion out of the story...and me. Much of the time he had a tear in his own eye, so I tried to not look at him ;)

The Shady Shed

"The Shady Shed"________8x10__________$300 if you ask first!

This is a mama by the woodshed...we have all been there!

Happy Mother's Day to EVERYONE who is or has one!...I just got back from delivering the farm art to Rockport, for the opening of "Last Year on the Farm"...

This painting above was a demo at the workshop in Marble Falls, TX last week. The real lesson here was using a LIMITED PALETTE of only four paint colors. I worked from one of my photos of our beloved farm.

It was nearly done at the demo, but you who were there can now see the "carved out cows" as I brought the background in around them to show better forms.

Did anyone catch my spot on the Texas Country Reporter? I must say, they did a beautiful story...I did cry a little...will talk more about it tomorrow.

***PLEASE come to the reception in Rockport, TX, next Saturday, May 17, from 4 - 7. I will give a little talk at 4:30. Come early in the day to watch the demos and follow us around as we paint, or TAKE THE WORKSHOP and paint with me! I hold nothing back at workshops, and tell you ALL MY SECRETS!...well except ONE! ;)

The show will be there from May 14 - June 14.

11 of 24 paintings in 24 Hours

"Last Grazing Before Sunset".......6x8 oil on linen ...on sale May 15

As I neared the halfway point of painting 24 paintings in 24 hours for my Last Day on the Farm, I saw the cows hurry back into the near pasture, and graze all they could before it began to get dark. (Wait till you see the moonlight paintings from this series!).

**THIS WEEKEND! The Texas Country Reporter features a story about my Last Day on the Farm. Here is a list of stations all over Texas and Louisiana. http://www.texascountryreporter.com/show_time.htm I hope you get to watch it!

My son will see it Saturday, but I have to wait till Sunday...Happy Mother's Day!

Corral Melt

"Corral Melt" 6 x 8 oil on linen panel still wet $190

Here is another one from my Marble Falls Workshop. This was a demo, and, just looking at it brings to mind all the little "lessons" learned! Pre-mixing the colors, editing the "too -busy" photo, adding info from another photo...aa lot was learned in the painting of this little scene!

I like the outcome so much that I will use this one as a study for a big painting to take to an upcoming show!

**Be sure to watch The Texas Country Reporter this weekend! I will be featured painting the "Last Day on the Farm"...click here to find the station and time in your area!

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/show_time.htm

Seven Strokes in Marble Falls

"Seven Strokes in Marble Falls"....8 x 6...$150 juicy wet!

I taught a workshop this week in Marble Falls, TX. We had a very fun group of serious artists, who wanted to end the week with a "Seven Stroke" painting! Each one came out UNIQUE! We created whole new species of egret...things!

There were a lot of laughs as we broke the rules ...my painting here was seven strokes plus 10.

So, WELCOME to the BLOG, my new friends!

Please keep in touch and tell me if you want me to stop sending the blog mail.

**Watch me on Texas Country Reporter this weekend. CLICK HERE for show times.

10 of 24 in 24 Hours-Last of the Sandhills

"10 of 24 in 24 Hours - Last Day on the Farm"....sale starts May 15

The sun started braking through at the end of the day and some visitors came by! Doug and Mary Milligan (who practically adopted me in High School!) stopped by to hang out for an hour or so, which was a really nice break for me! I painted 5 or 6 while listening to a ballgame on the radio just before they came!

While standing by the trucks talking, I saw this great group of sandhill cranes approaching. They flew nearly overhead. These MUST have been the VERY last group of the year to head north! ...about a month later than the early groups of cranes...procrastinators, for sure! It was fun to see the excitement of my friends there, watching this string of graceful wildlife...a familiar sight on my farm...much more meaningful when shared with friends!!!

DON'T FORGET!!! THIS WEEKEND is the airing of my interview with the Texas Country Reporter. In Austin it will be at 7:30 am on KEYE-42. Click here for a station in your area.

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/show_time.htm

I will be in Rockport, delivering the 365 Farm Paintings. As I type this, my son, Tanner and his pal Adrian are driving a mini-van from Enterprise back from the Bone Creek Museum in NE.

Yes, a couple of cool college guys in a mini van...I knew it would keep the girls away and keep their mind on the job :)

Please e-mail me if you need info on the Rockport Exhibit, Austin Monthly Magazine's story, my upcoming workshops or other news!

Nine out of 24 in 24 hours

"Last day on the Farm - 9 of 24"

This is the deck where I painted from for all those years, particularly the Last Year on the Farm. I loved our old farm house, made of logs (except this North wall), and I had a great studio upstairs, which I really miss.

Nine down...17 to go! Stay tuned!

***NEWS! I invite EVERYONE to join me on Saturday, May 17 in Rockport Texas. At 4 pm there will be an Artists Reception at the Art Center followed by a gallery talk (4:30) featuring the ENTIRE exhibit of my "Last Year on the Farm". The show runs from May 14 - June 14 . The Rockport Center for the Arts is a BEAUTIFUL venue, right on the waterfront, surrounded by beach on one side and docked shrimp boats on the other. It is flooded with natural light and the small paintings will be beautiful there! I will have plenty of BOOKS on hand or click here to read about it http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/196927ON THE AIR! Click to know where to see the upcoming Texas Country Reporter interview. On May 10 or May 11 (Mother's Day!) my interview with Bob Phillips will be on the air in Texas. Soon after that it will be all over the country on the RFD-TV network. For the Texas station in your area click here, and PLEASE watch on May 10 / 11...25 TV stations in Texas and Shreveport, LA air this great program.

Leonard

"Leonard"__________-11x14 oil on Linen__________Not for SALE

Leonard and Ella Fae and their family lived alongside ours on the farm. Leonard came to work for Pa LONG ago and stayed with him building the Gault Dairy Farm for 57 years, or so!

Saturday, Leonard died...a real shock to our family.

He was a tall, dignified man, with the largest, strongest hands I EVER saw. A TRUE Farmer...I loved that his birthday was the same day as my oldest son, Tanner.

I painted this one today, from a photo I took out the back window one day, while watching Leonard and Pa get some equipment out of the barns...He was sitting here, with his yellow gloves on, taking a breather before going to pick up more hay, I think....

Leonard was a godly man, and we are pretty sure he and Pa are discussing creation with the Lord right about now....

8 of 24 Last Day on the Farm

8 of 24"Last Day on the farm" : Uphill Surrounded.....I may keep this one !

This might be my favorite one from the 24 paintings I did in 24 hours of my Last Day on the Farm. While I painted from the hood of my pick-up truck, the whole herd moved by, then uphill to surround Teri's truck where she and Linda sat. They were lounging in the bed with all the ice chests and goodies and the cows startled them! I enjoy fielding their questions, long into the night, about cows and cow behavior....I think two new farmer girls were born that day!!!

...Just received some sad, sad news related to the farm....I'll share tomorrow :(

Seven of 24 paintings in 24 hours

"Graze-By" #7 of 24 in 24_____for sale on May 15

This looks like a solo cow, but she grazed nearby with 50 pals as I painted for 24 hours 2 weeks ago. I will post all 24 paintings from now on till they are done!

This was my fasest painting of the cows. I actually scribbled this one out in about 20 minutes and planned to go back to "finish" it after dark. When I went back, though, I LIKED IT "as is"...a lesson to ALL YOU PAINTERS out there....S T O P!! before over working a good thing....

Read earlier posts this week for other new news! But...

Here is the LATEST!

AUSTIN MONTHLY MAGAZINE is doing a little story (mostly PICTURES!) of this LAST 24 hours on the farm. It will feature all 24 paintings...The June issue comes out in mid-May.