Morning Star-East of Rugby

Morning Star East of Rugby, ND___6x8 oil on linen___for Passing America ...exhibit opens in October 2011

I took the Amtrak Empire Builder train from St. Paul, MN to Shelby MT last week and after a night of beautiful full moon views, we had a spectacular sunrise! I painted in a fury, doing small canvas sketches, putting down "color notes". After 2 or 3 of these I realized that the light was staying very consistent, and the sun didn't seem to move! First, the clouds helped, by keeping the sun out of my eyes. But I noticed that the sun never really came UP in the sky! My friend, Sarah described it well: "In the winter, the sun stays at "eye level" all day!" TRUE! In the south (where I live) the sun comes up at a lower angle in the winter, but it still comes up. In Montana last week, though, It stays low and runs across the sky, rather than "up". THIS WAS GREAT for me, the artist, who enjoys long, strong shadows. The reds and golden colors lasted longer, it seemed to me!
For the next two weekends, I will be in Rockport, TX, teaching some of my "quick-draw" techniques! JOIN US!...info below

***WORKSHOP in Rockport! ***
Here are the basics, but email me if you want more info...this is an intensive one-day study workshop to equip you to move forward...(plus optional Saturday am paintout)
Sketching and Pushing Color from Dawn til Dark
FRIDAY, Feb 4 (with an optional Saturday morning paint-out)
7am at Cove Harbour til albout noon, and 4:30 – 7 pm
also, Sat 7am at Charlotte Plummers
Seeing and sketching fast…with pencils, sketchbooks, brush on panels,
$100 for members, $125 for non

St. Cloud to Staples

St. Cloud to Staples__Passing America___6x8 oil on linen____for the show in October

Sometime in the night (1:02 am in fact!), I was snuggled in my Amtrak sleeper bed, looking out the window with my sketchbook...I had given up trying to PAINT from the viewing car....was not used to the "motion" of the train, and frankly, I was a little tired! I had been up since 4 am the morning before. So I arranged my bed so I could lay down with my sketchbook and see the farms going by at night. Of course, this gave me a "second wind"...I stayed up through the night, sketching almost the whole time. I can tell by my time log that I must have taken cat naps! There are some big gaps between 1-5 am, but I OFTEN just looked out the window and memorized colors and compositions....THIS ONE above was painted the following day, using my sketch and memory....The porch light was illuminating the trees in the yard of this farm house.
To read about my project Passing America: The Great Plains click the link.

***WORKSHOP in Rockport! ***
Here are the basics, but email me if you want more info...this is an intensive one-day study workshop to equip you to move forward...(plus optional Saturday am paintout)
Sketching and Pushing Color from Dawn til Dark
7am Cove Harbour-noon and 4:30 – 7 pm
also, Sat 7am at Charlotte Plummers
Seeing and sketching fast…pencils, sketchbooks, brush on panels,
$100 for members, $125 for non
Phase of the Moon on 4 February: waxing crescent with 3% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.

Moonset West of Rugby, ND

Moonset West of Rugby, ND__6x8 oil on linen panel___for Passing America: the Great Plains

This leg of my journey across the plains doing "drive-by" paintings, was chosen so that I could find some SERIOUS WINTER. ...and wanting to find snow, but not endanger my driver! I chose well! Minnesota to Montana in mid-January is a guaranty for snowy landscapes. A few weeks ago, it had been -30 in these parts, so I was blessed to have much milder weather. It was 7 in this part of North Dakota this day!

I also chose this PARTICULAR winter day because of the moon phase and the Amtrak schedule. Whether traveling east to west or west to east, the MN to MT Empire Builder route travels half the time in the dark. My mission is to paint on the move, so I need LIGHT to see. I chose a day when the moon would be full, and I would have opportunity to see reflected light off the snow....After a night spent sketching put the window from my bed in the sleeper car, with my buddy, Rhonda on the top bunk, we were gifted with a beautiful and brief moonset peaking through the clouds.

We passed many little farms at night. I viewed them all night long....sometimes the train would stop near their towns, other times we would pass on by...more about that tomorrow

***Oh, yes!!! About that moonset from the train! All night long I monitored the full moon. I sketched it's reflection on ponds (...I THINK they were ponds!), noted the deep shadows on the snow, and watched it track across the sky....THEN I LOST IT!!!...at about 6 am I noticed it was "gone", and I did not think it was due to clouds, but rather the direction we traveled! The train veered a little bit and I assumed the moon was right in front of us... Thinking I wouldn't see it again, I settled in to do other things when Rhonda came runing through the train, leaving her breakfast, to tell me she spotted it going down! THAT IS WHY I was able to paint this one!!! THANK YOU, RHONDA!!! (And hey....running down a narrow aisle of a moving train ain't easy!)

St Cloud, MN

St Cloud, Minnesota__6x8 oil on linen panel___for Passing America exhibit in October 2011
This little sketch was painted just outside of St. Cloud, MN, while Passing America...it was almost midnight, the moon was full, but in and out of hazy clouds. The little farmhouse was blanketed with a recent snow, but the glow of the lights reminded me of the many nights I woke at our farm, to see lights on and tractors being moved for the day's work on our farm.
My southern eyes had trouble adjusting to these new colors of night in the great white north....Hey Rhonda, this is what "I saw" when I smooshed those three colors onto this first canvas of many! Of course I tweaked it when I got home. Thank you for being polite when I showed it to you before the tweaking!

I have been planning this trip for over a year, and now it's DONE! The "northern leg" of my Great Plains adventure came off without a (major) hitch, and was WAY MORE than I could have hoped for! Get ready, because I am about to post A LOT of works from this journey, and the great stories to go with them!
The sketch above was my first painting while passing this part of America. I flew to Minneapolis, MN last Tuesday, and my aunt Yvonne and cousin Jeff and his wife Tricia met me at the airport and brought me to St. Paul....what a WONDERFUL time we had, catching up on old family stories and telling NEW ones! (I have a very large Italian family, so we talked nonstop for about 5 hours and did not make a dent in the news!...I NEED TO GO BACK!) ...cousin Paul came to visit and I was in hog heaven, enjoying Italian food for both lunch AND DINNER that day!...After a little drama with my cell phone, Aunt Yvonne then brought me to the Amtrak station to meet an old buddy, Rhonda, and we took the 11:15 Empire Builder west toward Montana....I will continue the journal tomorrow...

Abiquiu Bluff

Abiquiu Bluff___6x8____for SB
I am headed off to the northern Great Plains tomorrow. A fantastic trip I have planned for over a YEAR is finally going to happen!
Here is the "itinerary" in brief:
From St. Paul, MN I will take the Amtrak Empire Builder across the plains to Montana!...painting all the way! These will be "drive-by" paintings, many studies, and sketches from the rails. MANY of the works will be under the full moon. I am MOST excited about that part.
My oldest friend in the world (well, she is about my age, but I have known her longer than anyone) is coming along for the ride, and we expect to have a blast on the rails.
I hope to blog a little bit, but if not, there will be PLENTY of new thoughts when I get back, next week.

Jan. 14 and Jan. 15

January 14, Last Year on the Farm__2007

January 15, Last Year on the Farm___2007

To look at these images quickly, they look like the EXACT SAME painting!

When I painted day after day for my exhibit of 365 works called "Last Year on the Farm" I "accidently" painted the same thing twice...almost exactly! On January 15, I picked up the small canvas and looked around for the BEST impression to paint that day on the farm! We were in a stretch of COLD weather and the days were drab. Since I chose this view (forgetting that I had chosen it the day before), I would conclude that THIS VIEW was the best view of our farm on a cold drab day! haha ...In those 365 paintings I OFTEN painted the same scene, but SELDOM the same COMPOSITION of that scene and NEVER on two consecutive days! ....But, actually, if you look hard, you will see differences, even in these two :) I should do a "Where's Waldo"-type contest to see who notices the differences!

The January 14 painting is part of an exhibit in Austin, hanging thru March at Hill Country Bible Church. They have a Balcony Gallery with rotating exhibits. My work is part of the 2020 Retrospective and includes works by David Rigney (Sculptor) and Kathy Miller (Mixed Media, metal and glass and....I like to tell her she works in "wood, hay and stubble"....you Bible readers will understand that one :) Go see the exhibit when you can. It is a beautiful combination of diverse works! Go on Sunday or Call Dee for the rest of the week (512) 577-3339

Today, was our funeral for our beloved Nana, the "Matriarch" of our farm. It was a JOYOUS service at Walnut Creek Baptist Church. The church was started by Pa's parents or grandparents over 150 years ago! It used to take all day to get to Austin (by horseback) from there, and now it is surrounded by Austin. It's a small congregation, a little bit off the beaten path, and has a small cemetery where many of our family "fathers and mothers" are buried . It is on a little hilltop with oak and cedar trees...and now, Nana is buried there, too....

Next week I am off to the NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS!....more on that, tomorrow...I have rambled too much already!

Goodbye Nana

Sept 13-LAst Year onthe Farm

Sept 1-Last Year on the Farm

Nov 15-Last Year on the Farm

Nov. 15 - Last Year on the Farm

Last Year on the Farm___Selections: Nana’s House
Just now we got the phone call that our beloved Nana has passed away. She was the Matriarch of our family’s farm. A beautiful, strong farm woman of 98 1/2 years. Wow….what a life! What a heritage! She was my husband’s maternal grandmother, and I actually had her longer than I had my OWN grandparents.
The paintings above are a few from my “Last Year on the Farm” series of 365 works I did during the year our family had to leave the farm. This was my view from the studio where I lived and worked for nearly 30 years. It is Nana’s house! IT was to the north of us, so the weather seemed to change from that direction: cold fronts, rain systems, and the build-up of summer thunderheads….
There is something special about our grandparents’ homes. They seem safe, and comforting…a REFUGE! Maybe because our earliest memories of grandparents are always filled with love…. and special attention and home cooking! Nana kept a HUGE garden and taught me to can and make jams. She was up before dawn, taking care of Pa who ran the Gault Dairy Farm for over 35 years, milking cows EVERY DAY, TWICE a day(2 am, then 2 pm)without a vacation!
My bedroom window looked out at this same scene, and MANY nights I lay awake, just watching the activity up at Nana’s place. The lights would be on in the kitchen and I would imagine them getting ready for their day. It was a comforting scene.
On New Year’s Day, last week, ALL our families were together again. Nana at the center of our day! She was not a big lady but had a BIG MEAL! My husband asked if she wanted more and she nodded. He brought her “second helpings” of everything on a plate bigger than one he would eat!....she ate every bite….then a plate full of desserts! We all marveled and were so pleased at her apetite! But sometime in the night as she slept, she had a stroke and never woke up….so we have been on watch ever since. Doctors said she would pass on in a day or two, but our Nana stayed for 10 days! What a woman….what a gift from God! Nana’s passing was sweet. She loved Jesus 

Boatyard-State 1

Boatyard-State 1____20x60 oil on linen_____wondering where to put the birds?
Well, it's way too soon to post this one, but I NEEDED to post SOMETHING today to have an excuse to apologize for the "sideways" painting I posted yesterday. It was a Blogger glitch and I simply could NOT get the picture to go in there right....I had hoped no one would notice. Those of you who get my art in an e-mail were MOSTLY polite about it! There were a few "sassy" comments, which I deserve, and my evil nature will remember and reciprocate asap! haha

This painting is a work similar to the Harbor painting posted a few days ago. I wanted to see the focus on the boats...These are the basic colors, laid down to get me started...I have a LOT MORE to do and likely will not finish it till I get back from the North Plains (see yesterday's post)...But I do have an "audience participation" question, especially for you artists here: Where would YOU put the (necessary) birds? I have my plan, but would love to hear or see YOURS!

Abiquiu Sage_16x20

This painting will be on the way to Act I Gallery in Taos as soon as I make a few oil changes....I used the same reference as another painting I did recently, but backed out to shw more sky....I think I like this one better....

I have been quiet about my big Plains project, lately. Soon and VERY soon, I will be updating that blog with info about recent stages of the project, but NEXT WEEK, I will embark on the most adventurous part! Since I have been"Passing America" I have gathered images and studies of the south and central American Plains, and now it's time to take on the NORTHERN plains.

Past trips were done by car with special friends and suporters accompanying me aand driving while I painted in the passenger eat.

I am doing a series of "drive-by" paintings, PASSING by along our northern border in the deepest part of winter! I will paint impressions of our American Great Plains while passing by on the Amtrak Empire Builder, from St. Paul, MN to the western part of Montana. Much of the trip will be at night, and I am supposing that the snow will be reflective enough that I will be able to see beautiful snowy plains to paint.

Uh oh! I just heard from a friend in Montana that the temerature is predicted to be -40 that week! I hope this Texan will hold up OK!

Harbor Flight

Harbor FLight___24x18 oil on linen___for Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, unless you want it first

I have been in the studio this week, preparing for upcoming shows and travels. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is in Charleston, SC each year and I am almost finished preparing for it. This one is actually a "study" for a larger canvas I am working on...I like working out problems in paint. When I finish the study, I usually "wish there was more"....all the time spent "in the scene" FINALLY comes together at the end and it's hard to "put down the brush" (If you are an artist, you KNOW......this is why we sometimes OVERWORK a painting). Rather than overworking, I prefer to just do another one, to "FINISH" the mood! It's sort of like reading a good book or getting engrossed in a good movie. Just when you get into the story and the characters, the movie ends!....This painting has not "ended" for me, yet....there will be a sequel! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

oat

Century Tree-State 1

Century Tree_State 1_____for JP

Well I delivered this painting before remembering to take a photo of the final state....Here it is with a heavy emphasis on the warm underpainting...and contrasts are flat...but it was painted as a special Christmas present from J to A....a scene of where he proposed !...

Merry CHRISTmas, y'all!

Bluebonnet Stream 2

Bluebonnet Stream 2___6x8 oil on linen panel___wet today, dry for CHRISTmas!__$250 includes shipping
I halway expect the fllowers to start blooming! It is 85 DEGREES in Texas today!!! I am still in the midst of a week of little studies...solving bluebonnet problems! See my blog for the past three or 4 days of posts...these little works are good examples of painting shapes and colors and having the outcome look like something! Click the blog image to see the juicy details! MERRY CHRISTMAS from Texas!!!

Bluebonnet Stream 1

Bluebonnet Stream 1____6x8 oil on linen___will be dry for Christmas! $250 includes shipping
Saturday I mentioned that I have spent a few days solving "bluebonnet problems". The problems I am working on involve the little bluebonnet flower...they are very detailed, but as an Impressionist, I try not to dabble in all the details, but rather I try to create the impression of the big batch of blue! Here is one of three of the same scene I painted. They are all real JUICY and full of color. click the blog image to see the thick paint! But the paint will be dry by CHRISTmas!...MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Bluebonnet Stream 3

Bluebonnet Stream 3 ___6x8 oil on linen___$250 delivered for Christmas!

Blue Path

Blue Path___6x8___$250 includes Christmas shipping!!
It's Christmas time in Texas and everywhere! This week, I painted a little batch of paintings which are similar to my most POPULAR works in 2010....our great Texas Bluebonnet!
These will be shown JUST THIS ONCE, and then I will take them to one of my Galleries, where they will be framed and cost more! Ha! I hope you enjoy a little springtime at Christmas!...stay tuned!

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!

Conference

Conference___8x10 oil on linen panel____Christmas commission for K
I LOVED doing this one, because it is getting close to baseball season again....already!
I also like the scene, so typical of baseball !
I have not posted a lot lately, because I am working on many details of many projects! Some are art oriented, some are family!....ALL GOOD!
If you are an artist and want to come to a workshop next year, I have a few different ones to choose from that would make a GREAT CHRISTMAS gift to self! Think Texas Hill Country, in early springtime and late spring!
I have a very exciting painting excursion coming up next month. It's another leg of my project
PASSING AMERICA: THE GREAT PLAINS. This leg will take me through the northern-most tier of our American Great Plains in the deep winter-time under the full moon! Can you imagine?...I will be talking about it a lot....get ready!!

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.

Moonset Morning

Moonset Morning__8x6 oil on linen panel__available next week at Wind Rush Gallery, Sedona, AZ

Last week we had a full moon! I was out with some friends and we saw the moonset through the clouds. I grabbed a small canvas and "took notes"....the fall colors were just about at their peak in South Texas. I know that might be hard to believe for you folks who live up where Winter is :)

Lion

Lion__oil on linen panel 8x6__$250
Here's a study... I will probably take it with me to an upcoming wildlife show. The lion was seen just walking across a causeway in South Africa, and the sun was hitting him just right. I have had this photo (from a friend/artist in South Africa, Liz Pearson) for about a year, and have been wanting to paint it! I just came upon it in my laptop files (which are all in different order since I had the laptop "fixed"....THANK YOU, E....!), so maybe the dis-order helped me locate this photo to work from! THANK YOU, LIZ, for the photo!!!

Click the image to see some detail!

Above Abiquiu

Above Abiquiu, New Mexico__16x20__available at Act I Gallery, Taos, NM
This area of New Mexico is where Georgia O'Keefe lived and worked. It is still a remote and beautiful place. I started this one last summer and just got around to finishing it....Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! No matter what you are going through, there is SOMETHING to be thankful for...even good old memories :)

Alfie on Avocado

Alfie on Avocado__8x10 oil on panel____SOLD...a commission for J and J
Alfie was a beloved pet for my friend J in Arizona. Her favorite "shot" of him was a small black and white snapshot of him on his favorite couch. J gave me this photo and a few color snapshots to work from....I have a little more work to do on Alfie, (now that I can see him here, I see some "atmosphere" things I want to adjust). I painted Alfie in color, using those few faded photos. I am not REAL sure about his coloring but from the look of the couch in black and white, and the setting of the photos which looked like the 1970's, I guessed that the couch was that famous pigment called "avocado green"....

Strider

Strider__8x10 oil on linen panel___commission for Strider's family
So at Christmas time I finish up all the year's commission's and this week has been "dog week"! Strider , here was "compiled" from several of his family photos: use this one for his smile, this one for his bandana, this one for his "pose"....which means I did a preliminary sketch first, for approval. I really enjoy that kind of "art direction"...one of my favorite things when I was a "commercial artist", (aka graphic designer) was sitting with a client and hearing their "vision" which, if they could illustrate it, they WOULD! I enjoyed the challenge of FIRST hearing them correctly, then creating whatever it was that they had in mind. ...Strider
is gone, now, so this painting will be a memory forever. I think it's so important to "bless" the family with a meaningful painting.
I LOVE dogs...our new little Junor (aka Puppypuppypuppy) is in my lap as I type this, and Maria is at my feet!! Here is a really neat youtube video that PERFECTLY describes WHY we love dogs :) (thanks Pam!).....as soon as Strider dries, I will ship him "home"....

Luna

Luna___10x8 oil on linen panel for Tina
Here is another painting for Tina, whom I mentioned yesterday. This one is Luna, her other beloved Chow...I am still making a few minor little "oil changes" on Luna, but...here ya go!

Mars Dog

Mars___10 x 8 oil on linen panel____for Tina
I met Tina at the Easton Waterfowl Festival in Maryland. She owns a couple of the prettiest chow dogs EVER, and I am lucky enough that Tina let me paint them for her! Here is her big boy Mars...great name!...I have a few "Ear-justments" to make, but will ship Mars off later in the week...
For you artists looking in: Thick fur can seem like a scary thing to try to paint...the secret is to see BIG SHAPES, rather than long individual hairs....each shape has its own color and value...if you mix color carefully, and draw the shapes well, you'll get it!

Our Lady at La Bahia

Our Lady of Loreto__at La Bahia___see framed version below...for Whistle Pik Miniatures Show
This is the final miniature for my grouping of paintings for the Whistle Pik Miniatures Show, opening next week in Fredericksburg, TX. The canvas I used is a small piece of linen and it is hand cut and a little bit "rustic" looking...goes well with the frame :)
There is a niche in the front of the chapel at La Bahia (you can see it indicated in the painting I posted a few days ago...click here to see it below the cross on the right...here is a detail and some info from the La Bahia web site....

Located in the niche above the chapel entrance is the statue of Our Lady of Loreto sculpted by Lincoln Borglum, of Mt. Rushmore fame. This centuries-old chapel was where Fannin's men were held during part of their captivity before being massacred. The First Declaration of Texas Independence was signed inside the chapel

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

Junior

Junior___a sketch of our new "baby"___see real guy below
A lot has happened since my high school senior son's first football game at the end of August! On that night my daughter's dog had puppies....6....Here is what has happened since then, which explains why I have not posted much!...Wedding showers for older son, company came, football game, puppies eyes opened, booster club meetings every Monday, plan rehearsal dinner, newspaper announcements, invitations to various, two out of town football games in a row, then a wedding the next day, start ebay auction of sketchbook, return wedding stuff, homecoming parade, puppies are almost paper trained, but need to go outside and play a lot, ...so fun!!...feed football player great volumes of food, gather videos for football recruiting highlight film, ship art to Nebraska for Plains Artist show (I won 3rd!), deliver art to Parade of homes, drive to Dallas area for art show, I back out when I got there because of tornado threat, spent day at the art museum, football injury!...is it broken?, deliver big box of art to Taos,... no, just sprained...whew!...reply to all those recruiting e-mails, to college in New York ? no thank you!, California?, no thank you...got anything in Texas, please? Shots for 6 puppies, then homes for 5...how did we end up with the runt?, he was the cutest! Decided that daughter is a better salesman than I thought, as she steered the interested parties to the other puppies...now we are "stuck" with the runt....which brings me to today's sketch. Meet JUNIOR! I sketched him while on the phone to Amanda in Nebraska, today....usually he has one ear up! ...I am teaching him to fetch...between football games....Thank you to those who have asked "where are you???"...I will be back to the easel regularly THIS WEEK...after the football game!

ARUN

ARUN__sketch for my friend!
I hope my friend is in bed, but she is a late night person like me...we walk together every morning, so I will give this to her, then....it is a sketch of her son, Arun (rhymes with "maroon", the color of our football team)....Last time we played, 2 weeks ago, Arun caught a couple of my son's passes for touchdowns! Since then, we have had a "bye week", and now our team is all healthy for the big game tomorrow!...there is nothing quite like Texas 5A High School Football! It includes more than just the game: big bands, we have a state champion drum line that plays the whole game...drill team, dances, cheerleaders, mascots, color guard, HUGE inflated mascot that the football guys run through...It is a great time for the communities...and, of course the young people LOVE IT!
My son is the quarterback...here is his "highlight film"...it's a work in progress!
My upcoming schedule is below...
Oct. 32...THIS SATURDAY The Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie, TX...come see me!
Nov. 17-18 (Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would count as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School

October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011
"Passing America: The Great Plains"

I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Tonito

Tonito___oil on panel__5x5 mini ____for Whistle Pik Christmas Miniatures Show

I have a small grouping of miniatures for the annual Whistle Pik Miniatures Show next month. Here is the first one.
Tomorrow is the last day of the ebay OFFERING of my Colorado Sketchbook. It is pricey, but a genuine work of art that spanned several weeks in Colorado. Below is my upcoming schedule for the next few weeks and a couple of important things beyond that. My WHOLE SCHEDULE is on my web site...

October 23.(THIS COMING SATURDAY!) Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie, TX. I'll be there!!
Nov. 17-18 (Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would count as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School

October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011

"Passing America: The Great Plains"



I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Tono Dulce

Tono Dulce___30x24 oil on linen___available> On display at Parade of Homes, in Rough Hollow at Lakeway, TX

Parade of Homes is going on now through October 31. The house can be seen HERE (My art is in the house at 301 Bisonet). I provided several paintings for the designer who is a dear NEW friend of mine! This one above, "Tono Dulce" was painted especially for this Mission-style home...maybe the style is more Italian, Tuscan...My friend selected several works to place in various rooms (including a SECRET HIDDEN ROOM!! COOL!!!) When I went to deliver the art, I saw a PERFECT PLACE, so I asked if I could paint this one which I had planned, but not finished!
I turned it out in a hurry, so if you look real hard at the one BELOW, you sill see IMPORTANT changes that I will do when I get it back in a week or so! For now it hangs as below, but FINIDHE, it will look more like the painting above...thank you, Photoshop!

Tono Dulce___State 1

My Schedule:

October 23.(THIS COMING SATURDAY!) Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie, TX. I'll be there!!

Nov. 17-18 Workshop...(Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would cout as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School

October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011

"Passing America: The Great Plains"



I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Tono Suave__mission bell, dove

Tono Suave__24x24 oil on linen___available



Goliad is a sacred place to Texans, the place where Col. James Fannin and over 300 of his men surrendered in good faith to General Santa Anna, who did not spare their lives as he said he would...it was a terrible massacre...the same month as the fall of the Alamo! You can read more about it here.
This is one of my favorite places to paint..when I am here EVERYTHING seems to "move" my spirit, from the quiet meadows nearby, to the presidio courtyards. The gentle cooing of the white-winged doves is constant, as is the soft sounds from the bell tower....so I titled this one "Tono Suave", which means "Gentle Sound"...



Oct. 21 (Thursday) ALL DAY…till moonrise…..Rockport, TX email quick if you can do this one vvaughan8@yahoo.com

Nov. 17-18 (Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would cout as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School

October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011

"Passing America: The Great Plains"



I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Geraniums Redone

Geraniums Re-Done___12 x 12 gallery wrap, ready to hang!___$450

I just got this one back from an event where it had been hanging a while. It is a "juicy" painting with lots of texture. "Gallery Wrap" means it is on a THICK (deep) canvas that wraps around the wooden framework support. It hangs on the wall like this...the edges are painted a dark warm black and is ready to hang!
REMEMBER the ebay sale of my Colorado sketchbook. It is pricey, but contains 30 original drawings, hardbound in an archival sketchbook. Just 5 days left to claim it!

I have some wokshops coming..see the details below!
Oct. 21 (Thursday) ALL DAY…till moonrise…..Rockport, TX email quick if you can do this one vvaughan8@yahoo.com
Nov. 17-18 (Wed.- Thus)….Bryan/College Station, TX vvaughan8@yahoo.com for info
Jan. 27-29 or so…..Rockport, TX ***This one is for ART TEACHERS. It would count as “in service”…continuing education credits and all that. You would sign up for several different workshops and your school ought to be able to pay for it …I am not sure of the dates, but sign up for it is right now, I think! See Rockport Art Center for details! . I am just one of MANY instructors!
June 13-15, 2011…info at Fredericksburg Artists School
October 4-6, 2011 David City, Nebraska in conjunction with the opening of my exhibit on October 7, 2011
"Passing America: The Great Plains"

I also offer PERSONALIZED workshops…if you can round up a group of 10 - 15 , I provide all the literature and info, you just collect the money and organize locations and you get to come FREE!...If I have to travel, the fees would include travel expenses…It works well, and I do this all over the country!

Mountain Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee__6x8 oil on linen panel__$190

This little bird was hopping along on the tops of the sage when I was in Taos...a sweet little bird singing a sweet little song in all the beautiful fall color! Here is a link to the GREATEST site about birds. If you want to drive your own cat or dog crazy, play some of the bird sounds here and laugh out loud when your pet tries to figure it out! heehee

Fall is a great time to paint! I have a few workshops coming up in the next couple weeks. Join us if you can!
SEE MY SCHEDULE for dates and details or E-mail for info vvaughan8@yahoo.com

ALSO, my Colorado Sketchbook is going to be sold this week! 6 days left and hundreds of people have asked about it. I think a few are watching the offering closely. Click the link to see all 30 sketches.
or click this ebay link to see a few sketches and watch the sale end on Thursday.

Strider_dog, sketch

Strider___a sketch for client approval

Strider's family gave me some photos so that I can paint him! Trouble is, there is no photo exactly like the pose they want, so I am combining elements from different photos and hoping that it looks like him! I like this kind of work, because it is more interesting than just copying a photo.

HERE IS SOME NEW NEWS!

-My entry in the American Plains Artists National Juried Show in Lincoln, Nebraska was awarded THIRD PLACE...

-There are still spots in my one day workshop in Rockport, TX, Thus. Oct. 21...a FULL day of "Studies and Sketching"

-My whole Colorado Sketchbook is being sold on ebay...Oct 23 is the end of the sale...GO SEE IT!

-For you football fans: the Round Rock Dragons play Leander Lions in Texas 5-A High School ball Friday night...please pray for the Dragon QB...my favorite player :)

Chamisa Shack

Chamisa Shack__16x20 oil on linen__available at Act I Gallery in Taos...next week

I have not sent this one to Taos, yet, so you are first to know about it!..If it looks familiar, scroll down and you might have seen this sketch which I posted a few weeks ago. I actually did the PAINTING FIRST! It was my field study and has been unfinished till I made some "oil changes" today...now I can call it "done" and will send it off to Taos....the sketch is in my Colorado sketchbook, and I did the sketch to solve some problems in the painting! Click Here to see the whole sketchbook on my web site. RIGHT NOW I am offering the sketchbook for sale. THE WHOLE SKETCHBOOK, with field notes, grocery lists and all! I have never done this before, so I am just going to see what happens. The sale is over on Oct. 23, unless someone does "Buy it Now".

WORKSHOP in Rockport, TX this month. Email me for details! vvaughan8@yahoo.com

click to see and Watch the Sketchbook Sale on Ebay

Geranium Lesson

Geranium Lesson___8x6 oil on linen panel___$190 if R does not want it
Ah, COLOR!...It has been a while since I posted something in COLOR!. I have been "showcasing" my sketches recently, but spent some time teaching last week and here is one that I taught from...
SPEAKING of that, I have a THREE DAY workshop at the Rockport Center for the Arts (on the Texas Coast) later this month. Please e-mail if you want info. vvaughan8@yahoo.com We will work out on location, in the studio, DRAWING and painting and talking about it a LOT! Please join us!
AHHH football! I am posting viseos of my son on my FACEBOOK page. (I am Virginia Pedro Vaughan on FB).
He has been doing well in big time 5-A Texas football. Lots of news clips to link to, this year! That 4 overtime game last week was the talk of the town...this week was a close game, a loss, but he had his best game ever!.
My sketchbook sale continues! See info below... Out of the Canyon__sketch #30 in my Colorado Sketchbook___EBAY sale now, item #140454193056