Friday, March 20, 2009

Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert IX









More Photos from the Plein Aire Painting Workshop
with V....Vaughan
Calvert, Texas
February 21, 2009
Top Photo- The Eloia theatre on Main Street-my start. The two buildings on each side of the theatre, the old Allen Hardware Store and the bank, now the Boll Weevil antique shop, are both green. I thought I was using a lot of beige tones on the Eloia, which is white, but it seemed to look green still. I was looking at the buildings from inside Mud Creek Pottery. This was once my grandfather's dry goods store, Conitz Dry Goods. I spent a lot of hours during my life, looking out this show window as you can read about in previous posts. So this view was special. It was also warm and out of the north wind! This was the point where I stopped as we moved on to paint the sunset. Since then, I have done more on the painting, which I will show in another post.
Second Photo- Barbara's painting of the Masonic Lodge. This building is across Main Street, or Highway 6, from Mud Creek Pottery. Barbara painted it as it is today, without the triangular shape and pole on top of the facade. You can see a bit of the Calvert Hotel across the railroad tracks, behind the Lodge building, in her painting. This is Barbara's photo.
Third Photo- Kerrie's photo of the start of her painting of the Masonic Lodge building. I like the way that she showed the building with her painting in front of it. Looks great, Kerrie!
Fourth Photo- We packed up our equipment at Mud Creek Pottery and headed for the an open area where we could watch the sunset. We intended to paint the sunset, and possibly the moonrise, if we could see it. Barbara selected the road near the Country Club where we could see the sunset, and the light across some weeds that seemed to glow.
But, as it worked out , V.... did another demonstration of painting the sunset, in a cold wind. The rest of us watched, wrapped up in our blankets and coats, and huddled together against cars. That north wind was cold! But we learned as we watched V.... deal with the elements and paint. Due to the nature of the sun going down fast, and the wind blowing things around, V.... chose to not use her easel, but just held her canvas and worked from her palette on the ground.
She is more experienced at working fast and knowing her palette well, which is an advantage in such paintings.

Fifth Photo- Virginia's finished painting of the sunset on the Country Club Road west of Calvert. It's amazing that she could do this while fighting a north wind and the cold. She didn't even seek shelter behind a car, like the rest of us, but only had the protection of her coat while she stood out in the road to paint.
We were startled when a car came down this road, looking like it was heading straight for us. Fortunately, there was a curve and we were on a different road off of the main road, so the car disappeared around the curve beside us!

Thanks to Barbara, Kerrie, and Virginia for use of their photos to help tell the story of the workshop. Now, don't you want to get out and paint something too!?!

Virginia has more workshops coming up, and we plan to have another one in Calvert in October. You can contact me for the one in Calvert, and also about Sketch Crawl April 11. See V....'s blog or website for her workshops and shows in other places. http://www.v-vaughan.com/ or http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com/ . http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrazosValley_Sketchers or the group on FaceBook, Brazos Valley Sketchers .






Ending the Workshop
Sixth Photo- After the sun set, we ended the day with supper at the Dixie Cafe in Hearne. Not the best photo, but it helps to tell the story of the workshop day. Barbara and Kerrie are in this picture, as everyone finished eating and visited.
Seventh Photo- Sonny and Virginia conversing after eating in the Dixie Cafe in Hearne.
Eighth Photo- We had talked of painting on Sunday morning, but, with a forecast of 27 degrees we decided against it. The morning was glorious, though, with sun streaming across wide lawns in the quiet little town. I took the bottom photo through my bedroom window, that's why you see the screen.
We packed our cars and drove to Zamykal Gourmet Kolache shop on Main Street for breakfast. Jody was busy since the program about her on "Texas Country Reporter" was on the morning before and this morning, too. We enjoyed eating our kolaches and visiting with people who came in the shop. And Barbara and V.... took the tour of the shop, while I visited with Pat R.'s wife.
I am hopeful that Reba's research on the old families of Calvert can be found and published, as she had planned before her death.
After breakfast and visiting, we all went our separate ways and headed for home.
It was a very nice, productive weekend, workshop, and experience. And we had it all, in the way of weather conditions to paint and enjoy!
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Scroll down to see previous posts about the beginning of the Plein Aire Painting Workshop.
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Go out to the Robertson County Fair next week in Hearne. I know that the young people are working hard to get their entries in the fair ready to show, and the adults are ready to enter work in such things as the art show, needlework, cooking, etc.
The carnival is always fun, too. Hope that the weather stays nice for them.
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Thank you for reading and sharing!
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Happy Spring!













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