Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert Part VI

Painting Workshop Photos

with

V.... Vaughan

Inside Mud Creek Pottery

Calvert, Texas

We had moved inside Mud Creek Pottery, just ahead of a bit of wind and rain that hit as a cold front moved through. V....taught and we painted as the north wind blew and we listened to the sound of welcome rain outside. The studio and gallery was a great place to work on a cold Saturday.

Top Photo- Barbara and Kerrie talk during the "Chicken Clinic". Kerrie told us about the new baby chicks that she had coming in, just in time for a cold night. I decided that I need to look at some chickens and roosters, even pictures of them, before I try to paint one!

Second Photo- The potter painting. Sonny is an all around talented person, from sculpting and throwing pots, painting signs, to painting and drawing.

Third Photo- SuZan and Toni painting during the "Chicken Clinic". This is an exercise designed to loosen painters up.

Fourth Photo- V.... disonnected her palette from her easel and demonstrated mixing paint for the group.

Fifth Photo- Toni watches V.... as she talked about the shadows formed by the awning across the street on what was once the Western Auto store.

After the workshop, Vaughan assigned homework. So, if you participated, you have some painting to do. Hope you are working on it!

*************

I was so thrilled to have "EastEnders" back on PBS last night! It had been so long since I watched it, that I had to get used to it all over again, it seemed. It felt funny to realize that one of the main characters had, in real life, died and was buried since the last time we got to see the program.

*************

It's been cold and rainy, for which we were glad, but now the sun is out, it's warming up, and I can see the new leaves popping out on the Crepe Myrtle in front of my window.

************

Thanks for reading and sharing. If you haven't signed up for my blog, or for the Brazos Valley Sketchers groups, I hope that you will do so.

**************

Texas Country Reporter Trio

Texas Country Reporter Trio

Saturday February 21, 2009

Calvert, Texas

Pictured left to right, Texas State Artist Finalist, Virginia Vaughan of Round Rock; Jody Powers, owner of Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches in Calvert; and Sonny Moss, owner of Mud Creek Pottery in Calvert.

All three are alumni of the television program, "Texas Country Reporter". They are shown in Mud Creek Pottery on Main Street in Calvert last Saturday.

Moss was featured on the program in 1997. Vaughan was shown going back to paint, one last day, on her family farm after it had been sold, last spring. And Powers was shown in her shop on the weekend of February 21 and 22. The programs can be seen in reruns, and DVDs can be purchased through the "Texas Country Reporter" website.

Vaughan was in Calvert to conduct a Plein Aire Painting Workshop on Saturday.

************

Take a look at Kerrie Kerns' blog, Plein Texas, http://pleintexas.blogspot.com/ to read more about the Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert last weekend. She has some pictures that I didn't get.

Glad you got to come, Kerrie! And thanks for sharing your pictures and experiences.

We're planning on doing another one in October.

***************

I'll add my pictures separately. Meanwhile, they can be seen at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrazosValley_Sketchers .

****************

I was shocked to hear that Wendy Richard died. She was the pretty girl with the Cockney accent on "Are You Being Served. She was also Pauline Fowler on "EastEnders" for over 21 years. In her younger photos, she looked like one of the Mod girls or the James Bond girls. I appreciated the more recent photos that showed her with her beloved Cairn Terriers. It was nice to see clips of tributes to her and one that showed her getting married before her death from cancer. I thought that we would miss her on "EastEnders" when she quit the program. And I hoped that she would go on to do some more interesting projects. I had not heard that she was ill. I guess I will watch "EastEnders", knowing that "Pauline" is really gone, although we haven't reached the part where she left the show through Houston PBS.

*********

The Superbowl

The Superbowl

9" x 12"

pencil

We aren't big sports fans around here. But, my daughter decided that we would have our own Superbowl party yesterday. She had been invited to a party, but, since we are all just getting over the flu, she thought that there might be a big crowd at the party, and decided to watch the big game at home.

My daughter brought home some chicken nuggets and cup cakes, made some cheese dip, and banana pudding. And, we had chips, and soft drinks. I had already made some tomato soup.

The oldest grandson had to work. So, the youngest grandson, my daughter, cats, and the dog settled in to watch the game.

I had never even heard of the teams, and didn't know anyone who was playing, so it was of no interest to me. I only heard Craig Ferguson on tv determining who would win by their logos. I just like a good band, like the A&M band, and the activity that goes on at the Aggie games. Or, if I know someone who is playing, I might have someone to be "for". There are only so many ways that the guys can line up, throw the ball, kick, and knock each other down, and, after that, I've seen it before.

My daughter hoped the Patriots would win because she liked the movie, "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson. But we never heard of either team before. Craig Ferguson had predicted that the Patriots had the better logo, so they would win.

Youngest grandson was interested in playing with his light sabre, and he was watching the "Puppy Bowl" on tv. I took my art things in the den, and sketched, while we snacked and watched the game.

By the time I got settled, the score was 7-3, and it stayed there until the end of the game. Nothing was happening. It might have been more interesting if someone had made a touchdown every now and then. So, we turned the "Puppy Bowl" on and watched the cute little dogs romp on a fake football field! Tried the game again at half time, but that was so boring, we turned the dogs back on. We never heard of the musicians, and didn't like that kind of music, so we went back to the "Puppy Bowl", and just checked on the game every now and then. We did watch the end, when there was finally some action. And were so surprised by the last minute touchdown that won the game.

As we watched, I did some gesture drawings, and decided that I would draw us at our Superbowl party. Lively bunch, aren't we! Youngest grandson is on the left, with his light sabre. I'm on the right with my sketch book. One of the cats, Simba, was perched on the back of the couch, glaring at us, and hoping for a bite of chicken. We have a little table that comes out of the couch where we had our snacks. My daughter reclined in the chair, dangling one foot and her hand. Her snacks were on the table on the other side of the chair. Under her chair, Pluto, the puppy, settled down for a nap, after he ate too much.

At least, "EastEnders" was good, later, as was "Miss Austen Presents", and even "Corner Gas", "Becker" and "Home Improvement". Enjoyed watching "The Queen Family" about Appalachian music. The scenery was especially nice.

I hope that, if you like football, that you enjoyed watching the big game. Does this mean that football is over with, until the fall and we can get back to local high school and college teams? I guess it doesn't matter, because I always find something else to watch on tv anyway.

Hopefully, you are well, and that the flu will not strike your house as it did ours, for the past week or so.